A Common Exploration: Art and Artifact

Inherit, Inform, Inspire by Cynthia Jackson

Composing With Fibre: Releasing Meaning from Common Threads by Jo Fitsell and Sara Rockinger

Cynthia Jackson, Jo Fitsell and Sara Rockinger have each been working with textiles and fibre for many years, exploring the many different ways these materials can be used in art. Although each works on her own, these recent works share something in common by looking back at artifacts, techniques and images and bringing them to life in a new and inspiring way. Three different styles, a common exploration.

The artworks by Cynthia Jackson are inspired by a selection of artifacts in the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum’s collection—including, but not limited to, the machinery, workers, textiles and the building itself. The chosen objects reflect a collective inheritance, are informed by their historical significance and combine to inspire the art.

Jo Fitsell returns to her birth province after twenty-five years of exploring and experimenting with surface design. She has reinvented the ancient technique of marbling, revived batiking—silk-screened layers of dye—and introduced painted canvas to her sewing machine. Multiple techniques are brought together in a collage, creating rich and emotional textures that describe the artist’s relationship with nature, wonder and self.

Sara Rockinger creates translucent panels with ghostly images of mill workers from the past, simply using stitch as line, and line as stitch, in graceful and thoughtful remembrances. Hands are really such lovers and when given the freedom to respond to the beauty, warmth and hidden messages embedded in fabric are in full complement with art-making at its most private and intimate.

While each artist brings to this exhibit a distinctive style and personality, together they form a common exploration of the possibilities for creating contemporary artworks with clear links to the past.


Vernissage: Thursday, May 12, 7 pm
Exhibition dates: May 4 to July 10, 2011

Location Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
3 Rosamond Street East
Almonte, ON
613-256-3754 x7
info@mvtm.ca
www.mvtm.ca

Support the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum while seeing a great play in Perth!

What could be better than attending the Classic Theatre Festival in Perth? Supporting the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) while you do. Buy your tickets at the MVTM and see "The Fourposter" by Jand de Hartog on August 24th, and you'll be doing just that. "The Fourposter" is one of the most enduring portraits of a marriage in the 20th century theatrical canon. This chronicle of a couple through 35 years of marriage, from a nervous wedding night through to child birth and parenting, mid-life crisis, and the final realities of aging - is both a tender and a times hysterically funny masterpiece. It will be shown at The Mason Theatre 13 Victoria St. Perth.
If you would like tickets please call 613-256-3754 ext. 7, email curator@mvtm.ca, or drop by the museum. The MVTM is open from Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 4 pm.

SILENT MOVIE NIGHT AT THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TEXTILE MUSEUM

FEATURING: Daddy Long Legs (1919)

STARRING: Mary Pickford

LOCATION: 3 Rosamond Street East, Almonte

DATE: April 30, 2011, doors open at 6:30 pm, movie starts at 7 pm

Step back in time on April 30th to see a silent movie on the big screen. The MVTM will be showing Daddy Long Legs (1919) starring "America's Sweetheart" Mary Pickford (who was born in Canada). Daddy Long Legs is a romantic comedy following the life and loves of a young woman as she grows through adversity into a successful author. There will be live music to accompany the movie, just as it would have been done when the movie was first shown. A concession stand will also be provided to curb those movie munchies. Doors open at 6:30 and the movie begins at 7:00. All of this for the low ticket price of $5.00, tickets are only sold at the door and are first come first serve. For more information please contact us at 613-256-3754 ext. 7, or visit our website www.mvtm.ca. We look forward to seeing you here! Mississippi Valley Textile Museum 3 Rosamond St. E. Almonte.

Sheep Thrills by Lynda Forgues

St. Distaff’s Day. A new religious holiday, you ask? Nope. An old English tradition revitalized and revamped for modern consumption.

In bygone tymes, when the celebration of Christmas lasted a full twelve days (hence the song), by day thirteen—January 7, St. Distaff’s Day—it was time to get back to work. And women’s work meant spinning.

For those readers who may not make the connection, the spindle was the apparatus used to spin fibre into yarn, and the distaff was a stick (staff) which held the as-yet-unspun fibre (‘dis’ being Low German for ‘flax’ which would have been spun into linen). Starting to make a little more sense?

But why write an article about an obsolete British winter tradition just as the Canadian cherry blossoms are about to bloom? Well, back in 2002, the West Carleton Fibre Guild and the Kintail Spinners and Weavers got together and decided to resurrect St. Distaff’s Day with a few twists. Since we tend to be busier than ever around Christmas (without the twelve-day break for recuperation) January 7 no longer signals a return to work—when did we ever stop working? Besides, for those of us no longer burdened by the necessity of spinning and needlework as a means of survival, these activities have become sheer pleasure! Some changes were clearly needed.

Around here, St. Distaff’s Day is celebrated in the summer, and it’s for fun. What a notion!

This year marks the tenth anniversary of our local St. Distaff’s Day celebrations which will be hosted by the West Carleton Fibre Guild at the Agricultural Hall in the Almonte Fairgrounds from 9 am to 4 pm on 4 June.

There will be 10 workshops to choose from—either one four-hour basket-making workshop or two two hour classes on various themes including spinning with a drop spindle, button making, weaving on a triaxial loom (yes, that does mean weaving in three directions), learning to crochet, making a knitted bead necklace, and many, many more.

Participants are encouraged to bring projects they have completed at previous St. Distaff’s Days for display as well as yarn for the Stash Swap Table. You might want to tuck a wee bit of pin money into your pocket—during the breaks there will be Vendors present to help satisfy your craving for all things fibre.

Did I mention the “Sheep Thrills” competition? Bring your interpretation of what this phrase means to you and you may take home a prize!

Lunch will be provided by the Almonte Fair Home Craft Group.

Workshops, snacks, tea and coffee, lunch, shopping, a tea party, swaps, contests, and kindred spirits … how much does all this cost, you ask? Would you believe a mere $20 per person for the entire day? Talk about sheep thrills!

To receive the full course list or a registration package, please call Sandy at 613-256-2892 or email stdistaffsday@gmail.com.

Registration cut-off is 9 May. Don’t be sheepish; come on out and give it a whorl!