Peripatetic Patchwork

Log Canada returned safely home this morning.  It's been gone since last June when it left to join the "Tradition in Transition Show" at Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork in France.  Curator Sandra Reford   
kindly included programs and advertising from the show.  These will go in my book of memories for when I am an old lady.

When the exhibit in France was over, Sandra arranged to hang the show at the Joshua Creek Heritage Arts Centre in Oakville, Ontario for two months.  She did an amazing job.

Polly and Maddie were happy to examine the box for any contraband when it arrived.

...And of course, Polly didn't stop there.  She needed to inspect the quilt also.

I am happy to have this well-travelled quilt back home.  It feels like an old friend has returned.

Roots And Wings

The Tradition in Transition show opened yesterday at the Joshua Creek Heritage Centre in Oakville, Ontario.  Originally this exhibit was presented at the 18^th Carrefour Européen du Patchwork in Alsace, France in September.  Curator Sandra Reford has put together this show with tremendous vision and extraordinary attention to detail.  I am both proud and humbled that my Log Canada is included.  Here you see a picture of the hanging of the show last week.  You can read more on this post on  Sandra's blog.

The gala opening was held yesterday where Sandra once again gave a talk on the show to over 50 guests. This same lecture she delivered in four languages in France, so this must have been a milk run for her!  Previous to this, Sandra hosted a dinner party at her home for all the artists involved. Sadly, I was not in attendance.

This exhibit of 36 quilts chosen from each of Canada’s 10 provinces and 3 territories reflects the diversity of styles and characteristics of Canadian creators and the regions from which they come.  Sandra's mission was to produce an exhibition of textile work of an exceptional technical level and which represents the current state of quilt and textile art in Canada.  The quilts run the gamut from traditional to modern and show how our quilting has grown and "transitioned" from utilitarian to art.  As a Maritimer with my roots firmly planted in traditional patchwork, I love the acknowledgement of where it all started, and the excitement of seeing where we are now.  Our grandmothers laid a solid groundwork to allow us to soar.

                                      

The show runs until January 6, 2013 so if you are in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) please stop in and have a look at this exceptional presentation.

All photos in this post are courtesy of Sandra Reford.

I love this last photo with the Tim Horton's cup;  how very Canadian!

Postcard From France

This week in my mail I was surprised to find a postcard from France.  It was sent by Sandra Reford, who curated the Canadian exhibit at Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork.  It was such a thoughtful move on her part;  she doesn't skimp on any of the details. I am so happy to have this souvenir.  Aren't the houses beautiful?  I expect they've been translated into patchwork many, many times.

I've also heard from several folks who attended the show in Ste. Marie-Aux-Mines, and even got some pictures.  These were sent by Karen Otto's friend Diane.  Karen, who lives in Germany, was kind enough to email me after the show with her wonderful, enthusiastic comments.  Thank you, Karen - I appreciated hearing from you.

This is a picture Sandra sent along showing Log Canada hanging between two pillars at the front of the church.  Sandra writes, "It was on the right when you came in as an announcement that this was the Canadian exhibit... In front of it was a table with a map showing where all the works came from, flyers with all the web sites of the artists, the photo album, another hand out with images of the works in miniature with the names of the artists and the comment book which will be arriving back with the quilts. I only had time to read the comments from the first day and those were great!"

Sandra had an incredibly busy time at the show, and she wowed everyone with her ability to converse in four languages.   What a perfect person to curate an international exhibit.

This picture was taken by magazine editor Chantal Dupont.  You can see Log Canada at the back of the picture, to the left.  The picture was taken when the gallery was closed for mass on Sunday morning.

Sandra reports that the quilts are now all safely back in Canada and she is preparing for their upcoming exhibit at the Joshua Creek Heritage Centre in November.

Tradition in Transition: Hanging The Show

This morning are pictures on Sandra Reford's blog showing the quilts being hung for the show in France. Above you can see Log Canada spread out on the pews with some of the others waiting their turn to go up. Sandra reports that there was a line-up for the doors to open and over 1000 visitors to this exhibit on the first day. She also presented a lecture on "Quilting in Canada" which was well attended and enthusiastically received.

Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork

I had hoped to wake up this morning in France...but it didn't happen. Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork opens today in the Alsace region and my Log Canada quilt went without me to the show. Following is the press release on the Canadian "Tradition in Transition" exhibit, curated by Sandra Reford. Sandra has promised to post lots of pictures on her blog, so I am looking forward with great anticipation to see my quilt hanging in this prestigious exhibit.
From September 13 to 16, 2012, Canada has the place d'honneur at the 18th Carrefour
Européen du Patchwork and will be exhibiting in L'Église de la Madeleine. International award winning textile artist and quilter, Sandra Reford, was asked to curate a body of work that is of an exceptional technical standard and that represents the current state of quilting and textile art in her country, Canada. The Canadian exhibit is just one of many in the carrefour. The event organizers are expecting 22,000 visitors to grace the Val D'Argent area this September. Visitors will be exposed to the European perspective on patchwork and textile art while enjoying the Alsatian culture.
The exhibit, Tradition in Transition, will reflect the diversity of styles and characteristics of the Canadian creators and regions from which they come. It will be for many of the artists their first opportunity to exhibit on an international stage.
Upon its return from France, Tradition in Transition will be displayed at the Joshua
Creek Heritage Art Centre in Oakville, Ontario, from November 23, 2012, to January 6,
2013 with the opening reception on November 25 from 2 to 5 pm. Several participating
artists will be in attendance.

Off To France

Sadly...not me, but a piece of me has been shipped off in that direction.
Earlier I mentioned that Log Canada has been selected to be part of the European Carrefour de Patchwork show being held this September in Ste. Marie Aux Mines in Alsace, France. Quilts were chosen from each of our 10 provinces and three territories to represent quilting in Canada. Log Canada, which appears in the book Canadian Heritage Quilting, has already toured the U.S. as part of the "Oh Canada" exhibit with International Quilt Festival, made an appearance at Quilt Canada in Calgary, and even had an impromptu stop with a showing in Ottawa. It is well travelled as a quilt ambassador. Curator Sandra Reford is working hard to make this a memorable exhibit in France and she asked each artist to send pictures of their home which she would assemble into an album to display at the show. Beyond the thrill and honour to be part of all this comes a certain responsibility - not to be taken lightly -in showcasing your home to the world. I pondered for some time what I would send, and which telescopic aspect of "home" I would zoom in on: Canada, Nova Scotia, Cumberland County, Amherst...or my backyard. Would it be something I see from my window, or a shot of our beautiful downtown street scape? How about blueberries from Cumberland County? As much as I wanted to show all of these things, it was also a tug at the heartstrings not to include a shot of where I grew up in Five Islands (without parallel the most beautiful spot on this earth). What would you send?

In the end, I decided to send several pictures along with a short write-up and hope they would all be used. I wrote things like Nova Scotia being a 580 km. long peninsula on the southeast corner of Canada, and that it was discovered by John Cabot in 1497. Because the show is in France, I also made mention of the Habitation at Port Royal which French colonists settled in 1605, making it the first permanent European settlement in North America north of Florida. I spoke a little about our capital city Halifax and how nowhere in Nova Scotia is ever more than 56 kilometers from the sea. (I remember how secure that made me feel when I learned it in school, knowing that water would never be far away.)
I showed Five Islands, a small community situated on the Minas Basin at the head of the Bay of Fundy. I spoke about how it boasts the highest tides in the world; twice daily the bay fills and empties of a billion tonnes of water, going from nothing to over an incredible 16 meters.I sent pictures of Amherst, the shire town of Cumberland County which is famous for maple syrup and wild blueberries, and made mention of its proximity to the New Brunswick border, the fact it was founded in 1764, and about the many beautiful Victorian homes found in our community. For good measure, I tossed in that Four of Canada’s founding fathers (Fathers of Confederation) came from Amherst, Nova Scotia.
In addition to the usual straight on and detail shots required of the quilt, I sent some "glam" poses as well, as these quilts will be featured in several magazines as well as possibly a show catalogue. Sandra liked this one taken on the snow in my backyard; she thought it looked "very Canadian". Articles on the exhibit are lined up for Studio Magazine, The Canadian Quilter, A Needle Pulling Thread, and fibreQUARTERLY.

As Sandra is giving a lecture on the history of quilting in Canada, I sent along a copy of Canadian Heritage Quilting. The pictures and write up were well-received on her end and I am pleased I made the effort to include all I did.
Regrettably, the only thing which would not fit in that box was me...

Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork

This has been an exciting week with all kinds of good things happening. The big news is that Log Canada will be part of the Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork exhibit in Alsace, France!Sandra Reford will curate a show of textile art and quilts entitled Tradition In Transition that represents quilting in Canada. The show will be September 13 to 16, 2012, in the Alsace area near Strasbourg. C'est Magnifique!