De rerum natura, World of Threads

Ixchel Suarez, Memories of a Birch Tree

Ixchel Suarez, Memories of a Birch Tree
(detail)

Once again I find myself promoting the World of Threads, and their wonderful website, where you can find links to photo albums of the various shows they mounted in November. The exhibit titled De rerum natura, in the Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre, Oakville, ON was a standout.

"Curator Gareth Bate had observed that environmental work was the most dominant theme in contemporary fibre art. This lush and colourful environment was filled with striking and sometimes bizarre work. The show featured the work of 35 artists from Canada, Denmark, United Kingdom and USA. They worked in a huge variety of media. There were installations, sculpture and 2D work."

Also on their website are 86 interviews with local, regional and international fibre artists. That feature will resume again in about a month, with a new stable of artists.

I was reminded of this Festival as I spoke with others attending the SAQA conference in Santa Fe last week. As impressive as SAQA's New Mexico: Unfolding exhibit was, its focus was on 2-D art quilts. The World of Threads featured more innovative and more dimensional work. Truly exceptional. Have a look at the photo gallery and see if you don't agree with me.