When 13 Moons Entwine

…the moon is the divine weaver who spins threads of cosmic rain and weaves the night sky to guide the journey through the universe…

"When Thirteen Moons Entwine"

a textile arts event in the Outaouais
late summer/early fall 2010

integrating textile arts with the natural environment
and the mythology of the thirteen moons

"When Thirteen Moons Entwine" is a professional textile arts event, inspired by the legends of the thirteen moons of the natural lunar calendar. It is an outdoor laboratory that brings together established professional textile artists with young emerging artists in the creation of textile arts installations along a scenic walking path. This festive event includes exhibitions, workshops and artist's talks at Moon Rain Centre in the Gatineau Hills in the Outaouais region of West Quebec, and collaborates with major exhibition centres in the region to present textile arts exhibitions during the late summer and early fall of 2010.

"When Thirteen Moons Entwine" presents four related textile arts aspects: installations, workshops, exhibitions and artist's talks

1.
"Mother Earth Weaves the Thirteen Moons"
outdoor textile arts installations inspired by the lunar calendar integrated with the natural environment at Moon Rain Centre

Thirteen textile arts installations will be created along an out-of-doors walking path. Each installation will be created by a team composed of a professional artist and a young emerging artist. The two artists may collaborate to create a work together, or they may each do their own unique work that reflects the dynamic or harmonious aspect which links them.

The textile arts installations will correspond to the thirteen moons of the lunar calendar. For example the calendar of the Algonquin people names lunar months as: the month when water birds lay their eggs; the month when strawberries ripen; the month when the leaves change colour, etc.

The scenic walking path begins at the Studio at Moon Rain Centre, crosses the field, follows the stream to the waterfall, makes a circuit along the edge of the forest at the foot of the mountain, then crosses the footbridge and returns to the Studio.

Photos by Ken Ewen
Exhibitions

International :

The 9th International Triennale of Mini-textiles with the theme "Avec ou sans eau / With or Without Water " , curated by the Museum of Contemporary Tapestry in Angers, France, will be presented at Galerie Montcalm, the City of Gatineau’s prestigeous exhibition centre in Maison du Citoyen, from August 26th to October 10th, 2010.

National :

"The Thirteen Moons", a group exhibition of works by Quebec, Canadian and international textile artists who are participating in the event, “When Thirteen Moons Entwine” will be presented in the Studio Gallery at Moon Rain Centre from September 1st to October 10th, 2010.

Regional :

"Northern Fibres / Fibres Boréales", woven works by a collective of six textile artists who are members of Moon Rain Centre, will be exhibited at the City of Gatineau’s art gallery dedicated to the crafts, Espace Pierre Debain from September 1st to October 10th, 2010.

"The Living Tapestry", hand woven tapestries by Thoma Ewen will be exhibited in the Trinity Gallery, Shenkman Arts Centre from August 26th to September 28th, 2010.

Artist Talk for the Oakville Art Society

Last Sunday June 20th I was invited to present an Artist Talk for the Oakville Art Society.
As President of the Oakville Handweavers and Spinners Guild, I felt that a reciprocal way to say thank you to the OAS for lending their facilities for our Guild to meet, was to share some of my time to present an Artist Talk on a Design Process.
The date was rather hectic because not only it was Father's Day, it was scheduled at 2:00 pm, and we had the Soccer World Cup going on! Regardless the disadvantages of the events, the talk was very interesting for the participants.


The process itself is a methodology I have been applying for many years in the development of my own artworks (batiks, tapestries and Designs)

Nature as an inspiration for developing ideas is a very creative, easy and fantastic way to start a project. We are surrounded by common lines, shadows, shapes that can detonate our minds to create! Enjoy all the world that surrounds us!!!!

Social Fabric

“Social Fabric is a new Web 2.0 environment of the Textile Museum of Canada. Visitors are invited to share their unique knowledge, experiences, feelings and creativity with the Museum and each other.

Social Fabric was built by many communities. Volunteers from a network of artists, scholars, fashion designers, students, and new Canadians chose the 50 featured objects and developed the questions associated with them. Social Fabric visitors can see their voices reflected in the Museum by participating online and contributing a response.

Become part of the Social Fabric at www.textilemuseum.ca/socialfabric/. Make connections between the textiles and your life and share your knowledge, voice and unique experiences.”

Stars Among Us 2010 Award

Great Night.
Here I stand with my kids Esteban and Sofia who are my main inspiration and support, and my husband Juan, who has been by my side weaving amazing stories after all these years together!

Here is a link to this unforgettable night.

Click on this links below.

Visual Arts Award 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBImHXlBNco

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgNMLOway30

Visual Arts Award 2010!

I am so happy to share with you all this special event. Stars Among Us 2010 sponsored by Cogeco TV was a night of performances, draws and excitement. You can find more information in this site.

http://www.insidehalton.com/community/oakvillebeaver/article/818606

I really would like to thank not only the Arts Council for this recognition, but to my family. My husband and my kids Esteban and Sofia are amazing. Supportive and helpful at all times.

One great applause also for Anna Kutishcheva, amazing painter and Bill Smith, great photographer. We where all nominees for this category, and honestly, I cant imagine the position of the jurors when so diverse media where being selected.

This will be a night I will always remember. Also having my Mom visiting us was just the cherry over the cake!

Mission accomplished

Hi there! Remember a couple of blogs earlier I was completely terrified about not being able to finish on time for an exhibit deadline????
Well, I can tell you that just now, Sunday evening at 11:28 pm I just finished!
Of course it is just the weaving. I still have to do the endings, closing slits, linning...etc,etc... but as for the weaving IT IS DONE!!!!!


I have been working on it since October, and now I really need to start to work on another interesting project for the 13 Moons for Moon Rain taking place in Ottawa this September.
Good night to all. Until next blog!.

Ixchel

Wee! Nominee Again!

I have been notified about the jury decision to select me as one of the 3 nominees for the Stars Among Us Award in the Visual Arts!!!!!
This time I will be competing with a fotographer and a painter.....wish us luck! And I say US because it is the fibre art that is being recognized.

Last year I was just thrilled about it. Not to mention that my kids where fascinated with the Red Carpet and paparazzi idea...and that my mom would be attending the show flying from Mexico. This picture was taken a year ago. I am standing with my Mom, and on the left side is Megan Whittington, Executive Director of the Oakville Arts Council who was the one who encouraged me to participate once again this year.
(Thank you Megan for believing in my work)

This time, for second time and with more contestants, I can´t be more than grateful to all the jurors who are once again recognizing the Fibre Art AS ART!!!!

That has been my fight over these many years of being a fibre artist: tapestry, clothing design and fabric, batik...paper making, 3-D weaving....ALL at the end are visualized as merely crafts. In a way, of course it is Craft, but the essence of it all jumps another level in the medium to Art.

So, winning or loosing on May 13 when the decision will be delivered in the Red Carpet Award ceremony at the performing arts Centre, for me we are ALL winners already.

Wee for tapestry!!!!! good luck to all!.