In Sewing News Today...

Good morning lovely sewing community!   

First up, have you checked out Google Arts & Culture "We Wear Culture" site yet? Meg from McCall's Pattern Company posted a link to the site on their Facebook page and my goodness what a treat! It's perfect for people like me who don't have access to all the fabulous museum exhibits that some of you other bloggers have been privileged to explore. Thanks for sharing those on your blogs by the way. Big name fashion and textile exhibits don't seem to hit the prairies unless it is a mentioned on the pages of a magazine or found mentioned on the internet. And that is one of the reasons why I think this site is so fabulous. This is such a rich resource to explore for inspiration and contemplation.   

One of my favourites I recommend checking out "Appearances Can Be Deceiving" is a look at Frida Kahlo's wardrobe, not only does it give you a glimpse into some of the items found at her home, the site zooms in to let you inspect the images closer. As well this exhibit even explores how designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy were influenced by Frida Kahlo's garments.  

Not only does "We Wear Culture" feature close looks at museum exhibits, it also explores the environmental and political aspects of how and why we dress. Livia Firth, founder and creative director of Eco-Age, wrote The True Cost of Fast Fashion exploring new words and realities created out of fast-fashion. This site has everything I could have dreamed for, well almost everything. Another artist's wardrobe is currently on display in New York that I would love to have a closer glimpse at, as O'Keeffe sewed her own wardrobe. Perhaps I'll stumble upon it while exploring the site, for now there is so much to explore.  

In other exhibit news... I recently went to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (CMHR) to see Freedom of Expression in Latin America to see some powerful textile art used to communicate when freedom of speech was under attack.

    

These textiles were created by Chilean women. They are called arpilleras and they were banned by the Augusto Pinochet's government (1973-1990). Chilean women smuggled arpilleras abroad depicting what was happening in their country.  

This arpillera tells the story of Carmen Gloria Quintana, an eighteen year old protester, burnt alive in 1986 for protesting against the dictatorship of Pinochet's government.  

This arpillera depicts the woman dancing the cueca, a traditional Chilean courtship dance alone in the memory of the men who disappeared. It became a symbol of resistance against the government.  

This arpillera tells the story of how the church provided a safe gathering space for the mothers, wives and daughters of the missing men to create their powerful visual messages.  

Quote found at the CMHR

Even though I went to the CMHR to see the Freedom of Expression in Latin America exhibit there were other exhibits that I had an impact on my visit. The CMHR contains other exhibits and tells stories where textiles and clothing are represented in human rights issues.  

The REDress Project, artist:  Jaime Black 2010 to present.  

The REDress Project, an ongoing public art exhibit brings to the forefront the disturbing rate and pattern of violence that Aboriginal, Inuit and Metis women face compared to other Canadian women.  

Quote found at the CMHR

Communication, resistance, celebration and expression are part of our textile world. 

Metis textile part of the Louis Riel exhibit.  

There are many reasons and stories that are part of the stitches sewn over time. It is all around us if we're willing to take the time to explore, create, and think about how and why we sew.  

Happy Sewing!