Drawing With Scissors: Molas from Kuna Yala

 

Photo courtesy of Textile Museum of Canada

If someone says Panama someone else, undoubtedly, will say Canal. Without diminishing its’ importance, there is much more to Panama besides connecting the Atlantic and Pacific. Textile Museum of Canada is exhibiting 200 molas through February 13, 2011. The mola, or blouse, is made by Kuna Indians in Kuna Yala, Panama. The graphic panels done in reverse applique and embroidery represent everything the Kuna see around them “from ancient plant and animal spirits to reimagined television news and Disney characters.” Click Textile Museum of Canada to read more about the show and the really fascinating history of the Kuna.

A Homespun Life

Photo courtesy of The Museum of Russian Art

Here’s one for Tuesday Night Trivia. There is only one museum in North America devoted exclusively to the preservation and presentation of Russian art and artifacts. The Museum of Russian Art is located in Minneapolis, MN. On display until September 26 is A Homespun Life: Textiles of Old Russia. This show features everything from towels to garments produced by Russian peasant spinners, weavers and dressmakers. Click here for more details and to view a slide show of some of the featured items.

The Textile Museum of Canada

There is an absolutely wonderful exhibit on the website of the Textile Museum of Canada called In Touch: Connecting Cloth, Culture + Art. It does a great job of showing the important cultural role textiles play throughout history. Click In Touch to check it out. Be sure you look at and listen to everything the exhibit offers. It’s well worth your time.

If You’re in the Neighborhood in July

Old Sturbridge Village (http://www.osv.org)

The Labour of My Youthful Hands, the new needlework exhibit at Old Sturbridge Village, features young ladies’ needlework and ornamental arts from the OSV collection. Featured pieces include simple marking samplers, embroideries based on classical literature, whitework and three new acquisitions. This exhibit runs through June 19, 2011. Old Sturbridge Village, located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, is the largest outdoor history museum in the northeastern part of the United States. It depicts everyday life in a small New England town from 1790-1840.   

White River Valley Museum (http://www.wrvmuseum.org)

Closing Soon This Auburn, Washington museum is hosting Household Lace Adds Charm to Your Place, a delightful sounding exhibit “honoring the art and history of making lace.” It runs through August 1 and is sponsored by International Old Lacers, Inc. and the Lace Council for Education. The museum website features exhibit photographs as well as an informative You Tube video.

The Textile Museum (http://www.textilemuseum.org)

Through January 9, 2011 The Textile Museum is featuring The Art of Living: Textile Furnishings from the Permanent Collection. On display are textile furnishings including hangings, rugs, chair covers, cushions and other materials. According to the museum website, “the varied furnishing textiles in the exhibition, made to provide protection, comfort, color and pattern in homes from the ancient Mediterranean world to 20th-century America, document the lifestyles enjoyed by their original owners as well as the technical and artistic accomplishments of their creators.” Check the website for more information.

Winchester-Frederick Historical Society (http://www.winchesterhistory.org)

This Virginia historical society is hosting When This You See Remember Me: Schoolgirl Samplers of Winchester-Frederick County, Virginia. The exhibit features 25 samplers from the area and runs through October 31. You can read details about the historical society and its museums on their website. Unfortunately there is no information about this exhibit. To learn more about it click this link to read a very informative article about the exhibit. Northern Virginia Daily

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles (http://www.lacismuseum.org)

Night and Day: The World of the Twenties, Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles latest offering, explores the spirit of the 1920s through embellished garments including ribbon flowers, beadwork and lace. Making this display more life-like are the wax-headed articulated dolls used to model the clothing. The exhibit runs through September 1. Check the museum’s website for an extensive slide show featuring many of the garments.

American Folk Art Museum (http://www.folkartmuseum.org)

Women Only: Folk Art by Female Hands features pieces from the collections of this New York City museum. The exhibit, which runs through September 12,  focuses on works “created within the strictures of post-revolutionary Republican Motherhood and the Cult of Domesticity” including samplers, quilts and rugs. For more information check out the museum website and this  interesting podcast about the exhibit. 

Armenian Museum of America (http://www.almainc.org/museum.html)

This museum, part of the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts, holds the largest and most diverse collection of Armenian cultural artifacts outside the Republic of Armenia. One of the museums’ current exhibits is Identifying Armenian Lace. It focuses on the history of Armenian needle lace and features an array of lace collars, large doilies, three-dimensional flowers, household items and clothing embellished with lace. Visit the very informative website to learn more about Armenia’s rich and, at times, tragic history. There are also several books on lace and other Armenian textiles available from the museum’s on-line gift shop. 

Note: All photographs are courtesy of the individual museums.       

If You’re in the Neighborhood in June

White River Valley Museum (http://www.wrvmuseum.org)

This Auburn, Washington museum is hosting Household Lace Adds Charm to Your Place, a delightful sounding exhibit “honoring the art and history of making lace.” It runs through August 1 and is sponsored by International Old Lacers, Inc. and the Lace Council for Education. The museum website features an informative You Tube video about the exhibit as well as photographs.

The Textile Museum (http://www.textilemuseum.org)

Through January 9, 2011 The Textile Museum is featuring The Art of Living: Textile Furnishing from the Permanent Collection. On display are textile furnishings including hangings, rugs, chair covers, cushions and other materials. According to the museum website, “the varied furnishing textiles in the exhibition, made to provide protection, comfort, color and pattern in homes from the ancient Mediterranean world to 20th-century  America, document the lifestyles enjoyed by their original owners as well as the technical and artistic accomplishments of their creators.” Check the website for more information.

WinchesterFrederick Historical Society (http://www.winchesterhistory.org)

This Virginia historical society is hosting When This You See Remember Me: Schoolgirl Samplers of Winchester-Frederick County, Virginia. The exhibit features 25 samplers from the area and runs through October 31. You can read details about the historical society and its museums on their website. Unfortunately, there is no information about this exhibit. You can access an informative article in the on-line edition of the Northern Virginia Daily. Go to http://nvdaily.com/lifestyle/2010/04/historic-samplers-are-focus-of-museum-exhibit.php to read the article. 

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles (http://www.lacismuseum.org)

Night and Day: The World of the Twenties, Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles latest offering, explores the spirit of the 1920s through embellished garments including ribbon flowers, beadwork and lace. Making this display more life-like are the wax-headed articulated dolls used to model the clothing. The exhibit runs through September 1. Check the museum’s website for an extensive slide show featuring many of the garments.

American Folk Art Museum (http://www.folkartmuseum.org)

Women Only: Folk Art by Female Hands features pieces from the collections of this New York City museum. The exhibit focuses on works “created within the strictures of post-revolutionary Republican Motherhood and the Cult of Domesticity” including samplers, quilts and rugs. For more information check out the museum website which includes an interesting podcast about this exhibit which runs through September 12.

Armenian Museum of America (http://www.almainc.org/museum.html)

This museum, part of the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts, holds the largest and most diverse collection of Armenian cultural artifacts outside the Republic of Armenia. One of the museum’s current exhibits is Identifying Armenian Lace. It focuses on the history of Armenian needle lace and features an array of lace collars, large doilies, three-dimensional flowers, household items and clothing embellished with lace. Visit the very informative website to learn more about Armenia’s rich and, at times, tragic history. There are also several books on lace and other Armenian textiles available from the museum’s on-line gift shop.

William King Museum (http://www.williamkingmuseum.org)

Closing Soon William King Museum in Abingdon, Virginia, is hosting An Educational Woman: Art from Girls’ Schools and Women’s Colleges. The exhibit, on display until July 11, focuses on ornamental, or schoolgirl, art as part of the curriculum in the early days of women’s education in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee. According to the museum’s website, this installation will “highlight ornamental art projects and the history of the region’s many women’s educational institutions.” Needlework will be just one type of art on display. Visit the website for more information.

Philadelphia Museum of Art (http://www.philamuseum.org)

Closing Soon Kantha: The Embroidered Quilts of Bengal showcases over 40 examples of quilts from Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal. According to the museum website, stitching the quilts was an art practiced by women and created from remnants of worn garments. The quilts were embroidered with motifs and tales drawn from the rich local lore. Created during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the quilts were made for the celebrations of births, weddings and other family occasions. It was during this time period that this domestic art flourished. The exhibit runs through July 25. Check the website for more details.

Note: All photographs are courtesy of the individual museums.  

If You’re in the Neighborhood in May

Winchester-Frederick Historical Society (http://www.winchesterhistory.org)

This Virginia historical society is hosting When This You See Remember Me: Schoolgirl Samplers of Winchester-Frederick County, Virginia. The exhibit features some 25 samplers from the area and runs through October 31. You can read details about the historical society and its museums on their website. Unfortunately, there is no information about this exhibit. You can access an informative article in the on-line edition of the Northern Virginia Daily. Go to http://nvdaily.com/lifestyle/2010/04/historic-samplers-are-focus-of-museum-exhibit.php to read the article.

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles (http://www.lacismuseum.org)

Night and Day: The World of the Twenties, Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles latest offering, explores the spirit of the 1920s through embellished garments including ribbon flowers, beadwork and lace. Making this display more life-like are the wax-headed articulated dolls used to model the clothing. The exhibit runs through September 1. Check the museum’s website for an extensive slide show featuring many of the garments.

American Folk Art Museum (http://www.folkartmuseum.org)

Women Only: Folk Art by Female Hands features pieces from the collections of this New York City museum. The exhibit focuses on works “created within the strictures of post-revolutionary Republican Motherhood and the Cult of Domesticity” including samplers, quilts and rugs. For more information check out the museum website which includes an interesting podcast about this exhibit which runs through September 12.

Armenian Museum of America (http://www.almainc.org/museum.html)

This museum, part of the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts, holds the largest and most diverse collection of Armenian cultural artifacts outside the Republic of Armenia. One of the museum’s current exhibition’s is Identifying Armenian Lace. The exhibit focuses on the history of Armenian needle lace and features an array of lace collars, large doilies, three-dimensional flowers, household items and clothing embellished with lace. Visit the very informative website to learn more about Armenia’s rich and , at times, tragic history. There are also several books on lace and other Armenian textiles available from the museum’s on-line gift shop. The museum is open on Thursdays from 6:00-9:00 pm and Friday-Sunday 1:00-5:00 pm. There is free admission for members and a $5.00 charge for non-members.

William King Museum (http://www.williamkingmuseum.org)

William King Museum in Abingdon, Virginia is hosting An Educational Woman: Art from Girls’ School and Women’s Colleges. The exhibit, on display until July 11, focuses on ornamental, or schoolgirl, art as part of the curriculum in the early days of women’s education in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee. According to the museum’s website, this installation will “highlight ornamental art projects and the history of the region’s many women’s educational institutions.” Needlework will be just one type of art on display. Visit the website for more information.

Philadelphia Museum of Art (http://www.philamuseum.org)

Kantha: The Embroidered Quilts of Bengal showcases over 40 examples of quilts from Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal. According to the museum website, stitching these quilts was an art practiced by women and created from remnants of worn garments. The quilts were embroidered with motifs and tales drawn from the rich local lore. Created during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the quilts were made for the celebrations of births, weddings and other family occasions. It was during this time period that this domestic art flourished. The exhibit runs through July 25. Check the website for more details.

Note: All photographs are courtesy of the individual museums.

Islamic Embroidery

I know I usually don’t devote a single post to one particular textile exhibit but when one comes along as special as this, I can’t resist. A Story of Islamic Embroidery in Nomadic and Urban Traditions opened at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, UAE on April 7th. This is the first major exhibit of Islamic embroidery which features more than 200 rare textiles, including many embroideries from Central Asia, never before exhibited. Sponsored by the UAE’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), this exhibit “creates a form of abstract art and testifies to the role of Islamic women in creating an artistic tradition of great significance and beauty.” Pieces include embroidered garments and decorative objects from the 17th through the 20th centuries that “illuminate how the magnificent tradition of embroidery carried on by urban, rural and nomadic women sustained regional, tribal, and family identities through its integration in communal activities and how it evolved through the encounter of different cultures.”  The pieces created in Central Asia are of particular significance because there was much prejudice against Islamics in that region. When women gathered together to embroider it also gave them a rare opportunity for worship. This exhibit runs through July 28th and there is a series of lectures and other events that coincide with it. For more information go to http://www.emiratespalace.com then click on the event calendar then on the exhibit.

Exhibit Updates

Highlights of Night and Day: The World of the Twenties, the new exhibit at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textile, are now featured on the museum’s website. There are some nice photographs of the featured clothing and embellishments. If you can’t travel to Berkeley to see the exhibit take time to view the slide show at http://www.lacismuseum.org.

Also, there is a wonderful YouTube video featuring a five-minute presentation given by Stacey Hollander, the Senior Curator and Director of Exhibitions at the American Folk Museum in New York City. In it she highlights some of the pieces in the Women Only: Folk Art by Female Hands exhibit and explains the importance of these works of art. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?=hkU6pfTGSsA. If this does not take you directly to the video then type the following words into the search box: preview of women only.

If You’re In the Neighborhood in April

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles (http://www.lacismuseum.org)

Night and Day: The World of the Twenties, Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles latest offering, opens April 3. It explores the spirit of the 1920s through embellished garments including ribbon flowers, beadwork and lace. Making this display more life-like are the wax-headed articulated dolls used to model the clothing. The exhibit runs through September 1. More details will be provided on the museum’s website once the exhibit opens. 

American Folk Art Museum (http://www.folkartmuseum.org)

Women Only: Folk Art by Female Hands opens April 6 and runs through September 12. Featuring pieces from the collections of this New York City museum, the exhibit focuses on works “created within the strictures of post-revolutionary Republican Motherhood and the Cult of Domesticity” including samplers, quilts and rugs. For more information check out the museum website.

By the way, the Cult of Domesticity espoused the four virtues of piety, purity, submission and domesticity and the belief that the home was the proper sphere for women. The Republic of Motherhood was a concept that supported the theory of “mother” as a key force in the preservation and advancement of democracy.  

 Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts (http://www.textiles.fit.edu)

Closing Soon Speaking with Thread: The Narrative of Textiles “will feature textiles that present stories through their imagery and symbolism.” Pieces from the museum’s collections as well as those from private collections will make up this exhibit. Objects include European samplers, imperial Chinese textiles and Persian carpets. The exhibit runs through April 24. The museum, on the campus of Florida Institute of Technology, is open Tuesday-Friday 10:00-4:00.

Armenian Museum of America (http://www.almainc.org/museum.html)

This museum, a division of the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts, contains the largest and most diverse collection of Armenian cultural artifacts outside the Republic of Armenia. One of the museum’s current exhibitions is Identifying Armenian Lace. The exhibit focuses on the history of Armenian needle lace and features an array of lace collars, large doilies, three-dimensional flowers, household items and clothing embellished with lace.Visit the very informative website to learn more about Armenia’s rich and, at times, tragic history. There are also several books on lace and other Armenian textiles available from the museum’s on-line gift shop. The museum is open on Thursdays from 6:00-9:00 pm and Friday-Sunday 1:00-5:00 pm. There is free admission for members and a $5.00 charge for non-members.

William King Museum (http://www.williamkingmuseum.org)

William King Museum in Abingdon, Virginia is hosting An Educational Woman: Art from Girls’ Schools and Women’s Colleges. The exhibit, on display until July 11, focuses on ornamental, or schoolgirl, art as part of the curriculum in the early days of women’s education in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee. According to the museum’s website, this installation will “highlight ornamental art projects and the history of the region’s many women’s educational institutions.” Needlework will be just one type of art on display. Visit the website for  more information. 

Philadelphia Museum of Art (http://www.philamuseum.org)

Kantha: The Embroidered Quilts of Bengal showcases over 40 examples of quilts from Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal. According to the museum website, stitching these quilts was an art practiced by women and created from remnants of worn garments. The quilts were embroidered with motifs and tales drawn from the rich local lore. Created during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the quilts were made for the celebrations of births, weddings and other family occasions. It was during this time period that this domestic art flourished. The exhibit runs through July 25. Check the website for more details. 

Note: All photographs are courtesy of the individual museums.

If You’re In the Neighborhood in March

Armenian Museum of America (http://www.almainc.org/museum.html)

This museum, a division of the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts, contains the largest and most diverse collection of Armenian cultural artifacts outside the Republic of Armenia. One of the museum’s current exhibitions is Identifying Armenian Lace. The exhibit focuses on the history of Armenian needle lace and features an array of lace collars, large doilies, three-dimensional flowers, household items and clothing embellished with lace. Visit the very informative website to learn more about Armenia’s rich and, at times, tragic history. There are also several books on lace and other Armenian textiles available from the museum’s on-line gift shop. The museum is open on Thursdays from 6:00-9:00 pm and Friday-Sunday 1:00-5:00 pm. There is free admission for members and a $5.00 charge for non-members.

American Textile History Museum (http://www.athm.org)

Located in Lowell, Massachusetts, this museum is the site of an exhibit dedicated entirely to that fabulous ’50s functional icon…the apron! The exhibit, on display until April 4, showcases aprons that are full length, half aprons, those worn by waitresses and the more elaborate hostess/cocktail aprons. According to the museum’s website this should be a fun, hands-on exhibit with guests having the opportunity to try on some of these pieces of textile history. The museum is open Wednesday-Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is free for members, $8.00 for adults (17 and older), and $6.00 for seniors, children (6-16) and college students with an ID.

William King Museum (http://www.williamkingmuseum.org)

William King Museum in Abingdon, Virginia is hosting An Educational Woman: Art from Girls’ Schools and Women’s Colleges. The exhibit, on display until July 11, 2010, focuses on ornamental, or schoolgirl, art as part of the curriculum in the early days of women’s education in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee. According to the museum’s website, this installation will “highlight ornamental art projects and the history of the region’s many women’s educational institutions.” Needlework will be just one type of art on display. Visit the website for more information on hours of operation.

Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts (http://textiles.fit.edu)

Speaking with Thread: The Narrative of Textiles “will feature textiles that present stories through their imagery and symbolism.” Pieces from the museums’s collection as well as those from private collections will make up this exhibit. Objects include European samplers, imperial Chinese textiles and Persian carpets. The exhibit runs through April 24, 2010. The museum, on the campus of Florida Institute of Technology, is open Tuesday-Friday 10:00-4:00.

Philadelphia Museum of Art (http://www.philamuseum.org)

Kantha: The Embroidered Quilts of Bengal showcases over 40 examples of quilts from Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal. According to the museum website, stitchingthese quilts was an art practiced by women and created from remnants of worn garments. The quilts were embroidered with motifs and tales drawn from the rich local lore. Created during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the quilts were made for the celebrations of births, weddings and other family occasions. It was during this time period that this domestic art flourished. The exhibit runs through July 25, 2010. Check the website for more details.

Philadelphia Museum (http://www.laceintranslation.com)

Closing Soon According to the website, this exhibit is an exploration by three contemporary international art and design studios whose works are often inspired by traditional lace imagery. The artists explored the historic Quaker Lace Company collection of The Design Center at Philadelphia University. They were then commissioned to create new works or installations in the Center’s galleries and adjoining grounds. This exhibit runs through April 3, 2010. The website features some great photographs of the various works of art. Another fun feature of the website is the “Your Translations” page. The gallery invites the public to display their homemade pieces in any area of the needlearts. Visit the website for more information.

Note: all photographs are courtesy of the individual museums.