MAIWA

Two Drawers of Jewels ...

2013-05-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

A little while ago we did a feature on our jewellery and ...

the response was overwhelming.

Many people asked to see what the items look like in the store.

Here are our two display drawers. With the warm weather,

many people are choosing a little glimmer on an open collar - just

a little something to catch the sun.

May 10th - Important meeting for Textile Arts at Capilano University

2013-05-09T16:09:00.001-07:00

In our previous post we detailed how underfunding and budget problems were leading to cuts to a number of programs at the post-secondary level, most importantly for our readers would be the textile program at Capilano University.

Capilano University’s president Kris Bulcroft has called a meeting for tomorrow at 1pm in the North Shore Performing Arts Centre (the main theatre in Birch, cafeteria building, map at the bottom of this post).

If you are concerned about the future of the textile arts we encourage you to attend the meeting. Below we reprint the letter from Capilano President Kris Bulcroft, forwarded to us by Mary Lou Trinkwon, Co-ordinator/Faculty Textile Arts Capilano University.

[Note: at the close of this letter Kris Bulcroft refers to it as "an employee forum" but we are assured that the broader community is welcome. ]

Will these cuts impact you? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section.

A Letter to the Campus Community from the President
May 6, 2013

Capilano University is at a crossroads, one of the most challenging in its history. We must continue moving forward. The choices we make at this juncture define our future, but which road to travel?

The Board of Governors has chosen a challenging path but one that focuses on a stronger foundation for future success. It is now up to each of us to make a choice about which road we take from here. One path propels us forward, while the other divides us and limits our momentum.

The recommendation to reduce programs was not easily made but it was an informed decision. It is widely known that the institution has faced budget shortfalls for years. It has responded by consulting at length with our internal and external stakeholders, implementing cost efficiencies in a number of ways and simultaneously seeking new sources of revenue. For all the progress we've made, challenges remain. This reality is not ours alone, as colleges and universities throughout Canada are facing significant budget challenges.

What sets Capilano apart in this complex landscape of post-secondary education is that we have a long tradition as a community. I can attest that the budget recommendations made by your deans, VPs and president were carefully considered and are offered as a proposal to move forward as a quality university committed to serving both current and future generations. Many of you disagree with the recommendations and it is your right and responsibility as members of this community to voice your opinions and concerns.

I have heard the rally cry to stop the cuts and I've shared your pain and frustration. At the same time, I have also heard from employees and students who say they understand the difficult choices that must now be made. I have heard from those who share a deep concern that pitting faculty members against each other in a decision-making process around program reductions would cause irreparable damage to relationships for years to come. It is the responsibility of the Administration and the Board to work together to make such decisions based on an understanding of all of the forces affecting the university and post-secondary education in general. While the time frame for comment is short, your concerns are being considered along with many other points of view, including current, future and former students; current and potential donors; the current government and all parties who seek election this year; industry, union, and community leaders; and other college and university presidents who face equally challenging decisions about the future of post-secondary education in Canada.

Threats to post-secondary education loom large. On this current course, we cannot reasonably expect to receive from government any assurance that our operating grant will be addressed to meet current needs, nor can we expect significant new sources of revenue to become available in the immediate future. Competition for scarce resources across the public sector will continue to intensify. Students will come to the university with higher expectations and greater needs. The public will demand greater accountability of colleges and universities, and new ways of learning and credentialing are rapidly emerging.

As we move forward, there is much work to be done. Capilano's future rests in establishing an academic plan that will elucidate the future directions in our curricular and co-curricular offerings. One of the top priorities of our new Vice President, Academic will be to immerse the campus community in a process to develop that plan. The academic plan will set the stage for further refinements in our program mix and craft a vision for our collective future as a university.

I am acutely aware of the magnitude of the challenges ahead. Ultimately, the choices we make will define our future. It's not always easy to remain optimistic but we are on this path together. With choice comes responsibility and accountability, and as President I accept the responsibility to lead the way. I hope you will come to hear further thoughts about how we can move forward by attending an employee forum on Friday May 10 at 1:00pm in the North Shore Credit Union Centre for the Performing Arts.

Kris Bulcroft
President

North Shore Credit Union Centre for the Performing Arts
2055 Purcell Way
North Vancouver, BC V7J 3H5
(604) 990-7810

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2013 Symposium - The List is Out!

2013-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the full listing for the 2013 Symposium.

Registration opens June 24th at 10am.

See our About Registration page

LECTURES

There’s a Plant I’d Like You to Meet, New Organic Dye Methods
Thursday, September 12, 2103 7:30 pm
Michel Garcia

Unravelling Political Knitting
Tuesday, September 17, 2013 7:30 pm
Adrienne Sloane

The Peripatetic Alchemist - Travels With a Dyepot
Thursday, September 19, 2013 7:30 pm
India Flint

Song of the Cloth
Tuesday, September 24, 2013 7:30 pm
Jason Pollen

Down the Mountain - Indigo and Silk Farming in a Japanese Village
Wednesday, October 2, 2013 7:30 pm
Bryan Whitehead

Life is Cloth
Wednesday, October 9, 2013 7:30 pm
Hiroshi Saito

Journeys and Traces - Art and Life Through Katagami
Tuesday October 15, 2013 7:30 pm
Akemi Nakano Cohn

The Plainweave Thread
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 7:30 pm
Rachel Meginnes

The Sylvan Spirit
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 7:30 pm
Lorraine Roy

EVENTS

African Textiles

Thursday September 26, 2013 7:30 pm

John Gillow

Islamic Textiles

Saturday September 28, 2013

John Gillow

Bryan Whitehead Exhibit

Friday September 27, 2013

Bryan Whitehead

Saito Exhibition (WT)

Thursday October 10, 2013

Hiroshi Saito

Threads

Thursday October 24, 2013 7:30pm

Charllotte Kwon

WORKSHOPS

Blockprinting
September 4, 5, 6, 2013 Wed,Thurs, Fri (10am - 4pm)
Anne Babchuk

Secrets of the Dye Garden
September 7, 8, 9, 2013 Sat, Sun, Mon (10am - 4pm)
Michel Garcia

Indigo - The Organic Vat
September 10, 11, 2013 Tues, Wed (10am - 4pm)
Michel Garcia

The Art of Embroidery
September 9, 10, 11, 2013 Mon, Tue, Wed, (10am - 4pm)
Bonnie Adie

Painting with Machine Embroidery
September 12, 13, 14, 15, 2013 Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun, (10am - 4pm)
Carol Shinn

The Photo Emulsion Screenprint
September 12, 13, 2013 Thu, Fri (10am - 4pm)
Anne Babchuk

Introduction to Dyes
September 13 (evening) 14, 15, 2013 Fri (7pm-10pm) Sat, Sun (10am - 4pm)
Natalie Grambow

Natural Dyes
September 16, 17, 18, 19, 2013 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu (10am - 4pm)
Charllotte Kwon

Sculptural Knitting
September 18, 19, 20, 2013 Wed, Thu, Fri (10am - 4pm)
Adrienne Sloane

Wire Knitting
Sep 21, 22, 2013 Sat, Sun (10am - 4pm)
Adrienne Sloane

Wayfarer’s Wanderbook and Windfall Cloth
Sept 20 - 24, 2013 Friday - Tuesday (10am - 4pm)
India Flint

Colour Institute
September 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 2013 Monday - Friday (10am - 4pm)
Michele Wipplinger

Visual Music - Composing a Surface
Sep 25, 26, 2013 Wed, Thu (10am - 4pm)
Jason Pollen

Breaking the Rules - Beyond the Mark
September 27, 28, 29, 2013 Fri, Sat, Sun 10am - 4pm
Jason Pollen

Encaustic With a Textile Sensibility
September 30, October 1, 2, 2013 Mon, Tue, Wed (10am - 4pm)
Daniella Woolf

Encaustic on Paper
October 3, 4, 2013 Thu, Fri, (10am - 4pm)
Daniella Woolf

Harmonia’s Rings, Möbius and More
September 28 (Saturday) 10am - 4pm
Sivia Harding

Knitted Möbius and the Mysterious Stitch Mirror
Sept 29, 2013 (Sunday) 10 am - 4 pm
Sivia Harding

The Art of the Headdress
October 1, 2, 3, 2013 (Tue, Wed, Thur) 10am - 4pm
Jessica de Haas

The Creative Studio
October 4, 5, 6, 2013 Fri, Sat, Sun (10am - 4pm)
Natalie Grambow

Japanese Indigo
October 5, 6, 2013 Sat, Sun (10am - 4pm)
Bryan Whitehead

Beyond Blue - Taking Indigo Further
October 8,9, 2013 Tue, Wed (10am -4pm)
Bryan Whitehead

The Silk Way - Cocoon to Thread
October 7, 2013 Monday (10am - 4pm)
Bryan Whitehead

Tapestry Weaving
October 7-10, 2013 Mon - Thu (10am - 4pm)
Elaine Duncan

Katazome with Natural Dyes
October 10, 11, 12, 2013 Thu, Fri, Sat (10am - 4pm)
Akemi Nakano Cohn

Indigo Shibori
October 13, 14, 2013 Sun, Mon (10am - 4pm)
Akemi Nakano Cohn

Nazome 1
October 11, 2013 Friday (10am - 4pm)
Hiroshi Saito

Nazome 2
October 12, 2013 Saturday (10am - 4pm)
Hiroshi Saito

Diary Paintings on Cloth
October 15 -18, 2013 Tue - Fri (10am - 4pm)
Susan Shie

Hand Hooked Rugs
October 15, 16, 2013 Tue, Wed (10am - 4pm)
Michelle Sirois-Silver

Creative Fabrication
October 17, 18, 19, 20, 2013 Thu - Sun (10am - 4pm)
Rachel Meginnes

Between the Colours - Creative Resist
October 19, 20, 2013 Sat, Sun (10am - 4pm)
Natalie Grambow

Expressive Dye Painting and Printing
October 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 2013 Mon - Fri (10am - 4pm)
Sue Benner

Tree of Life - Creativity and Design
October 23, 24, 2013 Wed, Thu (10am - 4pm)
Lorraine Roy

The Living Landscape
October 25, 26, 27, 2013 Fri, Sat, Sun (10am - 4pm)
Lorraine Roy

African Mudprinting
October 26, 27, 28, 2013 Sat - Mon 10am - 4pm
Michele Wipplinger

Natural Dyes - Print and Pattern
October 29, 30, 31,November 1, 2013 Tue - Fri (10am - 4pm)
A Babchuk and D Bush

Bookbinding - Ancient to Modern
October 28, 29, 30, 2013 Mon, Tue, Wed (10am - 4pm)
Gaye Hansen

Bookbinding - The Artists Book
October 31, November 1, 2, 2013 Thu, Fri, Sat (10am - 4pm)
Gaye Hansen

Phototransfer for Textiles
November 2, 3, 2013 Sat, Sun (10am - 4pm)
Natalie Grambow

True Colours - Developing a Personal Palette
November 4, 5, 6, 2013 Mon, Tue, Wed (10am - 5pm)
Carol Soderlund

Pot of Gold - Rainbow Dyeing in a Dyepot
November 7,8 2013 Thu, Fri (10am - 4pm)
Carol Soderlund

The Jewellery of India

2013-05-04T12:15:00.001-07:00

New arrivals in the main Maiwa Store on Granville Island

Maiwa works in India with silversmiths to place stones and old pieces in 92.5% silver settings. As with textiles, we look for local elements that carry the feeling and voice of a culture.
Our enthusiasm for this work has ignited renewed interest in traditional designs. Often the combination of antique elements in new settings provides the perfect contrast to fire the imagination.

Necklace with bead and silver work
and a gold plate fish - $699.00.

Tribal wrap with old pendant - $159.00

Tribal wrap and silver necklace - $169.00
Silver cuff - $250.00

Multiple strand necklace with
blue stones - $269.00

Necklace with bead and silver work
and a gold plate fish - $699.00.

Tribal wrap with old pendant - $159.00

Handpainted Krishna in a silver setting - $69.95.

Silver necklace set with green stones. $395.00.

The Maiwa Store Located in the centre of the Net Loft building

on Granville Island - the artisan heart of Vancouver

Open seven days a week 10am - 7pm

EVENT Threads (On the Road in Bangladesh)

2013-05-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24 at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Event Threads

Charllotte Kwon

7:45 (Doors open at 7:30pm) $10

Thursday October 24, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

Inspired by the 2012 visit of Living Blue to Vancouver, in 2013 the Maiwa Foundation was on the road again. Charllotte Kwon and a group of Maiwa staff landed in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and from there embarked on an epic journey through the tropical delta. What they saw astounded them: Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations on earth and yet there is an open optimism that the future will be better.

Join Charllotte as she retells the story of her 2013 visit. Inspired by Muhammad Yunus and his call to rethink the capitalist system in terms of social enterprise, Charllotte outlines the situation in Bangladesh and Maiwa’s reason for being there. Expect adventure, indigo, artistry, and textiles. The talk will be richly illustrated with still photographs and video clips.

An exhibition of textiles will be staged in the Net Loft.

To support the work of the foundation, the store will be open after the talk. Take advantage of a special 20% off everything in the store. All sales during this night go directly to the Maiwa Foundation.

BIO

Charllotte Kwon is the owner of Maiwa Handprints Ltd. and the director of the Maiwa Foundation. Through Maiwa, Charllotte also runs a textile archive and research library located on Granville Island. Under her direction Maiwa has produced four documentary films and a number of print publications. She also guides Maiwa’s substantial web presence.

Charllotte travels extensively each year to research handcraft and to supplement her natural-dye research. Always looking to extend natural dye use, she also teaches dyeing workshops with artisans around the world and has planned a series of natural dye master classes to bring exceptional practising artisans together.

EVENT Hiroshi Saito Exhibtion

2013-05-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24 at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Event Saito Exhibition (WT)

Hiroshi Saito

Opening Thursday October 10, 2013

Silk Weaving Studio

No Charge
Please RSVP to Maiwa (604) 669-3939
or Silk Weaving Studio (604) 687-7455

Beautifully dyed and handcrafted garments, scarves, and wall hangings reflect Hiroshi Saito’s background in the world of traditional Kyoto kimono dyeing. Hiroshi creates contemporary works that are a delightful expression of colour and texture.

Hiroshi was born in 1947 in Yokohama (near Tokyo). For many years he was a silk dyer, colouring cloth to be used in traditional kimonos. Each day he would dye up to 10 bolts of fabric exactly the same colour. At age 35 he decided that there was more to life and he began experimenting with handwoven cottons. The cotton from Thailand, Peru, Mali, India, and China appealed to him because of its warm, human quality. His extensive knowledge of traditional dyeing techniques is now used in the production of materials and clothing for contemporary Japanese dance and music companies.

Hiroshi Saito also works on large installations, including one he performed in the renowned Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. He is also well known for “Nozome,” an outdoor activity in which he supervises groups of up to 100 people dyeing 20 m lengths of cloth.

EVENT Bryan Whitehead Exhibition

2013-05-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24 at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Event Bryan Whitehead Exhibit

Bryan Whitehead

$No Charge

Opening Friday September 27, 2013

Silk Weaving Studio 6 - 8 pm

Please RSVP to Maiwa (604) 669-3939
or Silk Weaving Studio (604) 687-7455

While working on his own silk farm in the isolated mountains of Japan, Bryan Whitehead also mastered indigo dyeing and traditional forms of weaving. He has brought a selection of his evocative works, woven using antique tools, to Vancouver for this exhibit.

EVENT John Gillow - Islamic Textiles

2013-05-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24 at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Event Islamic Textiles

John Gillow

7:45 (Doors open at 7:30) $15

Saturday September 28, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

John Gillow, author, lecturer, traveller, and collector, has spent more than 40 years in the Islamic world. The fruits of his research are well displayed in his latest book, Textiles of the Islamic World, published by Thames and Hudson. John joins us from his home in Cambridge, UK.

John will give a broad survey of the textiles produced throughout history, putting them in their social and geographic context. In this wide-ranging lecture he will cover not only what are considered to be the classic textiles of Turkey, Persia, Central Asia, and India but also those of the lesser known outposts of the Muslim world: North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt), the Balkans (particularly Albania), and Syria. He will also touch on Palestine, Iraq, south Arabia, Afghanistan, Indonesia and the Philippines, and sub-Saharan Africa.

EVENT John Gillow - African Textiles

2013-05-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24 at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Event African Textiles

John Gillow

7:45 (Doors open at 7:30) $15

Thursday September 26, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

Every year John travels to different parts of Africa to collect and research traditional textiles. In the west, in Nigeria and the Francophone countries, are the superlative indigo dyed textiles, made with stitched and paste resist. Nearby are the stunning stripweaves of Ghana and its neighbours. In Central Africa, he finds Ndop indigo cloth, beadwork, and the fantastic head-wear of Cameroon as well as the classically abstract Kuba raffia weavings and embroidery. In the north are fine weavings in wool and silk, exquisite costumes, and intricate metal-thread work.

His vast collection and knowledge appear in the book African Textiles: Colour and Creativity Across a Continent published by Thames and Hudson. John joins us from his home in Cambridge, UK.

LECTURE Lorraine Roy

2013-04-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24th at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Lecture The Sylvan Spirit

Lorraine Roy

7:45 (Doors open at 7:30) $15.00

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

Sometimes a tree is so much more than just a tree.

Join Lorraine Roy for a figurative walk in the woods: a survey of the ways that trees offer inspiration in both life and art. Her years of research into cultural, symbolic, and spiritual aspects will show how different cultures, present and past, have created a rich mythology around this arboreal object.

This living image is also fundamental to Lorraine’s own practice of layered fabric collage. From the beginning of her career, trees have provided both motif and motivation. Formally trained in agriculture and horticulture, Lorraine draws from a number of sources in her designing: biology, botany, environmental research, mythology, early and modern culture, literature, and spiritual writings.

This lecture will be illustrated with images from her own extensive body of work. Lorraine will also explain her artistic process whereby she is able to collage fabrics and threads in a painterly way.

Lorraine joins us from Ontario.

LECTURE Akemi Nakano Cohn

2013-04-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24th at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Lecture Journeys and Traces - Art and Life Through Katagami

Akemi Nakano Cohn

7:45 (Doors open at 7:30) $15.00

Tuesday October 15, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

At first there were shoji. The white, rice-paper room dividers. Akemi recalls growing up in a traditional Japanese family in Yokohama, Japan, where images were formed on the shoji as trees and birds cast their shadows on the white paper.

It was the beginning of her life in art.

For ten years Akemi studied Katazome – a traditional rice paste resist printing technique – under Master Haru Izumi. Then, in 1985, she emigrated to the United States. The cultural shift inspired new work and new ways of working.

Always thoughtful and contemplative, Akemi has said, “When using katagami cut-out stencil paper, I remark on the empty shape left behind after cutting. This ‘negative space’ indicates the trace of its existence. Negative space is evidence of a memory. My work is an attempt to understand memory through this process and inner observation. I am interested in observing a condition of adaptation and memory among plants, animals, and humans in their environment.”

Like completing a circle, her art work has returned to the traditional Japanese Katazome that she learned in her early career. She is returning to her origins, but with a richer, more mature vision.

Akemi has pursued an extensive series of international exhibitions and commissions. She is a master of the Nassen technique, which adds a dye to the rice paste to create both colour and resist simultaneously. She joins us from her home in Chicago.

LECTURE Rachel Meginnes

2013-04-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24th at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Lecture The Plainweave Thread

Rachel Meginnes

7:45 (Doors open at 7:30) - $15.00

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

Rachel Meginnes believes that even the most simple methods offer infinite possibilities.

Her fascination with textiles began in high school and she trained as a weaver. Although no longer working directly at the loom, Rachel has kept many of her weaving processes alive in her current studio practice. As a dedicated maker, she accepts and encourages a need to work hands-on with her materials and

enjoys the solitude that comes from producing such methodical work. Her original love for the plainweave structure has never ceased. Indeed, ideas inspired by the pure simplicity of plainweave have become something of a philosophy that runs throughout her work.

Join artist Rachel Meginnes in a thorough investigation of artistic process and her own personal growth as a maker in the world of fibre arts.

As a traditionally trained artist who has moved towards non-traditional processes and materials, Rachel will discuss her path from craftsperson to designer to artist. See her process evolve through a series of slides illustrating the history of her work.

Rachel is currently a resident artist at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. She has traveled throughout the world studying textiles. Rachel earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Fibers at the University of Washington in 2005.

LECTURE Hiroshi Saito

2013-04-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24th at 10am

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Lecture Life is Cloth

Hiroshi Saito

7:45 (Doors open at 7:30) $15.00

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

Join internationally renowned textile artist Hiroshi Saito for a walk through his life in cloth.

Hiroshi says he loves to travel and to leave his mark. “Most people take photos when they travel,” he says, “but when I find a place I really like, I’m going to commemorate it by dyeing cloth there.”

Hiroshi joins us from Japan.

LECTURE Bryan Whitehead

2013-04-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24 at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Lecture Down the Mountain - Indigo and Silk Farming in a Japanese Village

Bryan Whitehead

7:45 (Doors open at 7:30) $15.00

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

Originally from Vancouver, Bryan Whitehead now lives in a small mountain village in Japan. On the shady side of the slope in a house perched on a ledge reached only by a narrow twisting road, Bryan has a small silk and indigo farm. With traditional tools he reels the silk before spinning and weaving on an antique loom.

In his lecture, Bryan will explain how he comes to lead this quiet, magical life.

His story begins with his arrival in 1989, just in time to witness the last years of the traditional silk farming in the area. As an amateur cultural anthropologist, he spent the better part of twenty years learning from local Japanese farmers. They taught him the skills of silk farming, cocoon thread reeling, kimono weaving, natural dyeing, and the various indigo processes. Now he is the last silk farmer in the area.

“I try to look around my surroundings very closely, and I attempt to recreate sort of an emotional landscape of the colours, lighting, and textures in the silk I produce myself.”

Bryan is now sharing the cultural knowledge he so carefully collected. His ancient farmhouse is well known in Japan as a centre for the workshops he gives on these subjects. Some of Bryan Whitehead’s recent work will be available for sale at his lecture.

LECTURE Jason Pollen

2013-04-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24th at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Lecture Song of the Cloth

Jason Pollen

7;45 (Doors open at 7:30) $15.00

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

This lecture is a joyful dance through the world of fibre art and surface design: a deep dive into sources of inspiration that have motivated artists and designers through the ages.

Join Jason Pollen and discover the musicality inherent in the visual language of textiles. Sequences and rhythm are the fundamentals; the mark, colour, and thread are the unique components. Listen to the pulse and flow, the harmony and cacophony of fibre-focused work.

Jason exhibits his fabric constructions internationally. He has designed textiles for dozens of fashion and home furnishings firms and regularly collaborates as scenic designer for the Kansas City Ballet. He was named Fellow by the American Crafts Council in 2006 and is President Emeritus of the Surface Design Association.

Jason received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in painting at the City College of New York. He was on the faculties of the Royal College of Art in London, Parsons School of Design, and Pratt Institute before serving as chair of the fibre department at Kansas City Art Institute. Jason now lives in Kansas City.

LECTURE India Flint

2013-04-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

Registration opens on June 24 at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Lecture The Peripatetic Alchemist - Travels With a Dyepot

India Flint

7:45 (Doors open at 7:30) $15.00

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

In 2008, with the publication of her first book, Eco Colour: Botanical Dyes for Beautiful Textiles, India Flint brought a radical new perspective to an ancient practice. She rethought the entire dye process. Her book forcefully and eloquently champions ecologically sustainable plant-based printing processes to give colour to cloth. When it first arrived on the scene, Eco Colour was both an eye-opener and a game-changer.

While India Flint’s practice is focussed firmly on the use of plant dyes, it embraces cloth, paper, and felt and is expressed in works for the wall as well as pieces for the body including costume for contemporary dance theatre. She is known for the highly distinctive ecoprint and has made a commitment to using bio-regional colour—meaning that dyes are extracted from windfall plants wherever she happens to be. Join India Flint for an hour of storytelling and slides. India has also hinted that at the end of the lecture she may have something of a surprise up her eucalyptus-patterned sleeve.

India joins us from Australia.

LECTURE Adrienne Sloane

2013-04-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24th at 10am

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Lecture Unravelling Political Knitting

Adrienne Sloane

7:45pm (Doors open at 7:30) - $15.00

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

From the famous tricoteuse Mme. Defarge (in A Tale of Two Cities) to contemporary yarn bombers, knitters have long been incorporating the political into their stitches.

As artists, sculptural knitters are offering a visceral response to such contemporary issues as war, climate change, and species preservation. At the same time these makers are bringing knitting back into the public sphere.

This presentation will begin with a look at the historic origins of political knitting and move through the varied responses to wartime in America. Adrienne will include an overview of current trends with particular attention to recent youth-driven knit activism: yarn bombing or yarn graffiti. These politically motivated installations attempt to beautify public spaces while adding a touch of the handmade to industrialized environments.

Adrienne will also present a survey of her own imagery and explain the challenge and success of using sculptural knitting to speak to political issues.

BIO

Adrienne Sloane, a Boston-based artist, has exhibited nationally for over 20 years. Her work has been published in Fiberarts Magazine, American Craft, the Surface Design Journal, the Crafts Report, and Fiberarts Design Book Six. With a degree in anthropology, she has married her passion for textiles with one for travel by consulting on knitting projects in Peru and Bolivia. Knitting both by hand and by machine, she is mindful of the historical context of her medium. www.adriennesloane.com.

LECTURE Michel Garcia

2013-04-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

Registration opens June 24 at 10am.

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

There’s a Plant I’d Like You to Meet, New Organic Dye Methods

Michel Garcia

7:45 pm (doors open at 7:30) - $15.00

Thursday, September 12, 2103

Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC

In 2013, Michel Garcia returns from France to report on new discoveries in the world of natural dyes and techniques.

Michel has spent recent years travelling the world and attempting to unravel the secrets of indigenous dye knowledge. Many strange practices produce unusual colours. He will share stories and the fruits of his research in this lecture. Among the highlights are biomordants: plants which accumulate alum in their leaves. This development is one of the most exciting to hit the world of natural dyes.

Well versed in both botany and chemistry, a curious investigator of dyestuff and dye procedures, Mr. Garcia has been asked to troubleshoot and fine-tune natural dye works all over the world.

A French national born in Morocco, Michel Garcia was nineteen when he first discovered natural dyes. Since then he has followed his love of both plants and pigments. In 1998 he formed the association Couleur Garance (Madder Colour). The association hoped to connect young ecologically sensitive artisans with the substantial expertise of an older generation of dyers. Under his direction, Couleur Garance produced over twenty monographs on natural dyes and dye plants.

This talk will be fascinating both for experts and those who are new to natural dyes.

Bio

Michel Garcia is a French national born in Morocco. He was nineteen when he first discovered natural dyes. Since then he has followed his love of both plants and pigments. In 1998 he formed the association Couleur Garance (Madder Colour). The association hoped to connect young ecologically sensitive artisans with the substantial expertise of an older generation of dyers. Under his direction, Couleur Garance produced over twenty monographs on natural dyes and dye plants.

In 2002 Michel founded the Botanical Garden of Dye Plants at the Château de Lauris. In 2003 an international forum and market for natural dyes was added. A year later a resource centre was established.

In 2006 Michel handed over leadership of Couleur Garance so that he could further pursue his interest in colour and dye techniques. He has published three titles on natural dyes showing the range of shades available and how to obtain them.

Michel teaches and advises internationally on natural colours and dyes..

Cuts to the Textile Art Program at Capilano University

2013-04-27T23:02:00.003-07:00

Over the past few days we have seen an incredible mobilization of craftspeople and artists. All are concerned over the cuts to arts funding at the post-secondary level and in particular cut to the textile arts programs at Capilano University.

Students have begun shrouding public works of art in black fabric as a sign of protest.

There is an online petition HERE which has already grown rapidly.

A facebook page has been started:
https://www.facebook.com/CapUArtEviction

and a web site gives additional information
http://savecapstudioarts.webs.com/

Vancouver's news media have picked up the story and have ran the following features:

NorthShore News
Programs fall under the axe at Capilano U

CBC News
Programs cut as Capilano University faces $1.3M shortfall

Vancouver Sun
Capilano University plans program cuts to balance budget

If you have an opinion on the cuts to the textile arts programs here is a list of politicians to contact:

North Vancouver Seymour Mla- Jane Thornthwaite – BC Liberal Party
E-Mail: jane.thornthwaite.mla@leg.bc.ca

North Vancouver Lonsdale Mla - Naomi Yamamoto – BC Liberal Party
E-Mail: naomi.yamamoto.mla@leg.bc.ca

West Vancouver Capilano Mla - Ralph Sultan – BC Liberal Party
E-Mail: ralph.sultan.mla@leg.bc.ca

West Vancouver Garibaldi Mla - Joan Mcintyre – BC Liberal Party
E-Mail: joan.mcintyre.mla@leg.bc.ca

Minister of Education: Honourable Don Mcrae
E-Mail: educ.minister@gov.bc.ca

Our thanks to Jennifer Love, BC Representative for the Surface Design Association, for keeping us in the loop and sending on much of this information.

WORKSHOP Pot of Gold - Rainbow Dyeing in a Dyepot

2013-04-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Registration Opens June 24 at 10am

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Pot of Gold - Rainbow Dyeing in a Dyepot

Carol Soderlund

$250 includes 60 lab fee

November 7,8 2013 - Class Limit 16

Maiwa East: 1310 Odlum Drive, Vancouver BC

Pot of Gold dyeing refers to the rainbow in a dyepot! If you have shied away from dyeing before because of time or space constraints, this method is for you. Less dye, less water, less mess makes it all so easy. In this two-day class you will dye more than 36 pieces of gorgeous, multi-coloured cotton and some tonal solids. Explore the unlimited possibilities of low-water techniques, including crystalline marking, faux batik with fabric paint, folded and clamped resists, over-dyeing, and mark-making techniques.

Whether you are a beginner with Procion MX dye or an experienced dyer, this class will get your juices flowing. You will leave class with a clear understanding of fibre-reactive dyes and how to build pattern, layer colour, and choose value, all in a small space. Carol will provide you with a multitude of recipes.

The techniques taught are all different from those covered in True Colours: Developing a Personal Palette, so feel free to take both classes if you wish!

Carol joins us from New York.

Instructor Bio

Carol Soderlund’s works have been exhibited nationally and internationally since 1985 in such venues as Visions and American Quilting Society shows and have received numerous awards, including Best of Show at the 1989 International Quilt Festival and Best Use of Color at the Pennsylvania National Quilt Exhibition 2000. She has taught colour, fabric dyeing, colour-mixing techniques, and quilting throughout North America and is currently working on a book on these subjects.

“My work is primarily driven by a passion for colour interactions, the illusions they create, the luminosity they can bring to a surface. I love creating my own palette of fabric through painting, dyeing, and other surface design processes including discharge, shibori, stamping, screening, and foiling. My goal in design is to have a piece that intrigues the viewer at first glance and then continues to reveal surprises upon every inspection.” www.carolsoderlund.com

WORKSHOP True Colours - Developing a Personal Palette

2013-04-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Registration Opens June 24 at 10am

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

True Colours - Developing a Personal Palette

Carol Soderlund

$325 includes 75 lab fee

November 4, 5, 6, 2013 - Class Limit 16

Maiwa East: 1310 Odlum Drive, Vancouver BC

For the dyer, the many choices of available colours can lead to confusion and disappointment in colour outcomes. This class will help students choose the pure colour that is suitable for developing a personal palette. Carol has dyed over 80 individual palettes which she will share with you through slide presentations, discussions, and hands-on dyeing. Brilliant yellows, passionate purples, rich reds, astounding blues, and soothing greens as well as the many necessary neutrals will be achieved through mixing using Procion MX dyes.

This class will focus on developing skill in intuitive colour-mixing based primarily on training the eye and understanding the relationship between colours. Students will come to an understanding of warm and cool contrasts and will learn how to choose a personal palette of pure reds, yellows, and blues from which all hues can be mixed. In addition the class will learn not only how to dye saturated, brilliant colours and avoid mud, but also how to create interesting complex neutrals (Bring on the mud puddles!). And they will learn how to shade from value to value and hue to hue.

Students will dye from 8 to 10 yards of cotton using low-water immersion techniques. On the first day, we will develop concepts through lecture and discussion and do some exercises to get familiar with the pure hues. On the days following, we will dye yardage using low-water immersion techniques, resulting in both solid-coloured and multi-coloured cloth, and explore the possibilities of layering colour to enrich the palette.

This class is suitable for all levels of experience, for both those who have had Carol’s class Colour Mixing for Dyers and those who have not.

Instructor Bio

WORKSHOP Phototransfer for Textiles

2013-04-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Registration Opens June 24 at 10am

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Phototransfer for Textiles

Natalie Grambow

$195 includes 60 lab fee

November 2, 3, 2013 - Class Limit 14

Maiwa East: 1310 Odlum Drive, Vancouver BC

This two-day workshop will focus on a number of transfer processes that allow students to incorporate photo imagery into their work.

Students will learn methods for the transfer of both black-and-white and colour imagery onto cloth. These include transparent marker, iron-on, solvent, and gel-medium transfers. Students will also learn how to layer, collage, and transfer photocopied images of drawings, text, and photos onto cloth. The final piece will be embellished by hand embroidering, stencilling, and/or blockprinting to create a unique work that exhibits a layered complexity.

Students are encouraged to bring a folder of personal imagery or text that they would like to incorporate into their work. Photocopies brought by the student should be fresh (one day old) and from a toner-based machine. An array of inspirational source material will also be on hand.

Instructor Bio

Natalie Grambow has an extensive background in design, teaching, and textile arts. An accredited Interior Designer, she spent many years in Ottawa working within the architectural design field and teaching Design Theory. Natalie’s first deep exploration of textiles began during her Visual Arts/Photography studies at the University of Ottawa when she experimented with non-silver techniques of transferring photographic imagery onto cloth. She subsequently studied at the École d’Impression Textile à Montréal and later travelled to Asia and Latin America where she spent six months learning to weave with local Mayan weavers in Guatemala. Shortly after completing the Textile Arts program at Capilano College in 2001, she was awarded the BC Craft Association’s Award of Excellence. Natalie has developed a line of naturally dyed and printed fabrics and has been commissioned by such clients as the city of North Vancouver (to present an artist’s vision of North Vancouver on fabric).

WORKSHOP Bookbinding - The Artists Book

2013-04-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Registration Opens June 24 at 10am

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Bookbinding - The Artists Book

Gaye Hansen

$295 includes 70 lab fee

October 31, November 1, 2, 2013 - Class Limit 12

Maiwa Loft: Above the Net Loft, Granville Is. Vancouver BC

One of our most popular classes—the demand for professional bookbinding instruction has been overwhelming. As more people have seen the exquisite books created in these classes, interest has grown considerably.

Both of Gaye’s bookbinding courses include fundamental binding techniques such as Japanese stab binding, corner treatments, the pamphlet stitch, the use of book cloth, and signature procedures.

As the workshop progresses, students will be taken through the steps of making a 6” x 7” hardcover book using more advanced techniques: cloth covers, sewn signatures, interleaf pages, hinges, linen tapes, and headbands. The books become personalized through add-in techniques such as sewn-in envelopes, specialty papers, blockprinting, insertions, and pockets. A wide variety of handmade and commercial papers will be used for the final project.

Instructor Bio

Gaye Hansen is the maker of books of exceptional beauty that contain intriguing wonders. She has an extensive background in bookbinding and the textile arts and has taught our popular bookbinding courses for the last eight years. She is also a master weaver who has taught weaving workshops for over 30 years. In 2002 she was chair of the Convergence Conference of the Hand Weavers Guilds of America. She has also been active with the Vancouver Weavers and Spinners Guild and is author of five best-selling Canadian cookbooks.

WORKSHOP Bookbinding - Ancient to Modern

2013-04-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Registration Opens June 24 at 10am

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Bookbinding - Ancient to Modern

Gaye Hansen

$295 includes 70 lab fee

October 28, 29, 30, 2013 - Class Limit 12

Maiwa Loft: Above the Net Loft, Granville Is. Vancouver BC

This new class is an overview of bookbinding techniques and basic procedures. Students are introduced to the book arts in a casual and practical three-day format.

Both of Gaye’s bookbinding courses include fundamental binding techniques such as Japanese stab binding, corner treatments, the pamphlet stitch, the use of book cloth, and signature procedures.

Students will learn how to make an accordion book and simple effective origami books. They will progress to full instruction on a simple hard-covered journal including sewn signatures and the application of end papers and spine cloth.

The main focus of the third day is the technique of Coptic or open-spine bookbinding, the oldest known book format. Students will learn about traditional techniques: hard covers, linen threads, cloth covers, end papers, and variations.

Throughout the three days students are exposed to a wide range of materials, equipment, and techniques including the use of decorative papers, mounting film, text pages, book cloth, etc. Time is set aside for learning through visual examples, demonstrations, personal instruction, text books, and web resources to maximize exposure to the ancient but reviving creative field of hand bookbinding.

Instructor Bio

WORKSHOP Natural Dyes - Print and Pattern

2013-04-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

Registration Opens June 24 at 10am

2013 Maiwa Textile Symposium

Natural Dyes - Print and Pattern

A Babchuk and D Bush

$395 includes 80 lab fee

October 29, 30, 31,November 1, 2013 - Class Limit 16

Maiwa East: 1310 Odlum Drive, Vancouver BC

This is one of our most popular natural dye classes. Study the art of preparing natural dyes, tannins, and mordants so that they can be used for direct application.

The ability to mix and thicken natural dyes opens up many possibilities for creating designs on fabric that are simply not possible with immersion dyeing.

This class will unlock the power of ancient methods that have given traditional craftspeople the capability of delivering pattern and colour on fabric. A wide array of variations are also possible through the combinations of different mordants, tannins, dyes, overdyes, and dyebaths. Students will learn how these variations can shift the final colour. These useful techniques are like dye magic: one dyestuff yields an impressive range of shades.

The workshop will combine direct application with appropriate patterning techniques such as block printing, stencilling, screen printing, shibori, and wax resist. The wonder of natural dyes will be enhanced by our choice of print material: natural fibres such as silks and cotton

Instructor Bios

Anne Babchuk has been a resident instructor for the Maiwa Textile Workshops for the past 18 years. She has taught classes in a wide range of traditional and contemporary surface design processes. Some specialties are: natural dyeing and printing, indigo dyeing, shibori, blockprinting, and precision dyeing.

Anne studied fine art at Okanagan University. To fund her education she started her own home-based textile business. She feels her greatest education has come through working for Maiwa Handprints, taking workshops from world-class instructors, and travelling.

Currently she archives and maintains the Maiwa Textile Collection and Library. She is also a trustee of the Maiwa Foundation and co-ordinator for the Maiwa Textile Symposium.

Danielle Bush is on staff at Maiwa Supply and one of our newest instructors. Her career in textiles began with sewing and fashion studies at the University of the Fraser Valley. Upon completing courses in design, drawing, drafting, and construction, she was accepted to Maiwa Handprints to do a week-long practicum in the textile collection. In her words: “It changed my life.”

A veteran assistant for numerous workshops, Danielle is also the Maiwa sample dyer. In 2009 Danielle represented Maiwa at the ISS (shibori conference) held in France, and in 2011 she was a facilitator for the Maiwa Natural Dye Master Class taught by Michel Garcia in Bengal, India. Showing a natural understanding and aptitude for dye techniques, Danielle is a welcome addition to our roster of instructors.