Happy Birthday, Robbie!

Robert Burns was born on January 25th, 1759, in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland. The son of tenant farmers, he had a diverse education but was unsuccessful as a farmer himself. He published his first book of poetry by 1786 and continued this pursuit until his death at age 37, in 1796.

He was a prolific writer, composing poems and songs in both Scots and English (and sometimes both), as well as collecting and refining Scottish folk songs. His works range from sincere to sarcastic, romantic to political, and draw inspiration from a wide range of sources. Considered proto-Romantic, he inspired many later authors and remains an important cultural figure for Scotland.

Scottish immigrants to Dundas in the 1800s brought with them their love for Burns, and below, you can see examples from the DMA Collections of Robbie Burns paraphernalia.

The video below provides a snapshot of the Scottish diaspora manifesting in early Dundas and brings to life newspaper reports of Robbie Burns Day Dinners from historic newspapers.

Although the DMA isn’t holding our Robbie Burns event this year, you can click the link below to read our recommendations from our previous tastings for a few Scotchs with which to toast the bard!

Robbie Burns Day Scotch Favourites, 2016-2020

And, enjoy some music from our 2020 Virtual Robbie Burns event!

Performed by MacTalla Road:

WINTERBLOOMS 2023

The breath of spring in the midst of winter returns with WINTERBLOOMS, a celebration of art, artifacts and flowers. Three Dundas locations (The Dundas Museum & Archives, the Carnegie Gallery and the Dundas Valley School of Art) present a walking tour of exhibits featuring original artworks and precious artifacts, accompanied by floral arrangements that take their inspiration from their paired work of art.

The Dundas Museum and Archives will offer extended opening hours to offer plenty of opportunities to see this amazing show for 1 weekend only!

Exhibition Times:

• Thursday, January 26th: 6:00 – 8:00 pm (Opening Receptions)
• Friday, January 27th: 10:00 am-4:30 pm
• Saturday, January 28th: 10:00 am-5:00 pm
• Sunday, January 29th: 1:00 pm-4:00 pm

Free entry to exhibitions at all three locations!

Visit winterblooms.ca for more information.

7 ways to support the DMA for #givingtuesday

Tuesday, November 29th is #givingtuesday, an international day for generosity and philanthropy. Here are 7 ways to support your community museum today and every day!

1. Visit Us: We’re always up to something new at the DMA: art shows, community curator exhibits, or quarterly Feature Exhibitions. Support our work by visiting regularly!
2. Become a Friend of the Museum: Did you know we have a membership program for Museum supporters? For just $35 annually ($20 for seniors/students), you gain access to discounted rates for our events and rentals, as well as invites for our exhibit openings and more!
3. Share Your Stories: Our mission is to preserve and share the stories of Dundas- and that means yours! Help us by sharing a story of you, your family, your school or work. Our history is still unfolding, and it’s worth preserving! Visit dundasmuseum.ca/collect
4. Donate: The DMA is a free, not-for-profit Museum. Donations help us continue to safely store objects, images and documents for generations to come and to share those items in engaging programs and exhibits. Donate in another’s honour or memory, as a one-time gift, or monthly through canadahelps.org
5. Shop with Us: Support our education program by ordering a Dundas Box! Now only $65, they make a great gift for anyone in Dundas. Order before noon on Dec. 16th at dundasbox.ca. You can also visit our giftshop in-store or online for more gift ideas- new items are arriving regularly!
6. Volunteer: If you are interested in history, or gardening, apply to volunteer! We are actively looking for volunteers to help plan and maintain our gardens. Send in an application, let us know your interests and skills, and we’ll let you know as soon as we have a date for the next volunteer intake session!
7. Stay in Touch: Maybe you follow us on social media (thank you!), but have you joined our mailing list? Sign-up (and make sure @dundasmuseum.ca is on your safe-sender list) to receive our newsletter and other updates directly to your inbox. Liking and sharing our posts also helps increase our reach to more folks!

MADE IN DUNDAS - HOLIDAY SPECIAL

Our popular Made in Dundas community family festival returns with our Holiday Special!

Enjoy crafts, activities, storytime & music with Andy Griffiths!

Mr. & Mrs. Claus will also be joining us for some holiday photos.

Saturday, December 3rd

10am-2pm

Dundas Box: Holiday Edition

The Dundas Box is back!

With the 2022 Holiday Dundas Box, you’ll receive 6-7 items from Dundas vendors, who will be revealed leading up to the pick-up/delivery day Monday, December 19th (but the items will still be secret!).

A slightly smaller box comes at a slightly lower price point: only $65!

The Holiday Dundas Box makes a great gift, with all the items being non-food or shelf-stable so they’ll last until your get-together or gift exchange.

Or, if you’re sending someone a Holiday Dundas Box directly to their home, add on a greeting card to send them season’s greetings alongside it!

The Made in Dundas Box, started in the fall of 2020, has raised a total of $21,542 for our education program while spending $62,223 at local small businesses in Dundas. While we’re no longer under lockdown, small businesses are the heart of downtown Dundas, and shopping local whenever ensures they continue to thrive!