GRAND NATIONAL
FIBRE ART EXHIBITION
Information
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Local Colour April 21 to June 23, 2013
Homer Watson House & Gallery, 1754 Old Mill Rd, Kitchener, ON N2P 1H7
"But indeed all the artists of Local Colour 2013 individually and collectively delivered on the promise of this year's theme. Once again they have delighted the committee with their many varied interpretations, thier skilled integration of colour, pattern and form and their technical virtuosity."
Balancing Act May 15 to September 11, 2011
Joseph Schneider Haus, 466 Queen St S, Kitchener, ON N2G 1W7
"Whether the artist has chosen the representation of a physical act to carry his/her message, an environmental dilemma or a personal life crisis, the overarching theme is the same - the desire to attain and maintain that state of perfect balance, critical to human existence."
Off the Wall May 8 to June 13, 2010
Homer Watson House & Gallery, 1754 Old Mill Rd, Kitchener, ON N2P 1H7
Though the show celebrates both tradition and innovation in the art of quilting through its theme “Off the Wall”, the organizing committee encouraged artists to create works that would be unconfined by conventional boundaries and thus be in some way, “off the wall”.
Postcard Greetings May to August 2009
Joseph Schneider Haus, 466 Queen St S, Kitchener, ON N2G 1W7
The Grand National Quilt Show is on the move. 2009 was a year of transition and the Joseph Schneider Haus hosted a smaller Grand National Quilt Show featuring fabulous postcard quilt art.
2008 Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow May 9 to July 6, 2008
Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 101 Queen Street, Kitchener Ontario N2H 6P7
Quilt artists explore notions of time and the many ways we understand it in our lives. The quilts present memories of the past, reflections of today and visions of tomorrow. “Clearly energized by the challenge, the quilt artists have explored the theme thoughtfully and artfully, exploiting fully the power of their multi-layered medium to evoke the complex layers of human experience.”
Fantasy May 12 to July 1, 2007
Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 101 Queen Street, Kitchener Ontario N2H 6P7
“Quilters draw inspiration from myth, legend and folklore, interpreting in fabric the fantasies of others” ... as well as …”daydreams to exotic places”, “memorable moments in childhood” and creatures “born of the imagination”. “Fantasy finds expression not only in the surreal world of the imagination, but also in the fibre and fantasy finishes” employed by the artists. “If the Grand National were the Oscars of quilting, Fantasy 2007 would win hands-down for Special Effects.”
Wild Life April 29 to June 25, 2006
Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 101 Queen Street, Kitchener Ontario N2H 6P7
“...We experience in Wildlife an outpouring of admiration for our native species, large and small, as quilters celebrate their beauty, their adaptability, the mobility of their race… fascination with our flora and fauna …(animals from) exotic realms …and the untamed world of urban landscape”… “for we are told that beneath the pinstripes of professional women and even the demure sweater-sets of minivan moms there beats a heart that is instinctively wild, and a burning desire for ‘life on the wild side’.”
Airborne May 8 to June 26, 2005
Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 101 Queen Street, Kitchener Ontario N2H 6P7
“On their textile canvases, artists have summoned up every conceivable object known to man and the natural world that could be borne aloft, no matter how briefly. They depict elements as evanescent as droplets of water, clouds, snowflakes, effluent and sounds both melodic and discordant. In contrast, others capture weightier matter so that milkweed parachutes are juxtaposed against paratroopers in grimmer circumstances … field fairies lighter than air confront lumbering bombers. In one work, careers, pension funds and life savings are suddenly airborne as the stock market crashes.”
Constructions of Canada May 9 to June 27, 2004
Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 101 Queen Street, Kitchener Ontario N2H 6P7
Constructions “elicited from artists a fascinating response to Canada’s built environment … the imprint of man on the landscape is palpable, captured through depictions of landmarks – lighthouses, churches, factories, theatres, the very constructions that dominate and define our personal sense of place – our personal comfort zone – our home place. Be they weathered family farmsteads, familiar barns or out-port shanties, they speak to us of comfort, warmth, constancy, belonging.”
Reflections of Canada May 10 to June 22, 2003
Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 101 Queen Street, Kitchener Ontario N2H 6P7
“Clearly inspired and moved by their natural surroundings, the quilt artists have artfully employed a full spectrum of tools and techniques to capture not only the essence of Canada’s diverse topography but also the many moods, memories and moments of magic these landscapes evoke and preserve. Through these quilts we travel to private and intimate places, or find ourselves centred in familiar surroundings – in calendar-perfect, Canadian settings.”