Vision Weave Public Art Installed

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Vision Weave Community Arts project has been permanently installed at the Albion- Heatherington Recreation Centre, Ottawa, Canada.

photo by Caleb Abbott

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artculture

City of Ottawa Public and Community Arts Newsletter

October 2010 Newsletter no. 4

Brought to you by the Cultural Services Branch

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COMMUNITY WEAVING PROJECT UNVEILED AT ALBION- HEATHERINGTON

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A new public art commission entitled Vision Weave created for the Albion-Heatherington Recreation Centre, was unveiled by Councillor Diane Deans and community members on Thursday, September 9th.

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Vision Weave, by artists Thoma Ewen and Gabby Ewen, is a visual expression of inter-cultural and inter-generational creative collaboration. Hidden within the woven wool banners suspended from the foyer ceiling are over 100 ‘visionmessages’ for the present and future written by members of the Albion-Heatherington and Fairlea communities.The artist team set up their portable loom outdoors at the Better Beginnings Better Futures’ June Celebration, andin the Centre throughout July 2010 to teach, animate, communicate and direct the weaving of the Vision Weave project with community members of allages.

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articulture

Bulletin sur l’art public et les arts communautairesOctobre 2010 Bulletin no 4

Présenté par la Direction des services culturels de la Ville d’Ottawa

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DÉVOILEMENT D’UN PROJET COMMUNAUTAIRE DE TISSAGE AU CENTRE ALBION-HEATHERINGTON

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Un nouveau projet d’art public intitulé Toile de vision, commandé pourle Centre récréatif Albion-Heatherington, a été dévoilé en présence de la conseillère Diane Deans et demembres de la collectivité, le jeudi 9 septembre dernier.

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Créée par les artistes Thoma Ewen et Gabby Ewen, l’oeuvre Toile de vision est une expression visuelle d’une collaboration créative interculturelle et intergénérationnelle. Au sein des bannières faites de laine tissée suspendues au plafond du foyer se trouvent plus de 100 messages exprimant la vision pour le présent et l’avenir de membres des collectivités Albion-Heatherington et Fairlea. L’équipe d’artistes a installé son métier portable à l’extérieur lors de la Célébration de juin du programme Partir d’un bon pas pour un avenir meilleur, puis dans le Centre pendant tout le mois de juillet 2010 pour enseigner le tissage et animer, communiquer et diriger le projet Toile de vision en collaboration avec des membres de tous âges de la collectivité.

Albion-Heatherington Recreation Centre

NEWS RELEASE

Ottawa

For immediate release:
March 12, 2010

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Unique weaving project wins public art competition

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Ottawa — The main lobby of the Albion-Heatherington Recreation Centre will soon be home to a collaborative art project that promises to have the entire community weaving. Vision Weave, by local artists Thoma Ewen and Gabriel Ewen Phillips, was the winning entry in a City competition that called for public art to enhance Ottawa’s newest recreation centre and foster community engagement.

The mother-and-daughter team are thrilled their project was selected. “We wanted to create a visual expression of inter-cultural and inter-generational creative collaboration,” said Thoma Ewen. “My daughter and I will set up a portable loom in the recreation centre to teach, animate, communicate and direct the weaving of the Vision Weave project with community members of all ages.”

Councillor Diane Deans, chair of the Community and Protective Services Committee, said that the winning art was a perfect project for the new recreation centre. “What better way to weave a community together than with a tapestry that everyone can take part in? It’s one more way that public art can inspire and connect people of all ages, cultures and interests.”

An evolving piece, Vision Weave will incorporate the woven stories from the community. The result will be radiantly colourful banner-like woven hangings.

Thoma Ewen is artistic director of the Moon Rain Centre for Tapestry Arts; Gabriel Ewen Phillips is project co-ordinator. An award-winning tapestry artist, and former instructor at the Ottawa School of Art, Thoma directs community projects in Canada and Europe. An assistant at the Moon Rain Centre for over 12 years, Gabriel has studied at Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy, Arts Canterbury and Ottawa School of Art.

For more information about the new public art visit ottawa.ca/arts or call 3-1-1.

For more information:
Media contact
613-580-2450

Public inquiries
3-1-1

Vision Circle

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Moon Rain was invited to direct the The Vision Circle community weaving project done at the Ayer's Cliff Elementary School in the Eastern Townships in Quebec.




Louise Boyce on the right, the head teacher and assisant principal of the school, organized the project.

Fibre Quarterly Article

An article on the Big Weave Project, Moon Rain and fibre was published in the Fall 2009 edition of Fibre Quarterly. The following is the link to the article.

www.velvethighway.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_frontpage&itemid=1

The theme of this issue is Fibre revolution: Tapestry: before During Now & Next.

Be sure to check out this publication.

Moon Rain Centre is invited to direct The Big Weave community tapestry project in England

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Finishing the weaving and cutting it off the loom

Photographs by
Joanne de Nobriga

Art In Action

Art in Action is a wonderful event that takes place near Oxford each year. It has become a showcase for Art and Craft in the UK. The intention is that artists set up as close as possible to workshop conditions so that the visiting public can enjoy seeing them at work. We were delighted to take The Big Weave along. We had a tent dedicated to The Big Weave and were busy weaving away over the four days of Art in Action. We had lots of visitors either joining in or just happy to watch the peaceful activity. The weather could have been a lot kinder, we had torrential rain, thunder and lightning! Joanne, our intrepid photographer came along despite the weather and took a few pictures of us working on the red brickwork of the Reading houses and bridge.


Here is a link for Art In Action if you would like to find out more...
http://www.artinaction.org.uk/ .

Photographs by

Joanne de Nobriga

Alfred Sutton School

The Big Weave was at a local school, Alfred Sutton. The classes had the opportunity to watch the tapestry weavers and had the chance to weave too.

Photographs by
Joanne de Nobriga

Henley Festival

On July 10 and 11, The Big Weave was at the Heneley Festival. As can been seen from the following photographs, the tapestry is now at about 6 inches and has had many hands, eyes and minds involved. It is a wonderful community project.
For more on the Henley Festival visit the website

http://www.henley-festival.co.uk/

Photographs by

Joanne de Nobriga

Day Three Ends

Using the skills and techniques they learned on the small frame looms, the weavers work on the main tapestry

Placing the weft

Note the bubble technique of placing the weft

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Close Up

Putting the new skills to use

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Many hands

This is a community tapestry project

Photos by

Joanne de Nobriga

The Big Weave Day Three

On day three Thoma Ewen gave a workshop for teachers, weavers and craftspeople at Maiden Erlegh school. The small frame looms were produced at the school and are an invaluable tool in learning how to weave a tapestry.

Frame looms

Putting a warp on the frame looms

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Separating warp threads

Using fingers to manipulate the warp

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Tapestry is started

The first couple of inches of weaving

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Nearing the end of this weaving

Only a few more picks to go

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Cutting the warp

The warp threads are cut and tied

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A small finished tapestry

Holding up a wonderful piece

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Two more tapestries

More example of the tapestries produced during the workshop

Photos by

Joanne de Nobriga

Day Two Ends

Placing the cartoon The cartoon is set in place behind the warp

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Marking the warp

A black marker is used to draw the design on the warp
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Caroline & Thoma weave the heron's wingtip
The weaving is on!!


Photos by
Joanne de Nobriga

The Big Weave Cartoon

The Big Weave Project is now into day 2 and the preparation of the cartoon of the design is the main focus.

Working with the design

Careful planning is needed

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Placing a grid

Using a grid to map the design

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Transfering the design to full size cartoon

By way of the grid the cartoon is drawn to full size

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A cornucopia of colour

A selection of the wool for the Big Weave Project


Photos

Joanne de Nobriga

The Big Weave Day 1

Moon Rain and it's artistic director Thoma Ewen are so pleased and excited to be participating in The Big Weave, a coming together of artists and community to create a public art project which gives adults and children the opportunity to learn new skills and to participate in the creation of a unique community artwork.
This international project is located in Reading England and will take place during three weeks in July. Part of the beauty of the project will be derived from taking the project out into the community, teaching basic weaving techniques and providing the opportunity for all to weave.
Reading photographer Joanne de Nobriga joined us and took some amazing photos of the activity. Joanne will join us regularly during the three weeks of this project and has generously offered to document the event. Thank you Joanne.
Below are some of her photographs from day 1

Warping up

Diane and Caroline warping up The Big Weave Loom

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Checking the tension

Thoma checks the tension of the warp on The Big Weave Loom

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The first shed

Thoma prepares the first shed on the loom

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Down to work

Three weavers settle down at the loom

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The first pick

The first pick of the project is laid in place

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The design

Going over the design

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Check back to follow the progress of The Big Weave. Also please go to the Big Weave website at

http://www.thebigweave.org