Art at the Whyte

Lesley Turner 'Valuing Women's Work' 81" x 62", composted, hand stitching; cotton
An afternoon tea cloth was left under a maple tree during fall to be incorporated into the decay cycle. After many hours of washing, ironing and stitching the work goes largely unnoticed as the restored cloth is sacrificed again to protect furniture while the hostess serves tea to her guests. This installation is a metaphor for much of women's work not accounted for in our national accounts system.

Mary Shaffer's jacket...

...was the inspiration for a number of works placed around it.

Likewise, Catherine Whyte's engagement dress, shoes and portrait  inspired Ingrid Lincoln's panel. The artist statement reads: 'This is a homage to Catherine Whyte. A strong personality in a soft guise.'

The curators Michale Lang and Mary-Beth Laviolette did a very good job pairing and arranging artifacts from the Whyte collection with Articulation's art works.

Articulation at the Whyte

Here is the view from the entrance, looking left

The view looking from the 1st entrance

View from inside the gallery
There is lots of breathing space for the works

Here is Articulation, in the gallery

Articulation At The Whyte

This is the text panel at the entrance to Articulation's work in the Whyte Museum, Banff

With Vickie Newington's 2 works beside it - see below

In front of the entrance is this red wall with Gloria S Daly's work

Gloria S. Daly, 'Glacier', 42" x 38"
Gloria was inspired by A. C. Gault's sketch called 'Mountain Monsters', in the book 'Rocky Mountain Madness' by Edward Cavell & Jon Whyte. Indigo dyed cotton and silk rushing is hand embroidered with a zillion french knots and machine quilting.

Vickie Newington
 (top) 'Ice and Stones,' 17" x 20", glass, mohair wool - hand felting, glass fusion
Vickie describes this work, "As the mountain starts to warm up and come alive in the spring, the edges of the ice on the lakes retreats, exposing interesting stones."
(bottom) 'Ice Water,' 22" x 24", fused glass, polyester, wool mohair - glass fusing, machine embroidery, hand felting
Vickie describes this work,"The spring breakup in the mountains brings texture and reflection to the water and  the ice.
These 2 works are beside the text panel.
More Articulation work to come.

Articulation Exhibition at Whyte Museum

Catherine Whyte

An exciting event that has come out of Articulation's Women Rock project is an invitation to exhibit at the Whyte Museum in September 2011. Michale Lang, the Director and Chief Curator of the Whyte, saw some of our work while it was hanging in the Other Gallery in the Banff Centre last March. On the spot she booked us for an exhibition.

Eleanor Luxton

It will be Articulation's first curated exhibition. Michale will select work to go with artifacts and archives from the Whyte collections. For the past 2 years Articulation members have been researching women and mountain culture in the Rockies, much of the work being inspired by what was found in the museum and their archives.

Georgina McDougall Luxton

A number of Articulation members have been inspired by particular women who have lived in the Banff area over the years. These are images of some of the 'Luxton Ladies'. While other members are working with the concept of women and mountain culture and issues that are relevant today.

Annie McKenzie McDougall

It is an exciting and unique project where planning has started in earnest. We are presently divvying up all of the jobs involved in making this project happen. I'll keep you posted as things develop.

Banff March 21

I spent yesterday morning in the Whyte Museum, in Banff township. I was looking for artifacts in the museum's collection to work with. I am focusing on the equilateral triangle as a symbol and I found lots of examples in the current exhibition.
Beading on moccasins

A beaded choker. (nice Art Nouveau one in front of it)

Beaded repeating motif on hide leggings.

Great example of 2 ancient motifs used by many different cultures.
I am setting up a time for next week to go down to the basement of the Museum to study closely specific items I have asked the curators to pull for me.

Banff March 14

ReBecca Paterson, the 6th member of Articulation to arrive in Banff, had to ignore her jet lag because we had booked a curatorial led tour of the Whyte Museum collection where we were looking for inspiration for our Women Rock body of work.

Michale Lang is the curator of the Whyte Museum.

She took us through the Peter & Catherine Robb Whyte Banff Heritage House, which is such a treasure trove of Banff mountain culture, frozen in time.

The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta, Artist in Residence

I am taking a break from posting blogs about my textile experiences during a recent trip to India because I am heading up to the Banff Centre in the Canadian Rockies with my exhibiting group Articulation.
We have been granted a 2-week stay as Artists-in-Residence where we will collect information and inspiration and start developing our ideas on the theme 'Women Rock'. We have all sorts of interesting people coming up to work with us: Dr Jennifer Salahub, a craft historian (among many other things), Willi Schmidt, a professional photographer, Margaret Anne Knowles a museum curator, Ben Gadd, an environmentalist, Tara Moran, a glaciologist, Paul Mackay a geologist and more.
We have a huge studio, nestled in the trees all by itself, to work in. We have full access to the Centre's extensive archives on mountain culture which includes all of the films shown during the annual Mountain Film Festival, so lots of movie nights are planned. We will attend the concerts on at the Centre during our stay including the ballet 'Anastasia' and a Tin Alley String Quartet performance. We will visit many of the museums and art galleries in the town of Banff, including the treasure trove of archives in the the Whyte Museum. We will experience what it was like for women last century when they stayed in the Banff Springs Hotel to take in the mountain air and have high tea in the Rundle Lounge which takes in the world famous Bow Valley view.
We will then work in our own studios for the next 11 months where we will develop our bodies of work. We are planning to return to the Centre in 2009 for a month to work on making the work. The 4th phase of our 'Women Rock' plan is to exhibit the work widely in Canada.