The Tie That Binds – TREX Exhibition

Posted by Diane Miller Duncan on July 25, 2016 in Exhibitions & Shows, Featured Flag, Fibre Art & Quilts | 1 comment

Mom Evelyn, Diane Duncan 2016

Grandma Bella, Diane Duncan 2016

I’m looking forward to the opening of a new Alberta travelling exhibition(TREX), The Tie That Binds. This year north central Alberta will be treated to the work of f0ur Alberta fibre artists….. and I was invited to be one of the four! I share this exhibition with Judy Weiss, Edmonton, Margie Davidson, Edmonton, and Matt Gould, Red Deer.

Dad Ernie, Diane Duncan 2016

Opportunity!

I was first approached in early 2015 and I almost couldn’t believe it when it happened! After some correspondence back and forth and a lot of planning and winnowing of ideas, I decided to work on the theme ‘Family Ties’. What an exciting opportunity on several fronts.

First of all, I’ve been itching to get back to using fibre with mixed media techniques. For this exhibit I could choose my style as long as I incorporated ‘fibre’. About eight years ago I created a number of pieces for two fibre/mixed media series that were featured in a solo show in Ontario. I had a lot of fun preparing for that show!  Since moving west to Alberta, most of my exhibition opportunities have been more focused on quilt art, so my work has been primarily in that genre for the past few years.

Secondly, even though we dramatically downsized before our four years of travel, I am still sorting and ‘discovering’ bins of items that were just too precious to part with at the time. Among the items are many textiles inherited from my mother and two grandmothers and even some items from Don’s family as well. I have always wanted to preserve some of these items in an updated way so that they would not just be tossed at some future date (I have two sons with little interest in such item)!  And then I started to identify other small objects that would be perfect for assemblage….

And thirdly, could I combine my interests in family history, scrapbooking and art in one creation? As I worked through my creations I found that each tells a story, a story that I hope can be passed on through our family. I found myself reaching out to other family members to get their recollection of events and we had many a chuckle over how stories changed depending on who was the participant or observer!

The Tie That Binds

The Tie That Binds, a 2016-2017 travelling exhibition, is described as ‘featuring the work of four contemporary Alberta artists who, through needle and thread, explore our ties to the past, present and future and to the ‘family’ of man’. The Travelling Exhibition (TREX) program, sponsored by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and organized on a regional basis throughout the province, helps take art to the rural communities of the province. The Art Gallery of Alberta, organized this exhibition and is responsible for exhibits in Alberta Northeast and North Central. If there is sufficient demand, other organizing groups may request that it travel in other parts of the province in subsequent years.

Me
Diane Duncan 2016

So now for the big reveal, drum roll…..

Granny Alice,
Diane Duncan, 2016.

I can only share my contribution to the exhibition! Maybe you can catch the show in a community near you. Here is the exhibition schedule.

Coming to your community:

Period 1 – Aug 31 – Sept 28                     Afton School for the Arts, Edmonton
Period 2 – Oct 5 – Nov 2                          Darwell School, Darwell
Period 3 – Nov 9 – Dec 7                          Lacombe Memorial Centre, Lacombe
Period 4 – Dec 14 – Jan 18                       Belgravia Elementary School, Edmonton
Period 5 – Jan 25 – Feb 22                       Beaumont Library, Beaumont
Period 6 – Mar 1   – Apr 5                         Augustana University, Camrose
Period 7 – Apr 12 – May 10                      Vermilion Public Library, Vermilion
Period 8 – May 17 – Jun 14                      Barrhead Public Library, Barrhead
Period 9 – Jun 21 – Jul 19                        Alice Melnyk Library, Two Hills
Period 10 – Jul 26 – Aug 23                     Anzac Recreation Centre, Anzac