All posts tagged: ROM

Fashion & Textiles Trivia Night – September 25, 2013

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Fashion & Textiles Trivia Night – September 25, 2013 Venue: Fox’s Den, 1075 Bay St. Time: 7 PM What is Batik? What is Diane Von Furstenberg best known for? Which British inventor patented the first workable sewing machine? Silk comes from worms, but which part of the worm produces the silk threads? Who is credited with inventing the Little Black Dress? Strut your stuff and show off your fashion and textiles know how. Hosted by Curator Sarah Fee No pressure, it’s all fun. Questions range from easy to challenging with teams competing for bragging rights. You could achieve the status of student all the way up to curator! So grab a beer, join a team and prepare for a good time. Contact 416-586-5797 programs@rom.on.ca

BIG Dream: How a Dior Dress Came to the ROM – February 9, 2013

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BIG Dream: How a Dior Dress Came to the ROM – February 9, 2013 Dr. Alexandra Palmer delivers the inside scoop on the ROM’s commission of the House of Dior’s design and creation of the breathtaking haute couture dress now taking centre stage in BIG. Includes the world premiere of the full version of the film Dior about the making of the dress. Saturday, February 9, 2013 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm Royal Ontario Museum Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre President’s Choice School Entrance Public: $20 RPC, YRC Members: $15 Members: $15

I want – I got Holiday Gift Guide – Part 1

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So, this year I lost my mind and I decided to create a holiday gift guide. I’m usually anti-gift guides because I’m not much of a Christmas person and gift guides are a shit ton of work. I don’t know what made me change my mind this year but here we are. People have told me this is a good idea, so I hope you find it helpful or amusing. This is the part one of four in the I want – I got Gift Guide series. I have so many favourite things I wanted to include. This gift guide is very much I want – I got. You’ll see things I want, things I got and other obsessions.  Some things are affordable and some aren’t but I’ve tried to mix it up. The list covers fashion, beauty, electronics, art, toys and booze. Basically, all the items on the gift guide are I want – I got approved. So, join me on this exploration of things I would love to see under my tree at Christmas. …

Tom Ford for YSL at BIG - Patricia Harris Gallery, ROM

BIG at the Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles and Costume – Royal Ontario Museum

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A new exhibit has opened at Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles and Costume in the Royal Ontario Museum. BIGshowcases a selection of major pieces from the permanent collection. I was invited to a intimate preview (with Patricia Harris in attendance, eeeee) and managed to get a couple photos. A stunning display, BIG is exclusively drawn from the ROM’s collection of nearly 50,000 textiles and costumes. Showcasing 40 artifacts from around the world, this unique exhibition includes objects assuming their BIG status in a myriad of ways. With some objects publicly displayed for the first time, the installation offers a fresh, new way of exploring the ROM’s renowned collections. BIG continues until Fall 2013. “This installation highlights objects that are BIG,” states Dr. Alexandra Palmer, Nora E. Vaughan Fashion Costume Curator in the ROM’s World Cultures department. She continues, “BIG is not just about size. Even the smallest textile can have BIG personal, social, and cultural value that shifts according to context. BIG brilliantly looks at the meaning of textiles and fashions from around the globe …

Teck Suite of Galleries and Light & Stone: Gems from the Collection of Michael Scott

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Teck Suite of Galleries and Light & Stone: Gems from the Collection of Michael Scott is now open at the Royal Ontario Museum. This by far is my favouite collection. I had to be kicked out of the gallery when it was over because I was wandering around gawking so much. Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures showcases the Royal Ontario Museum’s exceptional specimens of minerals, gems, rocks and meteorites, a collection among the finest in North America. The 6,900 square-foot combined gallery space fills the length of the Weston Family Wing on Level 2 and is divided into the Vale Inco Limited Gallery of Minerals, the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame Gallery and the Gallery of Gems and Gold. The fascinating displays are contextualized and illuminated by over 40 interactive touch stations, compelling video exhibits and engrossing information on Canada’s mining industry. The Vale Inco Limited Gallery of Minerals presents approximately 2,300 minerals, rocks and meteorites, exploring such areas as the classification of minerals, their physical and scientific properties, causes of mineral colour and …

The Nature of Diamonds

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The Nature of Diamonds Until March 22, 2009 Garfield Weston Exhibition Hall Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto I’m not a big fan of diamonds at all. I really had no plans to visit The Nature of Diamonds at the ROM. However, I changed my mind when the media invite I received in the mail had a picture of the Diamond “lace” cuff bracelet (top left image above). I was floored and I found myself in the basement on the crystal listening to speeches. Some were rather uncomfortable given the subject. After the talking I was able put aside my issues and view the exhibit. It was a well rounded exhibit on diamonds, starting with the fact that the stuff is just super hard carbon. It covered physical, historical, religious/mythological, industrial and artistic aspect of diamonds. There was a lot of educational stuff, but I just wanted to see the rocks. Princess Mathilde corsage ornament is OH MY GOD stunning in person. STUNNING!!!!!! (picture on top right above). Other items of interest include the 407.48-carat golden coloured …

Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles & Costume

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I love the ROM and I’m so lucky to be on the receiving end of their hospitality. The Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles & Costume presents highlights from the ROM’s renowned collection of over 50,000 textile and costume artifacts, in a display of approximately 200 pieces dating from the 1st millennium BC to the 21st century AD. Outstanding examples include Chinese imperial costume, late Antique and early Islamic textiles from Egypt, western fashion from the Baroque period to the present day and early Canadian coverlets. These illustrate the extensive transformations in the design and technology of textiles and clothing throughout the past three millennia. Due to conservation considerations, the artifacts are to be changed on a regular basis. The Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles & Costume is located on the 4th floor of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal and it is the final gallery to be added to the space. The gallery will feature highlights from their massive collection of over 50,000 artifacts. The current exhibit features 200 artifacts dating from 200 BC. Patricia was a …

Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific at the Rom

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I visited the ROM one lunch break to preview the Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. There was a little speech by prominent officials. I learned that new curators were brought on board to help with the gallery. We then went up to the gallery itself. I liked the layout and how they displayed the 1400+ pieces. This gallery reflects the ROM’s vast and diverse collections that represent the artistic and cultural traditions of indigenous peoples from Africa, the American continents, the Asia-Pacific region and Oceania. This is the first permanent home for these collections in over 30 years, with many of the 1,400 artifacts on display for the first time. Ranging from large and dramatic ceremonial masks and colourful robes to archaeological objects such as ceramics and basketry, the collections were gathered from the late 19th century to the present and represent some of the Museum’s founding collections. The artifacts reveal aspects of everyday life, clothing, commerce, ceremony and art of indigenous cultures from around the world. Divided into …