Exhibition Space

You may think a church is not always the best place to hang an art exhibit. I was afraid some of the Canadian artists participating in Tradition in Transition would think that.

But in fact the visitors to the Carrefour, and this year there were about 22,000, are oblivious to the setting.

exhibit Tradition in Transition at L'Eglise de la Madeleine

They are really looking at the art work and walk by the religious symbols.

art shown here from left to right:
Energy Cloth, Judy Martin
And so it Goes, Meredith Annett
Stars all Around, Martha Schellingerhoud
hanging above: summer strip, AnnMarie Newman

There were 10 churches, including rectories, hosting exhibits this year at the 18th Carrefour Européen du Patchwork.

South African textile artist, Paul Schutte also exhibited in a church; Eglise Ste. Rosalie in Rombach-le-Franc near Ste-Marie-aux-Mines.

Paul Schutte's work in Eglise Ste. Rosalie in Romach-le-Franc, France

This summer, I passed by an art exhibit in Arles, France, again in a church. It is a building owned by the city and there are many exhibits there throughout the year.

Painting and sculpture exhibit in Arles, France

Chung-im Kim, visit to a gallery

I just made it back to Canada in time to see Chung-im's exhibit in Toronto at David Kaye Gallery. It closes this Sunday, September 30.

She was one of the artists in the show Tradition in Transition.

Dawn, 2010
47" x45" x3"
industrial felt, silk screen, hand stitching

I chose this piece, entitled Dawn, because to me as curator it had its roots in patchwork. She sewed together by hand patches just like a 'patchwork' but instead of using quilter's cotton she used industrial felt.

The silk screen designs Ms. Kim printed over the felt brought to mind the stitches made in the act of quilting.

Her 3-dimensional work demonstrated tradition transitioned onto a very contemporary plain.

Her newer works are also very interesting.

boonyul 2012
34" x 34" x1 1/2"

She has started laser cutting the felt.

detail, boonyul

This one evokes a starry night .... Van Gogh's.

jaryu, 2012
51"x 24"x 2"
I love the way the silk screen lines
connect from patch to patch

Try to catch the show before it closes.

the invitation for Chung-im Kim's exhibit, Constructed Images

A trip to Verona

The dates are official! The Verona trip, which incorporates the Verona Tessile event, is on from Friday, APRIL 12 to Sunday APRIL 21, 2013. That's in SEVEN months!

St Georgio's church seen from a cafe

The trip is open to anyone who loves quilts and textile art and wants to experience the Italian culture. You should be interested in sewing/creating with fabric as we will be having three classes with Italian big-name quilters and textile artists. The studio space where we will have those lessons is the meeting place for Ad Maiora, an association of amazing women who sew but above all support each others' activities and ideas.

Ad Maiora studios

The trip starts in Verona and so if you are from another country besides Canada (where I am writing from) you are welcome to join us and meet us there. The trip will be facilitated in english.

One of the old city doors,
down the street from the apartments
where we will be staying

The trip will be for a small group of people, minimum 6, maximum 12.

View of the city from across the Adige river

To see the full itinerary click here.

View of the city from the Roman Theatre

There will be a meeting in Toronto in November. All the details of the trip will be discussed. Also attending will be past travellers. It will be a good time for you to ask questions and see their photo albums from 2010. If you want to be notified of this meeting please email me.

Paul Schutte

While in the Val D'Argent area of France for the textile forum, I had the pleasure of meeting artist Paul Schutte from South Africa.

Paul Schutte in front of his work entitled,
"Barren Mountainscape", 2011,
58 cm x 78 cm

He is full of energy! I love his accent!

Acid Mine Drainage, 2011,
56 cm x 77 cm

He often uses African fabrics in his textile work.

Acid Mine Drainage, detail.

He created a series of 12 panels introducing himself and his battle with prostate cancer. He was very brave to share his experience with others and did it in a very unique way. Some visitors who had themselves experienced cancer had tears in their eyes as they read his poetry that accompanied each panel.

poem #10, detail 

 poem #5

poem # 12

I was disappointed I was only able to dedicate 10 minutes to his exhibit! Shameful but it was either that or nothing. I am so glad I drove up to Romach-le-Franc even for that very short visit. 

Shown here are four of Prof. Paul Schutte's pieces in his environmental series.
He is the director of Communication Studies at
North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Noticing

Look at this photo I took of a small house in Tours, France.

If you look closely you'll see something more.

There is a painting of what looks like a medieval town
 in between the two windows.

I do that with my art work. If you like it and move in you'll notice something more.

This piece, Reflect and Repair, is in the exhibit
Tradition in Transition

detail visible in the lower left hand area 

Look at this next photograph.

photo taken in Ile de Ré, France.

See it?

Kumiko Frydl

There was so much interest about Tradition in Transition in the french press; newspapers and magazines.

To read a french article written by journalist Anne Muller from Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, (DNA), click here.

(be warned: horrible picture of me!)

You will also notice articles on the same page about other exhibits during the 18th Carrefour Européen du Patchwork. One of them is about my friend, Kumiko Frydl.

Kumiko Frydl

Her work is spectacular. She is known for her miniatures.

Mission: Impossible 2, 2009,
27.5 cm x 27.5 cm
machine pieced and quilted

Mission: Impeccable, 2010
47 cm x 47 cm
There is also silk ribbon embroidery in this one.

Both works shown above are in her latest 64-page book, Les Quilts Miniatures, published by Les Editions de Saxe, who just celebrated their 50th anniversary. (I'd like to add that they hosted an amazing party at the Tearte in Ste-Marie-aux-Mines.)

I was so busy with my own exhibit that, unfortunately, I was only able to dedicate 10 minutes to two exhibits, hers being one of the them. 

Speaking at Ste-Marie-aux-Mines

I was asked to speak at the Teatre in Ste-Marie-aux-Mines.

Teatre Ste-Marie-aux-Mines

My talk was entitled Canadian Inspiration.

I started with a little history of patchwork in Canada. I spoke about Canadian influences; our landscape, natural and man-made, our seasons with the light, textures and colours that change with them, our environment and how many repurpose materials and ended with our individual cultural heritage which also influences our work, consciously or subconsciously.

Aurifil has a promotion..
if you take a picture in front of this installation
they give you a scratch and win card for thread.
I didn't win anything,
The installation is made of spools of Aurifil thread
by DAMSS from Milano.

It went very well! The theater was half full. At the end, the young male technician came up and complimented me. He said he learned so much.

Another view of Ste-Marie-aux-Mines

Pictures over due!

The little town of Ste-Marie-aux-Mines

The large works resting and waiting to be hung at
L'Eglise de la Madeleine

The three men that hung all the works were so respectful
when handling the works.
This hand-appliqued quilt is by Toronto creator, Deborah Watson.

One of the works from Newfoundland hangs high up.
Summer Crazy Quilt by Iris Newman.

One of the workers takes a break and admires the works!
They were all three very impressed.

The town is full of people!!!!!!
There are line ups for the coffee shops.
For our exhibit, Tradition in Transition, there were
over 1000 visitors the first day!!!

I wish I had Time..

The preparation for the exhibit Tradition in Transition went very very well. Everything is well lit and well hung. There was lots to consider...colours, size, theme...

The three guys that helped hang were amazed at the works!

This morning at 9:30 when we opened the doors there was a huge line up!

What interest!! Everyone is in AWE of the works the Canadian quilters and artists created. (I even saw a lady walking around with her mouth open!)

So much has been happening in these last three days. I wish I could write more but have to run to the exhibit. I have no internet at my little inn so I will try to write more tomorrow!
Check back later for images.

18th Carrefour Européen du Patchwork

I have been posting about this event and all its preparations for some time.

I bought Quiltmania magazine while in France and the back cover is the advertisement for the event.

www.patchwork-europe.com

Canada is the invited country this year.

The textile event is:
4 towns
22 exhibitions sites
38 exhibitions (Tradition in Transition is one of these exhibits)
1000 works on display
150 European and overseas exhibitors
7 lectures (my talk, Canadian Inspiration, is one of these lectures)
7 guided tours of exhibitions
2 sites for designers and craftsmen
Classes, seminar, workshops
Quilting bee, day trips, horse-drawn carriage tours

Be sure to check back soon as I will be hanging the show tomorrow and Wednesday and the opening is Thursday.

French Linens

I'm in France right now and spent the morning at the local outdoor market in a small town on the Atlantic coast.

Of course I gravitated towards the fabrics!

I was tempted to purchase the top sheet...maybe use it on a bed for a bit, then dye it and stitch it as does artist Judy Martin. But it was 80 euro...

I may go back tomorrow as I hid it under other linens and it may still be there.
(photo credit: Sophia Reford)

Church Tiles

Santa Maria Immacolata, a little church in Basilicata, a province in southern Italy, has a gorgeous tile floor.

It bothers me that the design of the center isle is not centered.

Discoveries

Over the summer, I met textile artist Averil Stuart-Head for the first time.

Averil in front of her house in Introdacqua, Abruzzo

She is the director of Abruzzo School of Creative Art and has hired me as one of her teachers for July, 2013.

Click here to view my course outline.

She lives in Introdacqua

I visited the school space.

View from the school grounds.

We will be able to work outside.

outdoor space

After our tour and wonderful lunch, I visited her studio...

Her studio has street access.
It is on the ground floor of her home

...and saw her amazing, colourful works.

Part of her studio with work in progress

Selecting her colour palette using torn fabric strips

Averil talking about her favorite piece

Her work was seen in the Florence Biennale in 2007.

The second part of her studio is
set up more like a gallery of her work.

We ended our afternoon with a yummy gelato in Sulmona! Thanks Averil and Bruce!!

I am looking forward to this new experience in Abruzzo, the birth place of my great-grandmother.

I am busy now tweaking my itineraries for my own textile trips coming up in 2013- Verona in April and Umbria in August. Keeping checking Textile Trips under Pages for updates and to sign up. Hope you can join me for one of these amazing experiences.