Festival 2012 Participants
"My experience with the World of Threads Festival has been positive throughout. It is amazing to have two dedicated volunteers working such long hours with such great attitudes towards everyone...and producing such an array of excellent exhibitions. I hope you get help. I don't want you to wear out!
Personally, the interview you conducted and produced about me and my work was a tremendous benefit. I am grateful to have been given such a quality presentation and to be among the fine artists you have included on your website.
When in Canada, I received incredible support from both Dawne and Gareth in finding ways to get to the exhibits in Oakville without a car and at a different time than the scheduled bus tours. It was also lovely to have them at the Toronto openings. Their efforts to help me meet other artists and the personal time they gave me was above and beyond anything I expected. For me the greatest highlight was having Dawne squeeze in time to give me travel support for part of my Oakville trip...and to get to know each other. I feel like I have a new good friend.
Thank you Dawne and Gareth for carrying through with such a complex and thoroughly professional festival. Thank you Evan Tyler for including me in your exhibit at gallerywest. Thank you Richard McNeill for choosing my telephones for the Canadian Sculpture Center...and for making such supportive comments at the opening. Thank you to all the wonderful and welcoming Canadians. You are to be commended!"
Marie Bergstedt, San Francisco, California, USA
"The World Festival of Threads is an amazing production with over 20 venues between Oakville and Toronto. I am delighted that my life-sized kinetic puppet installation, Thanks, Ma, was a part of the Variegated Threads exhibit at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre in Oakville. Congratulations and many thanks to Dawne Rudman and Gareth Bate for the enormous effort it took to mount this festival, for the excellent curation of every exhibition, and for their incredible attention to detail. This is the most organized art event I have participated in."
Barbara Rehus, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
"I visited three major Oakville exhibitions and found them all extremely interesting. I liked the idea of separating exhibitions according to the selected themes. That gives the viewer a chance to get attuned to the mood of the exhibition and through that communication between the viewer and the artworks may happen just naturally. I appreciated this feature throughout all three venues. My favourite was the QEPCCC. It was fun to meet the ‘knitting lady’ in the foyer, to see changing constellation of colour tubing of Nathan Johns’ entry and enjoy vibrant mastery of Maximo Laura’s weavings. My absolute admiration goes to The Quiet Zone. In that space, strong and powerful messages are quietly spoken; strengthened by each other’s voice within this quiet and beautifully simple space. Sensitive installation of the artworks just added to the power of this exhibition. I am honoured to be part of it! Thank you!"
Dagmar Kovar, London, Ontario, Canada
"Thank you so, so much for the hard work you both did, and continue to do with the Festival. I was thrilled to be able to attend the major Oakville exhibits and the Collecting Loss exhibit and so encouraged with the direction of fiber art. The festival was an incredible conglomeration of artists working more traditionally, artists working with textile techniques but with alternative materials and artists pushing the limits of what fiber art can be."
Megan Q Bostic, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
"The festival was a great experience for me, and the Sunday (Nov. 4) bus tour was the perfect chance to meet other artists and fibre-arts fans. The Quiet Zone show at the Queen Elizabeth Park Gallery was the highlight for me. We can only dream of that kind of large-scale conceptual show here in Vancouver."
Carlyn Yandle, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
"I was delighted to participate in the 2012 World of Thread festival. The organizers were approachable, helpful and accommodating. The curating was excellent - all works were wonderfully lit, hung, spaced and themed. The venues in Oakville were beautiful and totally worth the drive to view. Bravo, and thank you!"
Lisa Brunetta, Barrie, Ontario, Canada
"My experience with the World of Threads as an emerging artist was fantastic. The support and feedback along the whole process from proposal to installation was well guided and conducted in a professional manner. I can only imagine the amount of work that is required to manage each artist. I admire the personal approach and care taken to each individual, which made me feel as if I were an integral part of the show.
The medium of fibre art is expanding into new realms using new materials and techniques. I admire how the World of Threads recognizes these new art forms and promotes them along with traditional techniques. I hope to be following this event for years to come. Thanks for all your efforts."
Nathan Johns, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
"Participating in The World of Threads has been a terrific experience. The Joshua Creek Heritage Centre is a fantastic venue and De rerum natura (On The Nature of Things) was an exciting, interesting and varied exhibition. The organization of this festival, thanks to Gareth and Dawne, has been excellent. As an exhibiting artist, I found that the information provided was clear and concise. I also found that the curators were very engaged and interested in the work, the artists and the festival. Thank you for creating such a wonderful festival."
Liz Menard, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"When I saw the call for entry for the World of Threads Festival and looked through their website at the history of earlier shows, I thought it would be a challenging and rewarding show to enter. I was extremely pleased when my sculpture was accepted and thought that it was wonderful to be included in a show with incredible and inspiring artists from around the world. I went to the opening in Oakville and was impressed by the quality of the work and the care taken in displaying it. The entire process of participating in the show, from the Call for Entry to the Opening, went extremely smoothly, my questions were answered quickly, and all of information provided was excellent. Overall, it was a great pleasure to have been a part of such an impressive show and I want to thank Dawne Rudman and Gareth Bate for making it such a wonderful experience."
Lisa Kemp, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"As my second time exhibiting with the World of Threads Festival, and Jason's first time exhibiting, we both felt very supported and encouraged in our exhibitions…The scope, amount of work and all of the time and dedication to the festival is inspiring and we are grateful to be a part of it. Thank you to everyone that worked so hard making everything come to fruition."
Amy Bagshaw and Jason Legault, Alliston, Ontario, Canada
"First of all I was very pleased to be in De rerum natura. I thought that as whole, the show held together very well; it was well hung and lit, and the other work was of a very high standard. I have watched Joshua Creek become a reality from Sybil Rampen's first dream, and seeing such an important show so well installed there was indeed a treat…Every contact I have had with the World of Threads has been well organized…Carry on the good work of promoting the medium that is the best kept secret in the world of Fine Art!"
Susan Strachan Johnson, Rockwood, Ontario, Canada
"Just thought I would drop a note to extend kudos for an amazing show. After I met you (at Q E P), I continued on to see the show at Sheridan and at Joshua Creek Heritage Centre. I just wanted to let you know what a memorable show and exceptional effort that was. Truly memorable work, organization and web presence!
Thank you so much!"
Kay Plante, Oakville, Ontario, Canada
2012 Festival Visitors
"My friends and I just got back from our first trip to Toronto. (We live in Arizona, Minnesota and North Dakota). We went specifically to see the World of Threads exhibits. In the 5 days I was there, I saw most of them, but not all! I have to say, the project was amazing and enjoyable and you should be very proud of what you accomplished. Thanks so much for a wonderful series of exhibits. "
Kim Baird, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
"My friend and I have just returned from a three-day trip to Toronto. Our intention was to see as much as we possibly could of the World of Threads Festival. I want to applaud you and Gareth for a superbly organized show and website.
We are from Montreal, and neither of us knows Toronto that well. With the help of a GPS and all the information available on your website, everything went smoothly, and we were able to maximize our time. We found the suggested driving tour of the Oakville sites to be invaluable. Also helpful were the calendars, and the list of participating artists. We did not find a single instance of the reality not matching up to the documentation: every piece of art we saw was completely and correctly labeled, every site was open at the stated hours and on the stated date, and all the maps were accurate and helpful. The booklet including the maps of Oakville and Toronto was extremely useful. The display of your poster became a key signpost for us as we moved around the city.
It seems you thought of everything the out-of-town visitor would need to make the most of their visit. We thoroughly enjoyed the exhibits, and appreciated the chance to see such a wide variety of high-quality work.
Clearly this Festival is an enormous job. Congratulations on an organizational tour de force!"
Heather Dubreuil, Montral, Quebec, Canada
Artist Interviews
"The Worlds of Threads Festival is so far the most prestigious and well-organized event dedicated to Fibre Arts in Ontario, if not in the whole of Canada. It's a wonderful feeling to be accepted to participate and share it with lots of other talented creative people in search of a unique and current cultural language. To work toward preserving the traditions our art is based on and to introduce it to a broader audience as an art form equal to any other."
Milena Radeva – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"I think that the World of Threads Festival provides a great platform for which to present the work of a wide range of textile artists coming from many different perspectives. Reading the weekly fibre artist interviews gives me an opportunity to step outside myself, as I learn about a diverse range of themes and ideas shared by other fibre artists."
Lizz Aston – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"I think this festival has created an opportunity for textile-based art to be celebrated and the breadth of what that practice means to be championed. It is exciting to see such a range of high quality work being shown together."
Catherine Dormor – Cambridge, England
"I think it's a great idea to do interviews on the web. This allows others to discover new approaches and different perspectives on the textile thematic. I hope this will be achieved through exchanges and dialogues without any borders."
Edith Meusnier – Aumont en Halatte, France
"I was drawn to the World of Threads Festival because it came across as inclusive and forward-thinking. I was delighted to be accepted because this was an opportunity to put my work in the company of other fibre artists in the international community."
Robert Davidovitz – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"Your website is fabulous...The archive of artist interviews is fascinating. It is really exciting to see such a diverse international collection of contemporary artists working within textiles...The World of Threads really connects fiber artists and is a valuable international resource. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the artists' interviews, specially the "behind the scenes" information about inspirations and historical/contemporary artist influences. The interview format truly allows for a glimpse into the real person as well as insight into the fullness of their artwork and development. I am honored to be part of this."
Anastasia Azure –Providence, Rhode Island, USA
"This is an excellent venture that I am really happy to support and promote!"
Leisa Rich – Atlanta, Georgia, USA
"Your website is a constant source of inspiration & I feel honored to be a part of it. "
Elisabetta Balasso – Venezuela
"I have been an avid follower of the interviews since day one. I've enjoyed all of them and appreciate the work and effort that goes into producing such high quality interviews."
Nancy Yule – Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
"The interviews are very thorough and interesting. I have read many and learned about so many fascinating artists right here. I am relatively new to the art scene so this kind of information is invaluable."
Sheila Thompson – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"I want to thank you both for the opportunity to do the interview on your website...You're providing a wonderful opportunity to us artists, but also to the festival itself. Thanks, and Congrats also!"
Chris Motley – San Francisco, California, USA
"I was highly interested in exhibiting my works in other continents than Europe. My research exposed the World of Threads Festival as an extremely important event."
Rasma Noreikyte – High Wycombe, United Kingdom
"It has been both, exciting and inspirational, to follow the artists' interviews at the Festival's web and I have been very proud to be part of it."
Dagmar Kovar – London, Ontario, Canada
"I am impressed with the scope of the World of Threads Festival, both in terms of the many different locations where work will be featured, but also in the variety of fibre arts represented. Judging from images from the last festival in 2009, it was a great event with many beautiful art works on display."
Lotta Helleberg – Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
"A lot of ideas come to artists from their materials and so to reorganize attention around a material is an interesting shift of focus. Not enough attention is paid to the many, many really good artists here in Canada, so I'm in favour of anything that helps us."
Libby Hague – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"The fact that the World of Threads Festival is a Canadian initiative is inspiring, and that an international community has been formed is wonderful!"
Leanne Shea Rhem – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"I like the variety of work on the website and that the artists come from many different places. It's interesting to hear how people talk about working in their studio and of their different concerns."
Sandra Gregson – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"The web site allows me access to new artists and ideas that I may not otherwise have been aware of. I have enjoyed reading the interviews with the artist and about their practices, which I find most enlightening."
Melanie Chikofsky – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"The World of Threads festival provides an opportunity to be introduced to international artists working with fibre or referencing fibre in their work. It's also wonderful to have many galleries participating in a fibre-related theme. This gives it a sense of celebration."
Yael Brotman – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"It was really thrilling to see such an international show on the fibre arts."
Karen Maru – Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
"I would like to thank you for including me in the artist interviews; the series has really grown into an impressive body of knowledge and I hope that it might eventually be published in book form or DVD. But that, I'm sure, is another project and this is a Festival year. … Thanks for your vision and commitment to the Festival and the series.."
Joanne Young – Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
"It is a way to discover a lot of artists that are new for me. It shows a big diversity of exciting work of fibre art. It is another way to get in contact with people that appreciate art and to learn more about our living culture."
Elisabeth Picard – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
"I really like the weekly interviews. I think that you have done a good job selecting a wide variety of people that work in fibre from lots of different places. A lot of the people that were interviewed were new to me, so that was nice too!"
Amanda McCavour – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"I think the World of Threads Festival is exactly the kind of activity that fibre art requires and I applaud the efforts of those involved. We need more of these types of events. The World of Threads Festival puts the art form "in your face" which can only benefit all of us. I think the project is bold. We need more like it."
Dwayne Wanner – Burlington, Ontario, Canada
"I enjoy imagining fibre artists sharing work and ideas and extending their art, skills, and vision to a wider community."
Rochelle Rubenstein – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"I really think it is a fantastic forum for fibre artists and creators to showcase and stand side-by-side with diverse fibre techniques. Being such an important International festival, it is an honor to participate, especially being held in our own Town of Oakville!"
Ixchel Suarez – Oakville, Ontario, Canada
"This festival has a high profile reputation"
Susan Strachan Johnson – Everton, Ontario, Canada
"I like the weekly interviews very much and look forward to reading the next interview every week. I have learned about so many fascinating artists and textile art forms from the series"
Ulrikka Mokdad – Copenhagen, Denmark
"The upcoming Common Thread International Exhibition is an exciting prospect… Several of my fellow artists have been enjoying the weekly artists' interviews over this year and find them inspirational. It has been interesting to see the festival grow over the years. I am much honoured to be connected. The new prospect looks very exciting."
Dagmar Kovar – London, Ontario, Canada
"I was enthusiastic about it the minute I started reading about it. It's a forum presented for fibre artists to present their work, and at the same time provide an opportunity for artists to learn from other artists and see other artists' works. The size and variety of the festival will make it a wonderful exposition of the myriad of ways fibre can be used artistically. I applaud it!!! I already have dates calendared."
Chris Motley – San Franscisco, California, USA
"The artists and the festival I have seen on your website are very impressive."
Marie Bergstedt – San Francisco, California, USA
Festival Participants
"When I saw the competition advertised on the Internet, I accepted the challenge and then decided to enter. After my entry had been selected to participate, I decided to visit Oakville for the opening. I was very much impressed by the exhibition / festival and realized that a lot of personal effort had been put in by the organizers and participants. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the organizers for their engagements and efforts. I will keep a warm remembrance of the festival."
Ursula Jaton – Switzerland
"I thought that the curation at b42 Gallery resulted in a particularly successful exhibition."
Barbara Wisnoski – Montreal, Quebec, Canada