The Textile Museum of Canada will temporarily close to the public on Sunday, Feb. 16, due to an unexpected shortfall in its finances.
The news was shared in a press release on Tuesday shared by the institution’s board chair Urmi Desai, who said that the museum will reopen “later this fall to celebrate our 50th anniversary.”
“The Museum has been faced with the significant challenge of regaining and expanding our audiences following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns,” the press release states. “In response, over two years ago, the Museum launched an ambitious expansion of our exhibition programming and fundraising to attract new audiences. Unfortunately, changes in audience behaviours and funding priorities have resulted in an unexpected shortfall in our finances, resulting in operating constraints.”
The museum is also in need of “urgent repairs,” which has forced the board to “reduce our public-facing staff numbers and streamline our operations during this time.”
The Textile Museum describes itself as the only institution in Canada dedicated solely to textile arts. It opened in 1975 as the Canadian Museum of Carpets and Textiles at a modest location in Mirvish Village. In 1989, the museum moved to its current 24,000 square-foot location at 55 Centre Ave. in downtown Toronto.
Following the closure on Feb. 16, the museum’s website will continue to provide online access to its textile collection, and will post new online content and operational updates. On-site tours and collection visits will also be available by appointment only.
