Vancouver Biennale’s Touring Exhibit Comes to Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

News Release                                               

For Immediate Release                                                                                                               
February 10, 2023

Weaving Cultural Identities: Vancouver Biennale’s Touring Exhibit Comes to  Mississippi Valley Textile Museum  

Almonte, ON - Weaving Cultural Identities was a prominent feature of the Vancouver Biennale 2018 - 2021. Bringing together diverse communities, Weaving Cultural Identities celebrates Indigenous and migrant stories and experiences. The touring exhibit is making its way to the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) from February 18 to April 15, 2023, with touring support from the Canada Council for the Arts and BC Arts Council. Curated by Zarina Laalo, this exhibit connects Coast Salish and Muslim artists in exploring lost heritage, cultural knowledge, and self-identification through textile traditions. The contemporary world is a global society of diverse cultures and beliefs, and this exhibit engages with the challenge of reconciling lost heritage, sharing sacred space, and celebrating cultural knowledge.

The 13 textile artists and 5 graphic artists of various ethnicities were engaged to reflect on their sense of belonging and cultural identity, while representing larger ancestral and cultural traditions. These explorations manifested in 10 textile works and 8 graphic representations, and subsequently evolved into a platform for community dialogue around uncomfortable issues, such as forcible displacement, diaspora, and assimilation. The MVTM is looking forward to continuing this dialogue and providing a forum for discussion within the local community.      

Quotes
“Weaving Cultural Identities is an exhibit that we are truly excited to bring to the Museum and to our community. It offers an opportunity for visitors to engage in self-reflection about their own cultural identity, and to participate in the discourse surrounding marginalized histories. We hope that this exhibit promotes discussion and provides relatable content for many in our community.”
            - Michael Rikley-Lancaster, Executive Director/Curator, Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

Contact

Michael Rikley-Lancaster

Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

613-256-3754

m.rikley-lancaster@mvtm.ca

About Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum is committed to collecting, preserving, and telling the stories of the local mill workers and labour history, while offering an open, inclusive space for the local community and visitors from across the globe. If you wish to enquire about Museum and its operations, please visit the website at: https://mvtm.ca/mvt2/

About the Vancouver Biennale
The Vancouver Biennale is a non-profit charitable organization that celebrates art in public space, creating a catalyst for learning, community engagement, and social action where people live, work, play, and transit. Our mission is to make great art accessible, transform and activate public space, grow the cultural assets of our host cities, and bring a wide diversity of people together through the shared experience of art. For more information visit www.vancouverbiennale.com. 

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