Yes, 2020! That is not a typo… Thanks to COVID last year Toowoomba was unable to have the Art Textile Exhibit come to visit but it has finally arrived and we are so excited!
The Fibre Arts Australia showcase of contemporary art textile practice in their inaugural biennial award, Art Textile Biennale 2020, is on display from the 6th of April to the 30th of May and it is on Melissa’s list of ‘must-visit places!’
Featuring 29 artists from 16 different countries the works evocatively explore the dialogue of what it is to be a textile artist in this day and age. The pieces are emotional, raw and precise, exploring and manifesting a range of different concepts and presentations. From intimate and personal reflections to intense societal issues such as climate change, there is something in the exhibit that is sure to strike a chord with everyone.
Barbara Stephenson’s piece and will the blue skies go on forever?
Local artist Barbara Stephenson is featured in the exhibit with her piece “Desert Spring”, which features old woolen blankets, dressmaking scraps sewn and glued onto an up-cycled footstool! The Darling Downs Textile Arts Group member has won awards for her textiles, including a Queensland Regional Arts Award in the textile section in 2019 for a piece made entirely out of wool. Barbara said in her artist statement that ‘In a world drowning in waste, I use rejected woolen blankets to create art.’ Her work deeply reflects the current climate struggles we are facing around the world: a pertinent piece to shed light on with Earth Week only a couple of weeks ago.
The exhibit is truly spectacular and Melissa was covered in goosebumps while interviewing artists Glenys Mann & Nonie Sutcliffe. If you missed out on seeing that little video, head to Melissa’s facebook page Cr Melissa Taylor For Our Region to have a look!