ArtClothText

Chateau Mathieu, a private residence in Normandy, France was built in the latter part of the 18th century.  In June of 2009, I and five other colleagues had the opportunity to work at the chateau in a two-week experimental residency to research and create new contemporary artworks that responded directly to the history of the site.

My particular interest was in the matrilineal legacy of the chateau itself. I wanted to explore ideas of the private and public as they applied to women during the Victorian era. Within wealthy families, women were, for the most part, relegated to the private sphere of the home where they spent their time embroidering in the sitting room and entertaining guests at the piano. At the same time, their poor rural counterparts were moving to the city and becoming part of the public workforce instigated by mechanization, mass production and the industrial revolution.  Through the use of embroidery as well as the use of rich fabrics referencing the opulent domestic interiors of these “ladies of leisure”it was my intention to speak to these women’s isolation, lack of agency and stifled creativity through subversive means.  I created pieces to specifically install in various locations in the chateau.  As well, over the course of the residency I created a number of site-specific works on the grounds of the chateau that I sometimes refer to as “exterior decorating”.  I have presented these experimental works here in the context of various chateau locations.

A collaborative bookwork based on this residency is currently in progress and a culminating exhibition will be presented at the Esplanade Art Gallery in Medicine Hat, Alberta in the fall of 2012.

Visit the Artist’s website HERE

“Bottle the Sky” was an event held on the banks the Bow River in downtown Calgary, Alberta as part of the Choose Yer Own Festival…

…a festival based on sweet adventure, and built around a love for Calgary and the many great projects that happen here. Choose Yer Own is a collaborative festival. Anybody can put anything on, which means the festival is always unpredictable and surprising. The festival tries to use unusual venues that are all within biking distance of one another, encouraging exploration and interaction with the city.

My partner and fellow sky-gazer Kristofer Kelly devised the event, encouraging almost a hundred participants to collect water from the river, and then colour it to match the sky. Some chose to match the colour they saw, others attempted to recreate a sky from memory. Children, it seemed had an altogether different approach, understanding immediately that the whole point was to play with colour, creating some of the most incredible colours we saw that day.

The colours we used were naturally sourced excepting one jar with a few drops of blue food-colouring. Teas, spices, fruit juices and milk provided a palette for sunsets, stormy skies and the smoky haze of distant forest fires.

The stories that this experience elicited from its participants were funny, touching, sometimes romantic and even haunting. I was struck by how something so simple can inspire such spontaneous, meaningful communication between strangers. Thank you to each person who came by and took part in this event. We won’t soon forget the experience of bottling the sky with you.

Bottle The Sky from Kris Kelly on Vimeo.

95 People Bottled the Sky by the Bow river in Caglary Alberta at the ChooseYerOwn Festival on August 7, 2010.

You are invited to view Maternal Lineage, an exhibition of knitted work by Dana Buzzee. “In Maternal Lineage artist Dana Buzzee stitches together the lives of the women in her genealogy. Using knitting, Buzzee investigates their identities and histories.

Fake Mourning by Meichen Waxer continues in gallery2 until July 30, 2010.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS | Poplar Gallery.Online is currently accepting proposals for exhibitions of original work. Craftspeople, artists, curators and studio collectives are encouraged to submit proposals. For information on how to submit your work contact curator Mackenzie Frere at info@mackenziefrere.com

Lynne et Vincent: Aimez-vous les uns les autres | Louise Lemieux Berube

Visiting Artist Talk | Louise Lemieux Bérubé
March 19, 2010 | 6:30 PM
Stanford Perrott Lecture Theatre | ACAD
Reception | Main Mall | ACAD | 6:00 PM

The Alberta College of Art + Design Fibre Department is pleased to present an artist talk by internationally recognized pioneer of Jacquard weaving and co-founder of the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles, Louise Lemieux Bérubé.

This talk is part of the Fibre Department’s annual “Fibre Fortnight” events. Please join us before the talk for a reception at 6:00 pm in the main mall. Following the talk there will be an opportunity for final bids before the closing of the Miniature Show Silent Auction at 8:30 pm. The Fibre Department gratefully acknowledges the support of the ACAD Visiting Artist Fund and the generous contributions of students, alumni and faculty who contributed to last year’s Miniature Show Silent Auction.

ALL ARE WELCOME. ADMISSION IS FREE.

To learn more about Louise Lemieux Berube, visit her WEBSITE

Rabbit Tureen

Mariko Paterson-McCrae’s An Affair to Remember is currently at the Alberta Crafts Council’s Discovery Gallery in Edmonton, Alberta from February 27,- April 10,2010.

Nautical Bowl

The premise of the show is based on a fictitious character, Duncan Gare, who has based his life on the love of ceramic fakes and historical re-takes. No stone is left uncovered in this side-tale of historical ceramics and is not a story  to be missed!

Golden Girls Plate

To view more works from the show visit the artist’s website  www.patersonindustires.com

For the past two years, Contextural: a fibre arts cooperative has held a hugely successful summer residency program within the studios of the Alberta College of Art + Design, Fibre Department. We are now getting ready for our third residency and are currently inviting expressions of interest from fibre artists and students who are interested in working within a co-operative studio setting and are seeking affordable studio space with specialized dye and print equipment.

One month and three month residencies are available.

Dates for the one month residency are May 30th – June 30th or July 25th – Aug 22nd

Dates for the three month residency are May 30th – Aug 22nd

Please visit – www.contextural.ca for more information on our vision statement, goals, values and an idea of the space we will be using on our blog.

Application information can be found HERE. Interested parties should send an application as directed in the package to: residency@contextural.ca with the subject: Summer Residency Application

 Deadline for submissions is April 1st @ midnight.

 NEW!!! This year Contextural is offering the Contextural Summer Residency Scholarship, consisting of studio fees for the three month summer residency ($250 value) and $250 for supplies. The scholarship will be awarded based on the quality and completeness of the application.

We look forward to your submission!

submitted by Tara Griffiths

January 10 to 23, 2010, Marion Nicoll Gallery, Alberta College of Art + Design

Reception January 21, 5 to 6 pm

In Maternal Lineage artist Dana Buzzee stitches together the lives of the women in her genealogy. Using knit medium, Buzzee investigates their identities and histories. For each of the women in this lineage Buzzee designed and knit a baby dress.  The dresses stay true to the eras of the women represented through the selected styles and materials. Maternal Lineage is an installation that surveys Buzzee’s personal history and identity.

Art date and alert! Excitement is abrew! I will have a mysterious assortment of “things” at Market Collective this weekend in the Anthill fabrics building on 10th Street NW in Calgary. So mysterious, even I don’t know exactly what they all are, but they will be the usual level of awesomeness I can tell you that much right now. I will be in one of those mysterious “gallery” rooms upstairs with some folks from The Straw, and we may or may not be making pancakes, and if we make those pancakes, they may or may not be psychadelic (meaning colourful). And they will definitely be for sale. As will my “things”. Whoa. Fun!! Also, there’s a heck of a lot of other stuff for sale at this market, and it ain’t half bad. Heads up on the $2 admission, but it just might be worth it.

The deets: Dec 12 & 13, 10am – 6pm, 148 10th street NW Calgary, Alberta, admission $2 or food bank donation

submitted by Bree Horel