Threadworks celebrates 29 years

Threadworks held its opening reception for its final show Flashback on April 17 at the Wellington County Museum and Archives.

After 29 years the exhibit will be retiring after this show.

“This is always just about our favourite exhibit, Threadworks,” said museum curator Susan Dunlop. “We always look forward to it every three years, all of the staff do.”

Threadworks coordinator Elizabeth Duggan Litch said the juried exhibition’s goal of getting stitched textile recognized as art and shown in galleries was achieved.

“In 1987 when this gallery and this show began at the same time textile art was not usually in juried exhibitions,” Duggan Litch said. “It was considered to be a craft and a lot of galleries just would not consider having it.”

The curator of the museum at that time encouraged members of the Guelph Embroider’s Guild to host a juried exhibition.

She said that after two shows the exhibit began showing around Ontario.

“So now it is seen as far away as Kenora and up at Port Francis and Drayton, Thunderbay and all of the galleries that host it say that people flock out to see the show,” Duggan Litch said.

Though this is the last Threadworks show, Duggan Litch said that there will be other juried exhibitions of stitched textile.

The show’s grand prize winner was Maggie Vanderweit from Fergus for her piece called Storm Windows.

Threadworks will be displayed at the museum until May 29.