May 30 - Oct 13 (2nd floor galleries)
Mothers of Invention

This exhibition will trace and explore the development of spinning and weaving with illustrations from archeological sources and examples from The Museum for Textiles collection. To increase the understanding of the fundamental principles of spinning and weaving this exhibition will lead visitors through a series of interactive displays. Visitors of all ages will find out how spinning and weaving 'works' and learn to recognize the large role textiles play in our lives. They will explore ancient textile techniques: for instance, examine 4,000-year-old pieces of Egyptian linen, or try their hands on a warp-weighted loom modeled after Bronze age looms. Mothers of Invention will include Coptic tunics and pre-Columbian Peruvian tie-dyes and tapestries; homespun coverlets from Ontario; aprons, caps, blouses from European folk costumes, Kashmir shawls and Javanese head cloths, illustrating the development of weaving techniques around the world· Curated by Dr. Elizabeth Barber and Marijke Kerkhoven.

July 12 - November 19 (third floor, east galleries)
Wildlife: A Field Guide to the Post Natural

The exhibition Wildlife is playfully structured as a (decidedly non-comprehensive) field-guide to our "post-natural" world through works that are disturbing, poetic, ironic, nostalgic, even funny. From Joke Moore's robotic moths to Warren Quigley's caged, furry "pets" to Nina Katchadourian's Mended Spiderwebs, each of the works uses textiles to emphasize the intersection of nature, culture and technology - since textiles themselves are an age-old manifestation of this phenomenon. Textiles have been made from natural elements that undergo extrusion and processing (like wood to rayon), or that are harvested in some fashion then dyed and sewn, woven or knitted (like fur, wool or silk); the appearance and use of these textiles is, of course, determined by cultural factors. Wildlife features the work of five artists, three Canadian and two international: Lois Andison (Toronto), Nina Katchadourian (New York), Jake Moore (Winnipeg), Warren Quigley (Toronto) and Louise Weaver (Sydney, Australia). Wildlife is guest curated by Lisa GabrielIe Mark.

August 12 - January 7, 2001 (3rd flr, west galleries)
Mexican Costume

This exhibition will present costumes from the extensive Serfin Collection of traditional Mexican costumes. The exhibition will focus on costumes which demonstrate cultural and technological changes and differences between ethnic groups, and the evolving meanings embedded in the textiles themselves. Mexican Costume is curated by Elyira Herrera Acosta, Director of the Serfin Collection in Mexico City, with Curatorial Consultant Chloe Sayer, from London, England.

November 29 - April 16, 2001 (3rd flrr, east galleries)
Commemorative Textiles

The Museum for Textiles' Volunteer Committee is making a quilt to commemorate the Museum's 25th Anniversary and the Millennium. It is inspired by artifacts in the collection, with signatures placed around the border. The Millennium Quilt will be part of an exhibition that presents other forms of commemorative textiles, including contemporary artworks and artifacts from the collection, such as: a 19th-century sampler that commemorates a family's genealogy; mid 20th-century North American Mothers Day pillows made commercially and by hand; women's stencil-printed wrappers (dresses) from Sierra Leone that carry political slogans and portraits during election time; Adire cloth from Nigeria- that commemorates the crowning of a new king with images of King George and Queen Mary; an Ontario patchwork quilt that commemorates a marriage; a wedding sarong from Sumatra, with commemorative text embroidered across the surface; and a Canadian hooked rug that commemorates Canada's confederation. Curated by Marlike Kerkhoven and Sarah Quinton.

Wednesday, July 12 - Sunday, November 19, 2000
Wildlife: A field guide to the post-natural
Guest Curated by Lisa Gabrielle Mark

The Contemporary Gallery of The Museum for Textiles, 55 Centre Avenue, invites you to explore the complex world of the "post-natural" as seen in the exhibition Wildlife: a field guide to the post-natural, which opens on July 12 and runs through to November 19, 2000.

Wildlife examines a world where nature is mediated by corporate and economic agendas, technology, science, mass media - in short, culture.

Man's influence on nature is evident all around us: from deforestation, sheep-cloning and performance enhancing drugs to wildlife theme parks and nature videos. In her exhibition statement, guest curator Lisa Gabrielle Mark proposes that what is generally called "nature" today might be better described as "post-nature."

Mark has structured Wildlife as a non-comprehensive field guide to the post-natural world whose "sightings" include the textile works of five artists from Canada, the US and Australia. Each of the works uses textiles to emphasize the interaction of nature with technology and culture, since textiles themselves are an age-old manifestation of this phenomenon.

Take a walk on the "wild" side and experience Lois Andison's ambient birdscapes; Nina Katchadourian's mended spider webs; Jake Moore's robotic moths; Warren Quigley's caged companions; and Louise Weaver's crocheted covering for taxidermied animal forms.

Thursday, July 13, 6:00 p.m. - Lisa Gabrielle Mark will lead an "animated" tour and discussion of the exhibition. Artists Lois Andison (Toronto, ON); Jake Moore (Winnipeg, MN), Warran Quigley (Ridgeway, ON); and LouiseWeaver (Melbourne, Australia) will also be present to discuss Wildlife. Please call Diana at 416-599-5321 to reserve your tickets. Members $6, general public $8.