An Opportunity To Reflect: Articulation Textile Group in 2019

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I am a 20-year veteran YMCA swimmer who was greeted at the pond this morning with a question. Are you taking any time off over the break to rest? It got me thinking... do I ever really take a moment to take in the enormity of what the past year really was? Do we give ourselves an opportunity to reflect, to even acknowledge all that has taken place?

Amanda Onchulenko, 'Reflection,' Connected Heritage, New Iceland Heritage Museum, Gimli MB

If you're like me, you are too busy: thinking, planning and doing, figuring out, keeping up or imagining what is next, but my friend made a very good point. To honour my friend's query in this brief season that hangs between Christmas and New Years, I will take this opportunity for a contemplative review of what we as Articulation Textile Group were up to during 2019.

Leann Clifford, 'Ripple and Frond,' Forest and Sea and the Place Between, Portals Gallery, Duncan BC

Its time to remind ourselves what evolved, what endured and what we have individually and collectively achieved. Reflection or review it should be noted is not a judgment, it is more an assessment and acknowledgement of events, achievements, accomplishments, missteps and creative tangents that contributed to our personal and professional growth and led us to where we are today, right here in the present.

Wendy Klotz, 'A Blanket for my Grandfather,' War: A Personal Response, Sidney Museum, Sidney BC

We began 2019 reflecting on our very successful project, WAR: A Personal Response, that exhibited at the Sidney Museum in the fall of 2018. WAR, the project, inspired a new way to approach fibre arts production and process for our exhibiting group. Working in community on a common theme became more and more personal as each member dove deeper into the discovery of personal family histories. There were no parameters other than the title. War was definitely a creative tangent that illuminated our collective passion for the process and inspired a paradigm shift that established a new premise and inspirational structure for future work.

Ingrid Lincoln, 'Cherry Orchard,' War: A Personal Response, Sidney Museum, Sidney BC

With that exploratory process in mind, our group was busy in early 2019 putting final touches on completed pieces for upcoming shows. Forest and Sea and the Place Between was mounted at Portals Gallery, Duncan BC. The show ran from March 26th to April 18, 2019. The Salish Sea and environs inspired our reverence and interaction, giant old-growth forests and timber cathedrals inspired awe, and that reverent theme continued with our experience of Tofino and Canada's rugged natural coastline.

Wendy Klotz, 'Kelp,' Forest and Sea and the Place Between, Portals Gallery, Duncan BC

We each filtered our thoughts and ideas through our preferred personal processes to produce an inspiring and inquiring show. Our membership spans the west from Manitoba to Vancouver Island so our opportunities to gather communally are limited. In 2019 however, multiple opportunities arose. At an artist reception on April 13th, local, Lesley Turner was joined at Portals Gallery by Ingrid Lincoln of Winnipeg and Wendy Klotz of Calgary. The work was diverse in technique and expression and much admired by a very active and textile savvy community who declared our work to be of international quality.

Lesley Turner, 'Dialogue 1,' Forest and Sea and the Place Between, Portals Gallery, Duncan BC

With Forest and Sea and the Place Between hanging, our workdays expanded to accommodate our commitment to The New Iceland Heritage Museum in Gimli, Manitoba. Connected Heritage exhibited for the entire summer in this vibrant lakeside community with Icelandic roots. It is always interesting to discover who attends a show and even more amazing to realize what a diverse international crowd is drawn to the inland ocean that is Lake Winnipeg in Canada's heartland. Articulation's show Connected Heritage hosted visitors from as far away as Japan, Australia, and the Middle East. Notably, none of the Australians were known to me :)

Donna Clement, 'Vinarterta,' Connected Heritage, New Iceland Heritage Museum, Gimli MB

Manitoba also had the pleasure of hosting Ingrid Lincoln, and Lesley Turner of Articulation, along with Laura Feelus and Louise Lamb in a show called Dualities at the Cre8ery Gallery, Winnipeg, May 9-21, 2019.

Ingrid Lincoln, Dualities, The Cre8ery, Winnipeg

 As a result of our Forest and Sea and the Place Between show, our members were invited to submit works to The Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Show. Wendy Klotz and Lesley Turner answered the call and contributed work. Lesley's 'Soldier's Heart' and 'Battle Fatigue/s' from our War: A Personal Response project, won an Award of Excellence.

Lesley Turner, 'Soldiers Heart' and 'Battle Fatigue/s',  Portals Gallery, Duncan, BC
 
Between travel and personal commitments, Lesley also participated in exhibiting in the Vancouver Island Surface Design Association's annual show Current Threads. Her work, 'Origins,' debuted in the Gimli Connected Heritage show and made its way back to the Island in time to exhibit in the fall. Lesley describes VISDA members as artists willing to tackle large, serious and intensely personal subjects.. while demonstrating mastery of their craft.


Beyond our group exhibition schedule, most of our group attended the biennial Surface Design Association Conference, Beyond the Surface, in St Louis, in October. Held in conjunction with Innovations in Textiles, over 30 regional non-profit, and commercial art galleries, organizations, and museums, presented innovative exhibitions exploring fibre art and textiles by local, national and international artists. One theme they saw developing was numerous artists working with the 'personal to access the universal' concept. Everybody returned home inspired.

Donna Clement at the Alberta University of the Arts for a summer residency.

Our group is inquisitive and individually and collectively seek out creative products and productions at home and away. Our annual gathering, this year in Calgary, in November, afforded an opportunity to take in the Esker Foundation in Inglewood and exhibits by Jeffrey Gibson and Nep Sidhu.

Lesley and Donna and a new friend at the Esker Foundation with Nep Sidhu's 'Divine of Form, Formed in the Divine'

Calgary's new Central Library, architecture as sculpture, accommodated our need for creative discovery. It is a must-see for anyone visiting the west and is host to some amazing art pieces too, among them Articulation member Donna Clement's daughter-in-law Brittany Bear Hat's work.

Interior Calgary Central Library, Calgary, AB

Articulation's focus in 2019 was not restricted to group shows. Wendy Klotz and Donna Clement again partnered in a Contextual residency through the summer at the Alberta University of the Arts. I mounted two solo shows, hosted the Wave Interlake Artists Studio Tour in June and September at our cottage and published my first book, 'Wisdom at the Crossroads,' fittingly on Australia Day. Everyone of us has continued with our creative explorations and looks forward to an adjusted paradigm for future Articulation group shows that focus more consistently on our private studio practice.

Tofino Study session, gathering ideas prior to the Forest and Sea and Place Between show

So, what has endured in 2019? Personally I think the gift of collaboration and mutual support Articulation Textile Group provides is a highlight of membership in this creative ensemble. Having the option of a sounding board, colleagues in creativity and access to others who think outside the box, when we mostly all work in isolation is amazing and something I am extremely grateful for.



Articulation Textile Group spends a lot of time behind the scenes getting these shows off the ground and their work on display. Annual gatherings aim to find a balance between work and play while still attending to the business at hand.

Together we have committed to continue our supportive association and explore creativity in textiles. We are dedicated to exploring the arts at home and away and to continue to develop our creative process into what will be Articulation's 20th year in 2020.

Leann Clifford, 'Keeping the home Front,' detail, War: A Personal Response, Sidney, BC

The New year looks to be an exciting, inspiring and action-packed year for us all and we look forward to celebrating it in fibre with you.
Happy New Year from all of us.
All the best,
Amanda Onchulenko,  on behalf of Articulation Textile Group.


Amanda's website
Lesley's website
Lesley's blog
Wendy's Blog
Ingrid's Website
Donna's Blog
Donna's Website

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