Costume Museum of Canada facts for kids
| Type | Fashion museum |
|---|---|
| Collection size | 35,000 |
The Costume Museum of Canada is a special place that teaches us about the history of fashion and clothing in Canada. It has a huge collection of over 35,000 items! These items show what people wore over 400 years. The museum is in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. While its main gallery closed in 2010, the museum still shares its amazing collection. It does this through fun pop-up exhibits, fashion shows, and other learning programs. It was actually the first museum in Canada focused on textiles (fabrics and clothing)!
Contents
The Museum's Story
The Costume Museum started by taking in about 2,000 clothing items and fabrics. These came from the University of Manitoba's Clothing and Textiles Hallway Museum.
Moving to Winnipeg
The museum first opened in a town called Dugald, Manitoba. But in 2007, it moved to Winnipeg. The goal was to be in a bigger city and attract more visitors.
A New Chapter
In March 2010, the Costume Museum of Canada closed its main public gallery. This happened because the museum faced serious money problems for many years. To save the collection, a new group of leaders (called a board) was chosen. Their main job was to find a safe place for all the valuable clothing and textiles. Today, the collection is kept safe in the Exchange District of Winnipeg.
Fun Programs and Activities
Even without a public gallery, the museum's leaders and volunteers keep three exciting programs going. These programs help people learn about Canadian fashion history.
Museum in a Suitcase
Museum in a Suitcase is a cool learning program for schools and other groups. It lets you get hands-on with history! Each suitcase comes with instructions and items you can touch and explore. You can borrow these suitcases for a week or even longer.
The Heritage Fashion Review
The Heritage Fashion Review is a special fashion show. It features amazing replicas (copies) of clothing items from the museum's collection. Groups like other museums, companies, or even individuals can book this show. It's perfect for events happening near Winnipeg. All the people who host the show and model the clothes are volunteers from the museum!
Traveling Exhibits
The museum also shares its collection through traveling exhibits. These exhibits send artifacts to other museums across North America. Some exhibits are small, with just a few items. Others are much larger, with 50 or more pieces for bigger museums. For example, an exhibit called "The Little Black Dress" was shown in Florida from January to April in 2011.
Who the Museum Works With
The Costume Museum of Canada works with other important groups. These include the CMA, the CHIN, and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
More to Explore
- Centre National du Costume de Scene, Moulins, Allier
- Costume Museum (Kastoria)
External Links
- Doors Open Winnipeg
