IT’S FIBRE ART FESTIVAL! Fibre art, fibre animals, and fibre vendors! Take a few deep breaths and wade in.
The festival’s fibre art exhibition was called Common Threads, which had a mix of contemporary and traditional fibre art work. Some standout pieces include Rosemarie Pelaquin’s realistic needlefelting work: a glamorous older woman who would never forget her pearls. Chris Larson’s work is a reflection of her disavowed Metis mother and her maternal legacy through needle felted portraits. Colleen Granger’s impressions of the Manitoba landscape through textile map can be seen in Threads of Connection.
While viewing the work you can hear the loud “BAAAAA” bleating of fibre animals and the whir of spinning wheels. It feels like the most appropriate way to view fibre art: seeing it at its most contemporary, while hearing it at its most traditional.
And don’t worry, I made friends with some sheep who were sticking their noses through for some rubs.
The Neighbours, Rosemarie Pelaquin
Mother’s Story, Chris Larson
Threads of Connection, Colleen Granger. 
