One art often influences another. This new exhibit at Beth Tzedec is photographic display of Jewish musicians.
Dorion invites us: “Please join us for the opening of David Kaufman’s photography exhibition: VESSELS OF SONG: FACES OF NEW JEWISH MUSIC at Beth Tzedec Museum
on Thursday December 11th at 7:00pm.
We are delighted that the KlezKonnection will entertain us for the evening.”
This exhibit continues until March 2015.
See work by Pomegranate Guild member, Melanie Siegel all this month. What a wonderful way to wrap up a year of textiles!
Celebrate: Saving a Textile Legacy – October 22, 2014
Anna VanDelman reports:
Shila Desai introduced us to a world of cultural heritage, pride of artisanship and survival, glorious colour and renewal. We were taken into this incredible, kaleidoscopic world of magical colours, and their near loss in Gujarati communities. After a long period during which traditional skills were passed from generation to generation, dyeing skills, block-printing skills, and stitching skills have been threatened with extinction.
In some communities, the important ground water levels have a dropped and the water has become contaminated: new and improper technologies, industrialization in general, a younger generation attracted to more leisure time, and the disruption of trade patterns following the 1947 partition of Pakistan and India have all contributed to the erosion of this precious legacy. Six hundred years of this art was about to be lost. Now, how to protect and revive this legacy so crucial to women’s dowries and local economies? In some cases, it is WOMEN TO THE RESCUE! NGOs directed by women philanthropists get together to preserve traditional crafts while bringing them into the 21st century. Success leads to success and now over 100 villages and 22,000 women are benefitting.
See more by following the video links. And, experience heritage textiles for yourself by joining Shila on of her tours to India, Tanzania, North India and Sri Lanka. “BON VOYAGE.”
Here are links to videos that Shila shared with us:
A New Beginning in Ajrakhpur
Women Empowering Women
Photos by Janis Katz
Textile samples courtesy Shila Desai
A message from Sheila McCoy at the Ontario Needleworkers’ Network:
Hello everyone –
Bruce County Museum has created this lovely poster for Threadworks 2014.(http://www.brucemuseum.ca/whats-happening/exhibits-and-galleries)
If you are in the area – out for a drive – perhaps you could drop in to see the Show.
Last year we co-hosted a screening of Through the Eye of the Needle, the story of the work of Holocaust survivor Esther Nisenthal Krinitz told through her fabric collage and embroidered panels. This year at Temple Sinai you can see the exhibit it inspired from November 2 – 21. A special screening of the film is part of Holocaust Education Week on Sunday November 9 at 10am. Esther’s daughter Bernice Steinhart will introduce the film, and Ian Leventhal will lead a discussion following. The exhibit continues at Temple Sinai until after our next Pomegranate Guild meeting, so be sure to see the detailed work of this extraordinary artist. 
World of Threads opens this week. Melanie Siegel has work on view.
See the detailed brochure.
Members Bruria Cooperman, Maggie Doswell, and Karen Chisvin are showing in Synergies, the inaugural show at The Lower Gallery at The Toronto Centre for the Arts. All members are invited to the opening on November 6, 6 – 8 pm.
Synergies Invitation
Artists in many media and across many cultures explore text and calligraphy in their work. Here’s an upcoming opportunity in Toronto to see what some artists are up to!
Pomegranate Guild members have news
Dorion Liebgott is
Looking forward to having you join in a major event for the Beth Tzedec Museum on October 26. Limited number of spaces available for Judaica appraisals. Lots of art and Judaica for sale in the silent auction.
Melanie Siegel’s work is on view November 1 – 30 in the Corridor at World of Threads.
Temma Gentles and Torah Stitch by Stitch is featured in the September 29 issue of The Canadian Jewish News.
Celebrate Wax and Weave – September 10, 2014
Anna VanDelman reports
What a wonderful opening meeting in September! Over thirty members of the Guild came together at Karma Creative art studio – home away from home for our president, Karen Chisvin and member Maggie Doswell who are partners at the studio, and now Bruria Cooperman (who is pursuing her art there).
Bruria led the evening, introducing us to the new for us, but very old, medium of encaustic. It dates back over two thousand years, and its modern form is largely due to its revival by artist Jasper Johns.
One takes a support – cloth, wood, paper, etc. – and rubs, paints or dips it over with hot melted beeswax. The wax cools quickly on its own. A heat gun, torch, or other heat tool may be used to fuse the wax, layer by layer. Pigment, oil sticks, oil paints and other appropriate media can be used to add colour to or on the wax. The wax can be manipulated in a variety of ways such as scraping to create smooth layers or interesting textures, or handling paper and cloth to make three dimensional forms.
Members were excited to experiment, some worked in teams and some individually. Assistance was available from our talented presenters.
Squeals of excitement could be heard as members experienced the transformation of their chosen materials into newly evolved creations, using ancient techniques and making them new. We touched each others’ work: a true hands on experience. We were all encausticated!
Source for encaustic instruction – classes and workshops
Karma Creative art studio, karma-creative.ca
Sources for materials
Aboveground Art, Curry’s, Deserres, Gwartzmans
Selected sources of inspiration
Deborah Howard http://www.deborahhowardart.com
Sherrie Posternak http://www.sherrieposternak.com/portfolio/
Raé Miller http://raemiller.com/gallery-2-
Show Share and Qvell – June 18, 2014
Anna VanDelman reports:
Our June meeting was a treasure trove of textile art by members!
Shirley Gossack showed her completed cross stitch piece for the Torah Stitch by Stitch Project co-ordinated by our own Temma Gentles. Several members of the Guild have committed to this incredible project of stitching the entire Torah.
Karen Sanders has been totally wrapped in completing baby blankets – 26 of them, along with one baby sweater. She moved from knitting to crocheting and back to knitting. Karen opened her storage stash to show us a blanket she made 39 years ago, a quilt with animal pattern. She showed us a 43-year old blanket her own grandmother made for her children, and she also knitted a baby hat that she will be bringing on her trip to South Africa to welcome a new grandchild. Karen is taking along a long pine needle basket made by her late mother. Safe trip, Karen and Michael.
Anna VanDelman showed a renovated Torah Mantle. The mantle was created by her Rabbi, Jarrod Grover’s, late mother in honour of his Bar Mitzvah twenty years ago. It needed renovation as the Torah it covered was rewritten and was now too long for the old mantle. In the spirit of collaboration, Anna brought the mantle to Temma who in her talented wisdom chose a perfect bronze-coloured fabric as a base to re-apply the multi-coloured rainbow needlepoint. Anna did the dedication inside the mantle.
Melanie Siegel showed exciting new pieces as she continues to experiment with her new felting machine.
Chaya Erez’s “Dice Drawing” based on throwing dice on the paper hoping to hit the centre producing a random piece. Chaya decides the rules, but the final product comes by chance. Her numbered grid of 6 rows by 6 with pulled out fabric, random shapes, random sizes and placement produced a finished product. You can only see this at the Pomegranate Guild where talent and creativity meet.
Honey Mitchell showed us a quilted square with embroidered centre evoking family memories.
Nora Freund used bits and pieces of left over wool from Eileen Jackson’s mountains of mittens project to make square dishcloths, and one in particular with a red maple leaf that only shows when held at a certain angle.
Juana Sleizer showed two beautiful tapestries, black and white abstracts reproduced from her daughter’s paintings.
Gwen Orriell shared a gift to her from friends recently returned from Japan. Two large pieces of specific Japanese patterned fabric. Gwen also showed her beautiful letter Shin made at one of our programmes earlier this season.
Bruria Cooperman showed a new piece using an ancient technique known as encaustic. Wax is poured on a board fused and repeated. Colour becomes embedded in the wax to complete a wall hanging.
Paula Miller showed two Passover ties, one featuring a glass of wine which has spilled and the other the Stanley Cup of Hockey fame. (No explanation necessary).
Paula also showed Challah covers made by her students at a seven-week silk painting class she gave at Beth Emeth Synagogue. Paula brought her students with her tonight. Yascher Koach to all.
Elaine Genesove showed a beautiful completed first square of a chuppah. Glad to know you need a chuppah, Elaine!
Dorothy Klein showed two challah covers. One cover had her wedding photo transferred onto fabric and applied to the fabric; one cover featured the days of creation.
A hearty Yascher Koach to all Guild members for sharing their work, inspiring us, and for giving us all the opportunity to qvell.
Happy Summer to all!
Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Textiles Toronto 