Anna was introduced by Tim McLaughlin:

Good evening.
Sometimes one meets an artist and one wonders what type of person they might be in another life. What type of person they might have become if things had worked out differently and they never became an artist.

Looking over the works of Anna Heywood Jones, one gets the sense that she would follow a career in which she puts things in order; as a lexicographer puts words in order, as a cartographer puts places in order. One gets the sense that she is a grammarian of the natural world, quietly sampling, testing, sorting, considering, organizing.

For example, one of her works, titled “Tinctorial Cartographies” consists of twelve months of harvesting and mapping the natural dye plants of Nova Scotia. She is mapping in many varied  senses of that word: Geographical, ecological, biological, social, emotional, chromatic.

In 2013 Anna graduated from the Emily Carr University, in 2016 she completed her Masters of Fine Arts at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Before, after, and throughout her formal education she embarked on projects, exhibitions, residencies and lectures where she considered the natural world, how it is transformed and is transforming. She is a master of the trace.

The range of her exhibitions now covers most of North America from Nova Scotia to San Francisco. We are most fortunate to have her with us tonight

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Anna Heywood Jones.

http://www.annaheywood-jones.com/

Tuesday September 24th was the Wonderlust Evening with India Flint. It was an exceptional night of stories and bundle dyeing. India led the way through a eucalyptus scented evening where participants experienced the magical transformation of eco colour.

The evening was introduced by Tim McLaughlin:

What do you think about when you go out walking?
India Flint says: “The work of each day begins with a walk”

And where she walks
the work begins.
And the walking work
is slow waking;

an apprenticeship renewed
each day in the morning,
an understudy to the light,
a novice in the garden.

Appreciate that everything has a secret
be it stone or plant,
metal or water

Walk the wide world
and listen,

essence is a colour,
essence is a shape,
essence is the trace

of a word wrapped
in cloth,
that gives its meaning
to the wider world

understand that everything
may be transformed
on a day where the work begins
with a walk.

The Amritsar Duster is designed to show off the beauty of  hand block-printed organic cotton. This is an elegant long dress that can also be worn open as a duster. Contrasting detailing in the patti, pocket and hem brings it to life. A beautiful long fit through the body.

Sky Blanket, detail. Rolf Bettner photo, courtesy Haida Heritage Center at Kaay Llangaay.

On September 19th The Maiwa School of Textiles was proud to present a lecture by Meghann O'Brien titled: Threads That Do Not Break. Meghann is a textile artist working in a variety of materials and media including weaving and basketry. In her lecture she presented a thoughtful and considered exploration of her relationship to her materials, the act of creating, and her heritage. The videos presented during Meghann's lecture, as well as links to her works may be found on her website: https://meghannobrien.com/

The evening was introduced by Tim McLaughlin.

Tim's 2018 lecture, The Poetics of Textiles is now available as a podcast here.

Jabbar and Adam Khatri carefully place a block on a new masterpiece.

Friday September 13th was the Five Artisans Exhibition at Maiwa East. The exhibition was up for one night only. On display were recently created masterworks by all five artisans: Ajrakh block printers Jabbar and Adam Khatri, weaver by Shamji Vishram Vankar and bandhani tied resist by Jabbar and Abdullah Khatri. In addition to the display of masterworks there were demonstrations in the techniques used by all the craftspeople present.

Shamji Vishram Vankar demonstrates weaving technique on the custom built portable looms that arrived for his workshop.

Jabbar and Abdullah Khatri introduce a bandhani piece before removing the resist threads.

On September 11th brothers Jabbar and Abdullah Khatri presented "Pattern Recognition" a lecture about the art of bandhani tied resist. A short way into the presentation the brothers opened a piece that had recently been tied. The tying these works can take weeks and months to complete. Opening them takes only seconds.



A skilled pull along the diagonal and all the ties pop off. The threads that were used to do the tying are removed and the finished textile is set free.


The evening was introduced by Tim McLaughlin.

Last night September 10th, Shamji Vishram Vankar delivered his presentation "Bhujodi Weaving Talk & Trunk Show." Shamji showed the audience Bhujodi village and gave them a sense of the history and culture that has given birth to a range of magnificent weaving techniques. The presentation began with a short film. Shamji then spoke about his family and their traditional relationship with the Rabari and Ahir communities. Shamji pointed out that during the 1960s things began to change. On the one hand acrylic yarns and fabrics began to appear, but on the other hand they also were able to access merino wools, and a number of silks such as tussar, eri, and muga. The local market began to shift and a new international market began to develop.

It gives me great pleasure this evening to introduce one of the most steadfast, determined, dedicated and soft-spoken men I have ever met. 

Soon you will meet him also. This is a wonderful opportunity for you, because unless you were to make a special trip and fly to India you would probably never meet him.

Well, actually, that is now no longer true. You might have met him last year if you were in Osaka Japan surrounded by 17 other master artisans from the Kachchh desert. Weaver’s, dyers, and block printers. This was only the last visit in what is becoming a long list of international engagements. 

It is hard not to see this international recognition as karma - as a reward to those who have kept the faith of their craft and dedicated themselves to it - even when that was clearly the more difficult path to take.

When he presents to you I would ask you to keep a question in your mind: The question is this: “What does it mean to carry a tradition?” What does it mean to dedicate your life to something that is, on the one hand, so much bigger than you, and on the other hand, so delicate and fragile that all you need to do is ignore it for a short period of time and it will falter, and fall apart, and be lost forever.  

What does it mean to carry a tradition?

Shamji knows the answer to that question. He is one of six brothers. Each of them has pursued an education and then returned to the family weaving business and dedicated themselves to maintaining, expanding, and improving that business. They can all weave - a skill which they learned at the hands of their father who was himself a National Award winner.

Please join me in welcoming Shamji Vishram Vankar.