Bridging Waters opens at Saint John Art Center

The exhibit was very well received Friday night with an estimate of 300 (-/+) in a 2 hr period. That is considered a very good showing for the 5 exhibits that opened. Bridging Waters is on the first floor of the SJAC, in the largest room so you can’t miss it. I loved watching and listening to people as they viewed the pieces. One young man kept coming back a number of times, at first I thought it was for the cheese but He was always going to the same spot and would stand for a few minutes then leave and a few minutes later come back, I realize it wasn’t for the cheese when he didn’t pick any up. A couple from Wales was so pleased that they recognize some of the places in England. A lot of question about techniques – the tissue and felt were big hits – you could see people wanting to touch it, which they could with the “Fundy Fun”.   Lots of nice complements and many were genuinely interested in the fact that the pieces were in fibre. It’s a big room and Larry (0ffical hanger at SJAC) set the lights so everything looked great. it was great fun and now I am preparing a talk which I will be presenting 3 times over the next 4 weeks. If you are  in Saint John drop in and see the exhibit . My talks are on Thursday Nov 14^th, 28^th and Dec 12^th at 12pm ( noon).

 

About the Exhibit :

ARTICULATED MATERIALS: BRIDGING WATERS  

- a touring, trans-continental, fibre arts exhibition

Articulation, a Canadian exhibiting art group working with textiles and fibre as a fine art medium, takes traditional fiber art techniques in new and contemporary directions. Since 2004 they have organised annual study sessions to unique places in Canada, which serve to unify the resulting individual bodies of work when shown in their group exhibitions across Canada.

A recent study of the Bay of Fundy coastline has generated a new path forArticulation leading to exhibiting internationally with another contemporary fiber arts group, Material Girls, based in London, England, who were inspired by their iconic River Thames. The resulting combined body of work,  ARTICULATED MATERIALS: BRIDGING WATERS, consists of one 2D artwork each from ten Material Girls members and ten Articulation members. In addition, each group will have available more works to include in the exhibition while it is touring their respective country.

Material Girls is an exhibiting group of textile artists based on the borders of Essex and East London. The artists produce work using a diverse variety of textile disciplines from quilting and embroidery to felt making and mixed media. Formed in 2001, the group has exhibited regularly in the UK and is just beginning to venture into 'international waters'. website- www.the-materialgirls.co.uk

After a successful three-exhibition tour of London, UK, the work has arrived back in Canada and  begins its cross country tour. Starting in Winnipeg it will be hung in time for the National Embroiderers’ Association of Canada’s annual May seminar.  The next stop is a gallery on Vancouver Island that looks out over another historically important body of water, the Salish Sea. The work then travels to the Bay of Fundy where it will be exhibited in the Saint John Arts Centre, Saint John.

This exhibition will offer unique perspectives on both bodies of water encapsulating the local geological, environmental and social histories. In both groups there are members who have grown up living beside their waterway, while other members have responded as first time visitors to the shoreline.  Articulation’s work reflects the experiences of  seeing rapidly eroding  fossil bearing cliffs, walking on the ocean floor and viewing the history of European settlement through distinctive architecture.  Material Girls’ work  explores memories of watching rowers competing, locks operating and days spent on the river’s beaches.   It will remain for the viewer to make transAtlantic connections between places and people with long, interwoven histories.