Textile Museum Offers “Travels in Textiles” Course with Artist Anne Kelly

Commemorate that fabulous trip or significant personal milestone, for yourself or someone else, with a unique piece of art handmade by you. On April 13, fibre artist Anne Kelly will conduct a workshop at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum where you will discover new art and textile techniques and processes and use them to create a unique and meaningful record of a journey, holiday, or memorable event. Using photographs, paper souvenirs (e.g., photos, postcards, brochures, maps) and other memorabilia from a recent trip or event, you will create a folding book or collage as a permanent memento. Anne will teach bonding techniques, printing and simple stitch methods with which to make this object.

The afternoon will begin with a look at contrasting ways to commemorate a journey or event, and ideas and plans for individual pieces will be discussed. This will be followed by a practical session to experiment with various techniques that can be used together to create a finished piece. Participants should be able to leave the course with the basis of a complete work, which they can continue to add to.

Anne will provide the bonding medium, some items for printing, and paper and fabric remnants to use as a base for your book or collage. It is recommended that you bring copies of photos, paper items, and brochures from the place/event that you are using as your theme, as well as any old domestic (not valuable) fabrics or scraps that can be recycled in your piece. Poems or words that express the feeling of your place would also be useful.

The cost for this workshop is $25.00 and $10 for a materials pack, if needed. Register now for an afternoon of creativity and fun by calling the Textile Museum at 256-3754 x6 or info@mvtm.ca.

150 Years of Canadian Weddings

The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum has several remarkable wedding dresses tucked away in its collection. When the Museum’s curator attended a local fashion show that featured only wedding dresses, inspiration struck, and a new exhibit was born. “150 Years of Canadian Weddings” showcases a unique selection of gowns, representing the decades from the 1860s to present day and will be at the Museum from March 19 to May 18. At the vernissage on Saturday, April 6 from 2 to 4, Rev. Heather Kinkaid will give a talk on the evolution of marriage.

Rev. Kinkaid owns the earliest dress in the collection, a brown two-piece ensemble from 1865, which is in remarkable condition. Another highlight is the Rosamond family wedding veil and dress, worn by several generations of brides from the family that originally owned the woolen mill which now houses the Museum. A beautiful hand-made dress from the 1920s was never worn, the groom leaving for the west when his future bride was too ill with the measles to meet him at the altar. Although most of the dresses in the exhibit are delicate shades of white, there are some very attractive coloured styles, representing the more practical decades of the ‘30s and ‘40s. A stunning dress from the ‘50s was worn again in the ‘80’s by the daughter of the original bride.

The Museum is open from 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Admission is $5 and members are free.

Don’t miss your chance to see these vintage gems. For those planning a wedding—come and be inspired!

“Rare Reflections” opens at the Textile Museum on March 19 and runs until May 18, with a vernissage on Saturday March 23 from 2 to 4 pm.

The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum is thrilled to present an exhibit by award-winning textile and mixed media artist Hilary Rice. Rice lives near Belleville, Ontario, and her work has been featured in galleries and at quilt shows across the country.

“Rare Reflections” is her personal reflection on the term "thin places"—where the veil between different worlds nearly disappears, and we become aware of the sacred. The aim is to create art as an oasis with the potential to transform. Each piece acts as a bridge to the holy, drawing the viewer in, to dwell with and seek a deeper relationship with the divine.

While in keeping with an intensely complex layering of materials, the majority of these pieces predominantly use a palette of gold and silver combined with understated dyed or painted materials. Many are graced with touches of jewel-like colour. The use of labyrinth images is a repeating motif, together with subtly placed text. There is a richness in the metallic applications, which may be viewed as the illuminated areas found on ancient manuscripts. As is true of these illuminated texts, the rich gold and silver reflect the light, revealing the holy one's mystery.The hope is that the intangible imagery will prompt a hidden message that is written in the minds and hearts of all—the message will sing within the soul of those who see.

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