It’s been heralded as one of the most popular art exhibits at the county museum and archives and this year’s edition of Threadworks has proved equally popular.
“Threadworks is one of the most popular exhibits at the Wellington County Museum and Archives (WCMA),” said curator Susan Dunlop. “There’s always a steady stream of devoted needleworkers and fibre artists that look forward to it every three years.”
The event attracted 170 entry pieces with three judges narrowing down the field to 59 for the juried portion held April 28 before a large crowd.
“The quality of the work is always so high that textile artists from across Canada send entries, hoping to find a spot in the show,” Dunlop added.
Laurie Lemelin, of Mississauga, describes herself as a part-time artist, although preparing her piece titled “Below the Surface” took hundreds of hours.
A sales representative for a chocolate company, this is the first year Lemelin has entered a piece in the show, although she has previously visited the exhibit.
“The inspiration for this piece came from walking on the sandy shores of Georgian Bay,” she said of her corset design. “With every step through its crystalline water, the ripples created on the surface give way to expose bubbles below the surface. A glint of sunlight makes a cluster of simple pebbles appear to be diamonds.”
Most of her art work is used in film and television productions.
“My background is interior design. I did that for 20 years,” she said.
Threadworks is a special project of Ontario Network of Needleworkers’ in association with the county museum. It is a juried, travelling exhibit organized every three years. The inaugural exhibit is mounted by the museum and then travels to galleries and museums across Ontario.
The show is open at the museum until June 9.
“Hats off to the show’s organizers, Elizabeth Duggan Litch and Sharron Begg, for their years of preparation in making this an outstanding show. The staff at WCMA are proud to be the hosts and facilitators of such fine work,” Dunlop added.
Judges were Judy Martin, an award winning textile artist from Manitoulin Island, William Hodge, a graduate and professor of the Ontario College of Art and owner of Armure Studio in Stoney Creek, and Sylvia Naylor, an award winning fibre artist and educator from Kingston.
Winners of Threadworks 2013 include Evelyn Ward de Roo, Judy Martin, Valerie Garnett, Tracey Lawko, Wenda Mortlock, Judith Almond-Best, Gordana Brelih, Catherine Schuler and Patricia Menon.
