Threads of Connection

Using art to create connections through history, with a place and to others in our community.

Apologies for the latness of this weeks article, I had a minor surgery earlier in the week and have been taking a little time to relax and heal.

---

Recently I had the pleasure of running a workshop at a new art gallery in our local community. The gallery, named Fabrik Arts is housed in a renovated woolen mill. The space includes a beautiful exhibition hall, meet the maker artist studios, artists residency accomodation, a museum and several workshop spaces.

Given the spaces history in producing woven woolen textiles, the new gallery has a focus on textile arts. At the opening weekend I ran an embroidery workshop where we stitched onto copies of historic photos of the mill building and workers. The embroidery technique was inspired by the art of Victoria Villasana.

I idea behind the workshop was to connect people to the history of the building through the historic photos and then to add a new contempory layer of art, with colourful stitches, to represent the new life of the art gallery as a community art space. It was wonderful to meet and chat with so many people from our local community, many of whom had relatives who had worked at the mill. Children were sitting alongside parents and grandparents, sewing and chatting together. The action of doing a craft broke down barriers and allowed easy conversation to flow between strangers. I felt privilaged to both facilitate and be part of such a wonderful weekend of creativity.

Hands stitching historic photos

I know I go on about it all the time, but this workshop was a wonderful example of how making art and craft together can help create connection and build community.

Artworks created by workshop attendees

---

PRESENT - A project by textile artist India Flint

I wanted to share with you one of the exhibits that I loved from the opening of the new Fabrik Arts gallery space; a collection of embroidered self portraits brought together by artist India Flint.

The exhibit which ‘aims to create an offering of creativity, connection and a coming together in stitches’, is comprised of 130 hand stitched self portraits from all over the world. The artworks, may sewn on old hankercheifs, were hung in the entrance to the gallery and moved with the wind as people entered the space. I loved how these beautiful hand-stitched artworks represented a comming together of the textile art communtiy to celebrate the opening of this new community space.

Beautiful hand-stitched self portraits

---