Bata Shoe Museum celebrates 30 years

2 month_ago 20

Toronto·New

The Bata Shoe Museum is celebrating a large milestone, marking its 30th anniversary. The depository is launching peculiar programming arsenic it recognizes 3 decades of exhibitions, starting with a look astatine the past of the cowboy boot.

'Rough and Ready: A History of the Cowboy Boot' kicks disconnected day programming May 7

Talia Ricci · CBC News

· Posted: May 07, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

How Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum is marking its 30th day

The Bata Shoe Museum is celebrating its day with the motorboat of peculiar programming, arsenic it marks 3 decades of exhibitions. CBC’s Talia Ricci got a archetypal look of the museum’s latest collection, which looks astatine the past of the cowboy boot.

Toronto's Bata Shoe Museum is celebrating its 30th day by recognizing three decades of exhibitions, starting Wednesday with Rough and Ready: A History of the Cowboy Boot.

Planning the peculiar day programming has been a travel down representation lane for Elizabeth Semmelhack, who's worked astatine the depository for 25 of the archetypal 30 years.

"Thinking backmost to erstwhile the depository began I deliberation a batch of radical were funny what a footwear depository would beryllium like, and what benignant of enactment it would do," said Semmelhack, the museum's manager and elder curator.

Founded by Sonja Bata, the Bata Shoe Museum archetypal opened its doors connected May 6th, 1995 with the ngo to illuminate quality past done footwear. 

Three decades later, the depository cares for astir 15,000 shoes and shoe-related artifacts spanning implicit 4,500 years.

"We person footwear from astir the world. We are successful the astir divers metropolis connected the planet, and our postulation reflects that," Semmelhack said.

The Bata Shoe Museum is location to galore imperishable collections but besides has three temporary assemblage spaces which connection rotating exhibits. Irina Mihalache, prof and manager of depository studies astatine the University of Toronto said milestones  like this are worthy celebrating. 

"It's oftentimes challenging for smaller museums to past and person anniversaries truthful it's a testament to the spot of the postulation and the quality of the depository to set to the changes successful the tract and invited caller communities," Mihalache said.

The depository is besides hosting a escaped assemblage time connected Sunday in solemnisation of Rough & Ready: A History of the Cowboy Boot, which runs until October 2026.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Talia Ricci is simply a TV, vigor and web newsman astatine CBC Toronto. She enjoys covering offbeat quality involvement stories and exposing societal justness issues. Talia is besides an avid traveller and photographer. Her photography has appeared successful assorted publications and exhibits. She lives successful Toronto's westbound extremity wherever she enjoys speechmaking and going connected agelong walks to observe the quality successful the city.

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