“Woven Photography” at Textile Museum

If you think that architecture and quilting seem unrelated, think again. Once you experience the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum’s new exhibition, you will never look at a building the same way! “Surface Fabrications,” which opens on December 8, features the work of artists Diane Laundy and Robin Laws-Field.
Diane Laundy brings the eye of a photographer and the design sensibility of the quilter to the skyscraper, where she discovers poetry, playfulness and patterns of beauty and originality. “There is an inherent sense of order and structure in both quilting and architecture,” says Laundy, “that lends itself to the creation of pattern and rhythm. I approach architecture as a fabric to be cut and shaped by my viewfinder, and patterned and embroidered by the world around it.” Laundy presents her creations on archival paper and silk and suspends them from rods hung as quilts are hung.
Robin Laws-Field was searching for a new approach to her fibre art as she zoomed her camera lens in on the textured surfaces of sites she was visiting. She suddenly realized that she had discovered a new way to create abstraction in her work. The images in this exhibition come from sites around the globe and all focus on surfaces: peeling paint on a shutter in Turkey or footprints in the sands of India. She interprets these with a range of media from paint and dye to clay and yarn, always incorporating a threaded needle wending its way through the composition.
Come and be dazzled as these two talented artists show us a new way of looking at the world. “Surface Fabrications” runs from December 8 until February 13, 2016. The official opening event is on Saturday, December 12 from 2 to 4 pm. The Mississippi Valley Textile museum is located at 3 Rosamond St. in Almonte

The Friends of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum will be holding a canteen at the show serving light lunches including soup, sandwiches, beverages and tasty desserts at the Christmas in the Valley Artisan Show. November 7 & 8th from 9am- 4pm at the Almonte Arena. All proceeds from the canteen sales will be going to the general operations of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum. www.valleyartisanshow.blogspot.ca

This may be of interest to you!

http://walkingwithoursisters.ca/events/2015-2/ottawa

One fabulous weekend in September!

21 August 2015
Fibrefest Marks 20 Years

Mark the weekend of September 12th and 13th, 2015 on your calendars because you won’t want to miss the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum’s 20th annual Fibrefest. At two locations—the Museum and the Almonte Arena—visitors will find demonstrations, vendors, and exhibits—a full two-day festival of fibre arts! Local guilds will demonstrate spinning, knitting, weaving, rug hooking, lacemaking, smocking and quilting. Many guilds will be rising to the challenge of exhibiting special works celebrating 20 years of Fibrefest. Vendors include spinners, weavers, and fibre artists from across the province, as well as quilt shops and alpaca farms. “That’s My Style,” vintage clothing show and sale will include a large number of vintage clothing and jewelry dealers, allowing patrons to enjoy and purchase a huge variety of vintage fashions in one location.
The Friends of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum will offer their popular tea room services, featuring homemade goodies, beverages and sandwiches at very reasonable prices.
While visiting the Museum, explore the permanent history exhibit “Fabric of a Small Town,” which interprets how a piece of wool becomes a piece of finished cloth and includes industrial machines used throughout the process.
Featured Artist Frank James Cripwell (1925-2014)
The Ottawa Valley Guild of Stitchery will present a special exhibit of amazing cross-stitched works by this talented artist. Cripwell and his wife Jill discovered counted cross-stitch while he was on assignment in The Hague and filled their walls with scenes and themes from Holland and Europe. Upon retirement they naturally took up stitching. Being a scientist, Jim attacked the problem of patterns and colours. Unsatisfied with simple patterns created by others, he created his own designs using scanned pictures and pattern-making software. His outstanding work was well-known across the country and this exhibit is not to be missed.
Don’t miss the Lamb Race!
At 4 pm on September 13th, hundreds of wooden lambs will be thrown over the main falls in downtown Almonte, and the owners of the first three lambs to reach the finish line will win fabulous prizes. Tickets for the race will be on sale at the Museum well ahead of the event.
Whether you are interested in art, history, clothing, or textiles or are just looking for a great day out and about, Fibrefest will have something for you.
Admission to Fibrefest is $5.00 per day, which includes access to all sites.

Kingston Fibre Artists Dazzle at the MVTM

On July 28 the exhibition Timeless Textiles opens at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum. This stunning exhibit will take you on a journey through the collections of award-winning art created by the Kingston Fibre Artists Group. Formed in 1996 by Kingston area fibre artist, Hilary Scanlon, this 18 member group has exhibited in galleries across Ontario, and the MVTM is thrilled that they have chosen us to present a retrospective exhibition of their work. The artists will be present to share a ‘Walk and Talk’ with visitors after their opening vernissage and reception at the Museum on August 1, 2015.
Having amassed an inventory of dazzling art with fibre as their medium, the members of the group will share their favourite pieces from past shows, as well as an impressive collection of new work. A wide variety of talent in the membership means that their art covers a huge array of techniques, designs and personal styles. From painted fibre pieces with added airbrushed text by artist Wilma Kenny, to the stunning hand-embroidered and machine-stitched cityscapes and urban landscapes/hideaways created by Phillida Hargreaves, you are sure to find a piece that sparks your interest. Contemporary art created with hand-dyed and painted cloth is the foundation for works by Bethany Garner, while Frankie Lemonde shares the joy of designing with crochet and yarns in brilliant colour. Hilary Scanlon’s beautiful works include important pieces in the inventory of this renowned Ontario artist. Sylvia Naylor brings her well-known, machine stitched landscapes and new art assemblages to the show, and Robin Field shares pieces from her Pavement series—a stunning collection inspired by photos taken around the globe.
Artists Janet Elliott, Susan Farber, Sandra Garner, Mary Ev Wyatt, Christina Barnes, Margaret Morris, Hana Sramek and Elinor Rush, bring a myriad of their exciting designs using techniques ranging from handmade felt and chenille to woven ribbon and 8-inch squares made weekly over a year.
This stunning exhibition will delight and inspire. Don’t miss a chance to visit between July 28 and September 5, 2015 in the Norah Rosamond Hughes Gallery at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, 3 Rosamond St. in Almonte.

TWIST festival, the weekend of 22-23 August, its a great event! There are lots of workshops scheduled for Thursday and Friday - check it out!

http://www.festivaltwist.org/en/workshops-2015

Mark your Calendars!

http://mvtm.ca/mvtm/?page_id=2675

Mark the weekend of September 12th and 13th, 2015 on your calendars because you won’t want to miss the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum’s 20th annual Fibrefest. At two locations—the Museum and the Almonte Arena—visitors will find demonstrations, vendors, and exhibits—a full two-day festival of fibre arts! Local guilds will demonstrate spinning, knitting, weaving, rug hooking, lacemaking, smocking and quilting. Vendors include spinners, weavers, and fibre artists from across the province, as well as quilt shops and alpaca farms. “That’s My Style,” vintage clothing show and sale will have a large number of vintage clothing dealers, giving patrons the opportunity to enjoy and purchase a huge variety of vintage fashions in one location.