Guild celebrates a decade
Quilt show and sale marks special anniversary for group
Sarah Ladik
Northern News Services
Thursday, May 12, 2016
INUVIK
There was a lot more than fabric and thread stitched together in the quilts on display May 7.
Carolyn Hunter, left, and Shona Barbour show off some of the work on display at the Mother's Day quilt show and sale May 7 at the library. - Sarah Ladik/NNSL photo
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The work, all fine examples of art in and of themselves, also serve to bring together community members both near and far.
"It really hit us as we were hanging everything last night," said Shona Barbour, organizer and founding member of the quilting guild. "It's amazing that we've been doing this for 10 years. Even for a big city, this is high-quality textile art that we're producing."
The show, strategically scheduled the day before Mother's Day for last-minute shoppers, contained about 20 pieces from a dozen artists. Barbour said the guild typically has between 30 and 40 members any given year but that not all live in Inuvik.
"We still have two original members here but we stay connected over Facebook," she said. "We have members in Yellowknife who aren't here but are very active in all our events."
For Barbour, the guild is an important way to stay connected with other artists. She said while she is also an athlete, having a creative way to express herself is an important part of her life.
"This is one of the only adult arts organizations in town," she said. "It can show young people that after school projects and programs, there's somewhere to go to continue."
Barbour graduated from Sir John Franklin School in Yellowknife, a facility well known for its fine arts programs, and credits her time there with her love of creative pursuits. As one of the founding members of the guild, continuing to offer somewhere for adults to hone their skills and display their work is a key motivator.
"People today are voting for viewers' choice, and the winner can enter the Canadian Quilters' Association National Juried Show," she said. "It's the biggest thing in the country for quilters."
Beyond that, the next guild event will be the summer quilt show, held at the same time as the Great Northern Arts Festival. This year, the guild is putting together seven massive quilts made from local photographer Kristian Binder's work.
"It's our biggest undertaking," Barbour said, adding that the quilts will be shown in different locations around Inuvik for some time to give as many people the chance to see them as possible. "It's going to be really great."
