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Salle de presse
Invitation the quilt of belonging · la courtepointe de l'appartenance Canada has an amazing ethnically diverse population, celebrated by over 260 cultures. Invitation: The Quilt of Belonging is a national textile art project which celebrates this diversity artistically, through an extraordinary display of materials and beautiful designs. The Quilt of Belonging project was started in 1998 by visual artist Esther Bryan. Esther recognized the Canadian fabric as a mosaic of Aboriginal peoples and immigrants from every nation in the world. This unique project, made in many communities throughout Canada, is a true work of art and reflects the past of each nation represented by the people here in Canada. The handmade beauty and artistry brings much pride to this great country of ours. Approximately 36 metres long and 3.5 metres high (120 feet by 10.5 feet), the Quilt includes a textile art piece from the 263 international cultures and main aboriginal groupings found in Canada. The remarkable stories, strong history, colours and symbols that give this immense tapestry so much life and meaning, have been captured in the publication, Quilt of Belonging: The Invitation Project (already in second printing). A children's book will be released this spring. After six years of development, the needlework tapestry and the book were officially launched on April 1, 2005, at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, for a 20-day exhibition. Since then it has been displayed at seven other venues across Canada. Over the next four years, this cross-Canada tour will bring this amazing experience to as many people and communities as possible. The project was designed to create a better understanding between Canadians of all origins. Invitation's vision statement reflects this purpose: "Our vision is to create a collaborative work of art that will recognize Canada's diversity, celebrate our common humanity and promote harmony and compassion among people." There is an extensive website www.invitationproject.ca, that encourages people of all ages to explore the cultural histories and interesting personal stories of each of the blocks. You can explore the on-line gallery and read the descriptions of the 263 textile artworks, as well as a short history of each of the nations represented. Each time the project has been shown; thousands of visitors flock to see this truly amazing piece of art. It is currently on a Canadian Arctic tour, stopping at seven different locations, before heading to British Columbia.
This is Canada's largest most comprehensive textile art project and each block has a unique and compelling story to tell of how every world nation contributes to Canada's social fabric. There is no other display that fosters so much attention and respect to our many diverse cultures, particularly the Aboriginal peoples, offering valuable educational content for all ages, and showing appreciation to our fragile intercultural relations. In order to witness the feeling of respect for humanity, and the spirit of harmony amongst nations that this display has to offer, you must be in the same room with the Quilt.
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