Toronto's Textile Museum of Canada on Tuesday announced it will temporarily close amid ongoing financial issues and operational constraints.
In a post to social media, the museum said it will close its doors on Sunday, Feb. 16.
"Along with other cultural institutions, the Museum has been faced with the significant challenge of regaining and expanding our audiences following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns," the museum's statement reads.
In an attempt to bring more people through the doors, the Textile Museum said it launched "an ambitious expansion of our exhibition programming and fundraising" two years ago.
"Unfortunately, changes in audience behaviours and funding priorities have resulted in an unexpected shortfall in our finances, resulting in operating constraints," the museum wrote.
The Textile Museum's board said the temporary closure will allow also for necessary accessibility repairs and renovations to be made to the property.
"Given this, we have had to make the difficult decision to reduce our public-facing staff numbers and streamline our operations during this time," the board wrote.
Ahead of Sunday's closure, the museum will be open for public hours until Saturday, Feb. 15, with special late closing hours on Friday, Feb. 14 for Valentine’s Day. Visitors can still experience the exhibitions and stock up on reused fabrics until the closure.
The Textile Museum of Canada, located at 55 Centre Ave., opened in 1975 — and plans to reopen this fall in time for its 50th anniversary.
During the closure, the Textile Museum of Canada will provide access to its collections online. Onsite tours and collection visits will be available by appointment only.
