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Salle de presse
Quilt of Belonging Project Begins Tour of Canada Esther Bryan is an artist who, among other creative endeavors paints, draws and works in fibre art. As an emigrant to Canada, she decided that she would like to see a quilt that depicts every ethnic nationality that had ever immigrated to Canada. She wanted to include every native aboriginal group in Canada also. The Invitation Project - Quilt of Belonging began in 1998 and thanks to a devoted bunch of volunteers is now complete. Wanting this project to be seen by as many people of Canada as possible she is inviting guilds to approach their local civic people and historical societies, museums, art galleries, to allow it to be shown. Because of its size, it should hang for an extended period and not just for a week-end at a quilt show. Esther was born in France to missionary parents so much of her childhood was spent living among different cultures. In 1995 Esther accompanied her father to Slovakia, joining in his quest to find the family he'd left behind 43 years earlier. The journey formed the basis for Esther's artwork in an exhibition entitled 'Return'. Response to that work provided the impetus for beginning the Invitation project. Research was needed, with help of the departments of Indian Affairs, Immigration, and Foreign Affairs, Canadian Museum of Civilization, United Nations, embassies, cultural associations, bands and individuals to get in touch with people from every tribe or nationality. Volunteers researched the cultural history, and found what needlework and symbols were significant to each. Then designs were made that incorporated those elements that were most significant to them. Then, those skilled in that kind of textile work made the block. People from all over the country were involved in making each of the 263 squares. The quilt is a series of panels shaped in hexagon edges and when the quilt is hanging these panels interlock and join to appear as one long quilt. It is 10 feet high and 120 feet long. The Quilt of Belonging was unveiled at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa/Hull in April and now is touring Canada. It is currently at Pier 21 Museum in Halifax for the summer and will be at the new Newfoundland Provincial Museum, The Rooms in the fall. It will be the first art project to cross the arctic in a winter tour in 2006 after which the quilt will be shown in western Canada. It was featured also at the Waterloo Quilt Festival. It will tour the rest of Canada over the next few years. A 296-page, full-colour book, The Invitation: The Quilt of Belonging has been published as part of the quilt exhibition and tour. The book, which is also being translated into French, chronicles project's history, and tells the stories behind the quilt blocks. After only two months in print, this book is already in a second printing. A children's book is due out in January 2006 and will include projects for the family. For more information go to www.invitationproject.ca. Keep abreast of exhibitions on the Tour Dates section. See the What's New postings and tour the blocks on the Gallery section.
Arrangements can be made to show this quilt in B.C. through www.invitationproject.ca.
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