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Articles
A Needle Pulling Thread An Article Published in A Needle Pulling Thread: the magazine promoting Canadian needle arts. From one small idea grew a monumental quilt that wraps itself around the world through the work of volunteers and the need of quilters and fibre artists to tell their stories. The dream of artist Esther Bryan of Williamstown, Ontario, "The Quilt of Belonging" has actually transcended the idea of quilt and has become a symbol of the fabric that binds the world. "The Quilt of Belonging is a whole new way of looking at the world," Esther says of her epic project. "When I had the idea, I knew I was facing something major, but beyond the creation of the quilt, I didn't anticipate there would be a book nor how much administrative time would be required." The idea for the quilt came after Esther accompanied her father on a trip to his homeland of Slovakia in 2004. The experiences of that trip sparked a one-woman art show entitled "Return". The public response following the show led to the production of "The Quilt of Belonging" which allowed Canadians to tell their own stories through the quilt. Each block was created by a participant to represent their particular heritage in Canada's cultural mosaic. The quilt is comprised of 263 eleven-inch fabric squares that showcase images that represent the culture of the maker. The blocks go beyond the traditional idea of quilt as three layers of fabric because the makers used materials common to their cultures. Ranging from sealskin to African mud-cloth to porcupine quills to braid and embellishments made in traditional ways, the materials also speak to the cultural diversity of this country. Seventy blocks represent the aboriginal groups in Canada and 103 were submitted by makers to represent the nations of the world who now call Canada home. "I knew the quilt would be as big as it is because you can't show every country of the world and have the blocks large enough," Esther explains. It would not have worked with smaller sized blocks, she adds. The first section of the quilt was unveiled in 2003 and the completed work was launched along with a companion book in 2005. The challenges of creating the quilt involved winning the trust of the groups Esther wanted involved. She says she could not have anticipated that a project of this magnitude would come to be so important as Canadians face a time in history when it appears our world is in dire need of our care. Funding also became an issue as the blocks and work were initially completed and paid for by volunteers. But, as news of the project spread corporate sponsors began taking an interest and "The Quilt of Belonging" was incorporated as a non-profit organization. Designed to travel, the quilt can be booked to hang in galleries and venues to spread its vision. Organizations wanting to book the quilt are required to pay the costs of packing and shipping. The vision of "The Quilt of Belonging" has spread beyond Canada's borders as it was invited to the Houston International Quilt Show in the fall of 2008. "The quilt turned out more wonderfully than I envisioned," Esther admits. "The human tapestry has become more important than the fabric tapestry that is the physical manifestation of the project. People need to know they are important because there is a huge amount of power in the common people. My greatest satisfaction is in seeing the reaction of people when they come to see the quilt." Esther is in negotiations with a couple of Canadian museums that are interested in becoming the permanent home for the quilt to include proper storage and the occasional viewing. The issue of climate controlled storage must be considered if this work of cultural art is to continue to inspire Canadians. To learn more about "The Quilt of Belonging" or to learn where it is being exhibited next, log onto the project's website at www.quiltofbelonging.ca. Happily the quilt will be showcased at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics which seems to be a fitting venue when Canada, as always, welcomes the world.
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