Toronto Craft Alert

Kaleidoscope
Antique Quilts from the collection of Carole and Howard Tanenbaum

NEW EXHIBITION AT THE TEXTILE MUSEUM OF CANADA
September 23, 2009 to March 21, 2010

Curated by Max Allen
Join us for the opening reception: Wednesday September 23, 6:30 – 8:00 pm; remarks 6:45 pm

TORONTO – Kaleidoscope presents 43 dazzling quilts collected by Carole and Howard Tanenbaum. These quilts are remarkable pieces of art – full of beauty and rich in history.

Through each quilt’s breathtaking workmanship and intricate compositions, Kaleidoscope will lead you on an exploration of this diverse art form. With stunning harmonies of colour and geometry, Kaleidoscope features quilts made during the past 150 years from thousands of unique fragments (one quilt contains almost 6,000 individual pieces of silk). Honeycomb, log cabin, crazy or appliquéd, the variety of these quilts is sure to surprise and delight.

The quilts in Kaleidoscope were made in England, Canada and the United States. Their makers, whether working alone or collectively, have pieced together a textile journal of the life and times of the 19th century. Although lovingly and exquisitely assembled, most of these quilts are now orphans. Their exact makers are unknown and their ancestry is obscure. The messages they carried when they were made – who made them and why, for whom and under what circumstances – have almost evaporated, leaving behind elaborate and charming kaleidoscopes of colour and tradition.

The Tanenbaums
Carole and Howard Tanenbaum are art collectors, and they acquired these quilts because of how they look – in other words, as art. “The first quilt we saw that we couldn’t live without was a crazy quilt at an antique dealer’s store in Stratford,” says Carole Tanenbaum. “I love texture and I also love randomness and I was immediately attracted to it.

“We never deliberately set out to have a quilt collection, but one year we bought one and then the next year we saw three we loved, and pretty soon there we were with a quilt collection.”

For additional information, interviews or visuals: contact Beth Sharpe, Senior Manager, Communications, at bethsharpe@textilemuseum.ca or 416 599 5321 x2239.

TEXTILE MUSEUM OF CANADA
55 Centre Avenue
Toronto ON M5G 2H5
416-599-5321
info@textilemuseum.ca
www.textilemuseum.ca

Programs and Events:

Workshop: Exploring Pattern Structures with Judith Tinkl
Saturday October 17, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Quilt makers have always reveled in exploring the language of pattern. In this workshop, play with design using coloured paper shapes, graph paper and the structures seen in the Kaleidoscope exhibition, and discover how understanding pattern can enhance your work.
Members $50, Non-members $65, Full-time students $40.
Advance registration is required, class size is limited.
To register, call 416-599-5321 x 2221.

Fashion Forum: Style Alchemy with Carole Tanenbaum, Julia Grieve, and Nathalie Atkinson
Wednesday November 11, 6:30 pm
Don your best vintage duds and join special guests Carole Tanenbaum and Julia Grieve for a thought-provoking, fashion-inspired evening on upcycling, the practice of making something old new and valuable. Carole Tanenbaum will discuss her collection of vintage costume jewellery and Julia Grieve will talk about her business Preloved. Moderated by freelance writer and National Post style columnist Nathalie Atkinson. Co-presented with the TMC Style Advisory Council.
TMC Members and Full-time students $10, Non-members $15.
Advance tickets may be purchased in person at the TMC’s front desk. Please arrive early, seating is limited.

Workshop: The Joy of Small Blocks with Kinch & Storms
Saturday November 21, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Jump in and experience the wonder of small blocks. Stitch up a “Strippy” sampler that includes several different block patterns. Learn about block sizing, assembly strategies, random piecing, fabric “shockers” and other ways to really play with your fabrics plus use up all those small scraps. You can stop at the sampler size, or learn how to keep going and create your own amazing full size quilt with these persuasively addictive small blocks.
Members $50, Non-members $65, Full-time students $40.
Advance registration is required, class size is limited.
To register, call 416-599-5321 x 2221.

Lecture: Collecting Daguerreotypes with Daniel Tanenbaum
Wednesday January 20, 6:30 pm
The daguerreotype is a 19th century photographic process invented by Frenchman Louis Daguerre. Hear Daniel Tanenbaum, son of collectors Carole and Howard Tanenbaum, use the example of his own collection of vintage and modern daguerreotypes to talk about the art of collecting and the collector’s eye.
Free for TMC Members and Full-time students, Non-members $12.
Advance tickets may be purchased in person at the TMC’s front desk. Please arrive early, seating is limited.

Workshop: Precision Hand Piecing with Kinch & Storms
Saturday January 30, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Join us on a journey to the Zen of hand piecing. You will learn different techniques, use of templates, batching and pocket projects, dealing with curves and points, and how to put the joy back in hand piecing.
Members $50, Non-members $65, Full-time students $40.
Advance registration is required, class size is limited.
To register, call 416-599-5321 x 2221.

Quilt Sunday Visit with the workroom
Sunday January 31, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Once a month Toronto’s sew & craft by the hour space, the workroom, hosts a Quilt Sunday. In January, Quilt Sunday will go on a field trip to the TMC for a special tour of the exhibition Kaleidoscope followed by a behind-the-scenes look at quilts from the TMC’s collection. Co-presented with the workroom: theworkroom.ca
Tickets are $10.
Advance registration is required, tour size is limited.
To register, call the workroom (416) 534-5305.

Curator’s Tour
Wednesday February 10, 6:30 pm
Join Max Allen in the galleries for a tour of Kaleidoscope: Antique Quilts from the collection of Carole and Howard Tanenbaum.
Free with admission.

Workshop: Homestead Log Cabin with Kinch & Storms
Saturday February 27, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
The Log Cabin quilt with all its variations is an enormously popular quilt design, utilized for hundreds of years. Come and discover some new approaches, and some truly old techniques, including fabric selections and recycling, random piecing and progressive block construction. Finished blocks to whet your stitching appetite will take very little time. You’ll soon see the potential of all your fabrics, plus your scrap bag.
Members $50, Non-members $65, Full-time students $40.
Advance registration is required, class size is limited.
To register, call 416-599-5321 x 2221.

Lecture: Collecting Quilts with Adrienne Hood
Wednesday March 10, 6:30 pm
Properly observed, a quilt can tell us a lot about its maker and user. A collection of quilts reveals even more. Textile expert, Adrienne Hood will explore the idea of quilts as historical objects. Hood is a Professor of History at the University of Toronto and was formerly a Curator of Textiles at the ROM.
Free for TMC Members and Full-time students, Non-members $12.
Advance tickets may be purchased in person at the TMC’s front desk. Please arrive early, seating is limited.

March Break Drop-In Program: Quilting across the Generations
Monday March 15, Wednesday March 17, Friday March 19, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Children and their care-givers are invited to draw inspiration from Kaleidoscope and design their own unique quilt. Children will create a quilt block to take home, or to leave at the museum to be displayed in fibrespace. For ages 7 and up.
Free with admission.