Community Quilt

Photo Jamie Cruickshank

This large community quilt, 16'high x 6'wide, is a project which Moon Rain Centre directed for the Canadian Tulip Festival.

The project was designed and directed by Gabby Ewen, who is project co-ordinator for Moon Rain Centre. Textile artists, Owen Tuf, Phyllis Wedding, Jocelyne Ladouceur, Andie Haltrich and Thoma Ewen, artistic director of Moon Rain Centre, all assisted on the quilt project.

Community participants and visitors to the Canadian Tulip Festival wrote messages of peace and friendship onto ribbons that were appliqued to make the tulip flower, stem and leaves. One message I found significant is, "peace is not a solo activity". The signatures of participants are on the green rectangles that make the border. This is part of Moon Rain Centre's large "Vision Weave Project". www.visionweaveproject.blogspot.com

The Canadian Tulip Festival, now in it's 59th year, commemorates Holland's gift of tulip bulbs as thanks for Canada's hospitality to the Dutch Royal Family during the Second World War.

The Quilt was made on site at the festival in Major's Hill Park in Ottawa in

May 2011.
It has now been delivered to the Canadian Tulip Festival offices in Ottawa.

The Kaleidoscope Community Quilt on stage at closing ceremonies

Six artists from Moon Rain Centre participated in the Kaleidoscope Community Quilt Project on-site at the Tulip Festival: Gabby Ewen, owen tuf, Phyllis Wedding, Andie Haltrich,  Jocelyne Ladouceur and Thoma Ewen.This picture was taken on stage at the Tulip Festival during the closing ceremonies on May 23. Shown are the quilt and the director of the project Gabby Ewen. She is currently working on the finishing touches of this large quilt.

Photographs of The Kaleidoscope Community Quilt Project in progress

This project is progressing so amazingly. To see some of the photographs of the community quilt please follow the link to the Canadaian Tulip Festival website.

http://www.tulipfestival.ca/gallery/?album=6&gallery=6

Volunteers Invited to Participate in Kaleidoscope Quilt Project, Canadian Tulip Festival

The Kaleidoscope Community Quilt Project

May 6 to 23, 2011

The Kaleidoscope Quilt is the Canadian Tulip Festival's visual celebration of Peace and Friendship through Colours, Culture and Community.This unique piece of textile art will be created by the Canadian Tulip Festival's 25,000 community members, in partnership with Moon Rain Centre (www.moonrain.ca) and the direction of textile artist Gabby Ewen.

The Kaleidoscope Quilt will be created using appliqué, crazy quilting and contemporary textile techniques, working with satin ribbons which will be hand-sewn into the image of a radiant tulip in full bloom with a
background of brilliantly coloured fabric diamonds pieced, embroidered along the seams in the crazy quilt style and embellished to form a radiating kaleidoscopic image.

The Kaleidoscope Community Quilt Project is a hands-on intercultural, intergenerational participatory art activity that will be set up on the festival site for the duration of the Canadian Tulip Festival.
Participants are invited to personalize a piece of fabric or ribbon by contributing a positive message of Peace and Friendship.

Messages of Peace and Friendship will be recorded and displayed, and all participants will be invited to sign, along the border of the quilt. The incorporation of these signatures into the art piece creates an active "living" record of all the community contributors and attests to the iconic quality of this legacy project.


The Canadian Tulip Festival is seeking skilled individuals to facilitate the hands-on creation as well as the integration of members of the public into this exciting large scale community quilt project.

For more information please e-mail..
workshops@tulipfestival.ca

Vision Weave Public Art Installed

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Vision Weave Community Arts project has been permanently installed at the Albion- Heatherington Recreation Centre, Ottawa, Canada.

photo by Caleb Abbott

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artculture

City of Ottawa Public and Community Arts Newsletter

October 2010 Newsletter no. 4

Brought to you by the Cultural Services Branch

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COMMUNITY WEAVING PROJECT UNVEILED AT ALBION- HEATHERINGTON

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A new public art commission entitled Vision Weave created for the Albion-Heatherington Recreation Centre, was unveiled by Councillor Diane Deans and community members on Thursday, September 9th.

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Vision Weave, by artists Thoma Ewen and Gabby Ewen, is a visual expression of inter-cultural and inter-generational creative collaboration. Hidden within the woven wool banners suspended from the foyer ceiling are over 100 ‘visionmessages’ for the present and future written by members of the Albion-Heatherington and Fairlea communities.The artist team set up their portable loom outdoors at the Better Beginnings Better Futures’ June Celebration, andin the Centre throughout July 2010 to teach, animate, communicate and direct the weaving of the Vision Weave project with community members of allages.

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articulture

Bulletin sur l’art public et les arts communautairesOctobre 2010 Bulletin no 4

Présenté par la Direction des services culturels de la Ville d’Ottawa

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DÉVOILEMENT D’UN PROJET COMMUNAUTAIRE DE TISSAGE AU CENTRE ALBION-HEATHERINGTON

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Un nouveau projet d’art public intitulé Toile de vision, commandé pourle Centre récréatif Albion-Heatherington, a été dévoilé en présence de la conseillère Diane Deans et demembres de la collectivité, le jeudi 9 septembre dernier.

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Créée par les artistes Thoma Ewen et Gabby Ewen, l’oeuvre Toile de vision est une expression visuelle d’une collaboration créative interculturelle et intergénérationnelle. Au sein des bannières faites de laine tissée suspendues au plafond du foyer se trouvent plus de 100 messages exprimant la vision pour le présent et l’avenir de membres des collectivités Albion-Heatherington et Fairlea. L’équipe d’artistes a installé son métier portable à l’extérieur lors de la Célébration de juin du programme Partir d’un bon pas pour un avenir meilleur, puis dans le Centre pendant tout le mois de juillet 2010 pour enseigner le tissage et animer, communiquer et diriger le projet Toile de vision en collaboration avec des membres de tous âges de la collectivité.

Albion-Heatherington Recreation Centre

NEWS RELEASE

Ottawa

For immediate release:
March 12, 2010

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Unique weaving project wins public art competition

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Ottawa — The main lobby of the Albion-Heatherington Recreation Centre will soon be home to a collaborative art project that promises to have the entire community weaving. Vision Weave, by local artists Thoma Ewen and Gabriel Ewen Phillips, was the winning entry in a City competition that called for public art to enhance Ottawa’s newest recreation centre and foster community engagement.

The mother-and-daughter team are thrilled their project was selected. “We wanted to create a visual expression of inter-cultural and inter-generational creative collaboration,” said Thoma Ewen. “My daughter and I will set up a portable loom in the recreation centre to teach, animate, communicate and direct the weaving of the Vision Weave project with community members of all ages.”

Councillor Diane Deans, chair of the Community and Protective Services Committee, said that the winning art was a perfect project for the new recreation centre. “What better way to weave a community together than with a tapestry that everyone can take part in? It’s one more way that public art can inspire and connect people of all ages, cultures and interests.”

An evolving piece, Vision Weave will incorporate the woven stories from the community. The result will be radiantly colourful banner-like woven hangings.

Thoma Ewen is artistic director of the Moon Rain Centre for Tapestry Arts; Gabriel Ewen Phillips is project co-ordinator. An award-winning tapestry artist, and former instructor at the Ottawa School of Art, Thoma directs community projects in Canada and Europe. An assistant at the Moon Rain Centre for over 12 years, Gabriel has studied at Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy, Arts Canterbury and Ottawa School of Art.

For more information about the new public art visit ottawa.ca/arts or call 3-1-1.

For more information:
Media contact
613-580-2450

Public inquiries
3-1-1

Weaving A Vision For The Earth

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Weaving a Vision for the Earth

Join special guest Thoma Ewen to create a tapestry inspired by Earth Day. Write your visions, messages and wishes for Earth and weave them into a communal work of art. Families can also create a personal mini-tapestry to take home.

April 18, 2009 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

April 19, 2009 11:00AM to 4:00 PM

Canadian Museum of Civilization

100, rue Laurier Street, Gatineau QC

Free with Museum admission

Weaving Peace Field Tapestries

National Gallery of Canada

October 25 2008

Photos C. LePlante

CBC Radio Interview

CBC Radio public service announcement for the teen weaving workshop at the National Gallery Of Canada, Saturday October 25, 2008

Workshop at National Gallery

NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA


380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa

WEAVING PEACE WORKSHOP FOR TEENS

Participate in a workshop run by the Teen Council on the theme of artistic peace. Take advantage of this great opportunity to meet other teens, get to know local artists, and create off-the-wall art. Cost: $5 per workshop (Members $4). Registration required: 613-998-8888.

Saturday 25 October from 1 pm to 4:30 pm
Invocations of Peace: A Vision Weave with Thoma Ewen

In this workshop, teen participants will express a vision of peace in a woven peace field tapestry. The process will be photographed and transmitted via an online blog, and uploaded to the Teen Council’s Facebook page.

Invitation for Gathering Weavers

Group Tapestry Exhibition in Ottawa

Curated by Krystyna Sadej