A round-up of goings-on in fibre and textile arts and crafts across Canada.
The Textile Museum of Canada has announced a cornerstone exhibition for 2022: Double Vision: Jessie Oonark, Janet Kigusiuq, and Victoria Mamnguqsualuk.
Double Vision profiles three ground-breaking artists from Nunavut—Jessie Oonark (1906 – 1985) and her daughters, Janet Kigusiuq (1926 – 2005) and Victoria Mamnguqsualuk (1930 – 2016)—and shines a light on a highly distinctive art form called nivingajuliat that developed out of government-sponsored craft programs in the Arctic, beginning with the sewing program in Qamani`tuaq (Baker Lake) established in the 1960s.
The museum has also announced this upcoming online seminar:
Sewing the Seeds of Change: Banner Workshops for Revolutionary Times. Quoting from the description:
Banners are textiles that are usually seen front and centre at direct action events. What is less visible are the ethics of care that go into making banners. Through conversation while making a banner together, Syrus Marcus Ware and Jenna Reid will talk about what they have learned through making banners, and how the values of disability justice and healing justice are woven into the work at every step of the process. In this hands-on workshop participants will learn a few techniques for how to make their own banners and will come away with an understanding of how textiles fit into our revolutionary efforts.
The event happens July 22nd, July 22nd, 4-5:30pm Eastern Time. Register for free at this link.
The Toronto Knitters’ Guild has announced the schedule of events for their online “Faux Frolic” event, July 23-25. In previous years, this event had a big retail fair, and classes. This year, the shopping is online, and there’s a full schedule of presentations and lectures. Digits & Threads will be there! Kim and Kate are scheduled for 2-3pm on Saturday the 24th, to introduce what we’re doing with the magazine, and our plans for the future.
Speaking of Digits & Threads, we’re right in the middle of our semi-annual sale. All memberships are 10% off. We only have two sales—one around Kate’s birthday at the end of the year, and one around Kim’s birthday in the middle of the year.
And, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re hiring! We have a part-time position for a marketing intern. Candidates must be currently enrolled in or have graduated within three years from a publishing, writing, digital publishing, communications, marketing, advertising or comparable program at an accredited post-secondary institution.
Do you follow Digits & Threads contributor Brye Robertson on Instagram? You should! She does beautiful beadwork, and she sews masks. She has also been making moccasins using traditional materials and methods. She documents the process, and sometimes offers a pair for sale.
This week is the start of Toronto’s Outdoor Art Fair, running until July 11. This year it’s a little different, and there’s both an in-person component, and online talks and events. Artist Alisa McRonald, whom you’ll soon get to meet in our pages, has a number of incredible handwoven items on display and available for sale.
Afghan-Canadian textile artist Hangama Amiri creates wall hangings from fabrics of all sorts, incorporating beads, paper and paint. This CBC interview delves into her process and her inspiration for a recent collection on the theme of “home”.
The Grand National Fibre Exhibition has a couple of exciting things going on: their 2021 exhibition, titled “Crossroads”, is available for viewing online, and at a number of galleries around Canada this summer.
They’re also taking submissions for their 2023 juried show, “Delights.”