Warps, Heddles, Shuttles and Sheds: The Art and History of Weaving at Mount Allison University

26 July – 10 October 2021
Vernissage: Friday 17 September, 7:00pm

The Owens Art Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of a major exhibition exploring the art and history of weaving at Mount Allison University. Warp, Heddles, Shuttles and Sheds focuses on the innovation and remarkable diversity of handwoven work created during the careers of former Mount Allison University Applied Arts students, including Patricia Pollett McClelland, Harriet Campbell Meacher, Carolyn Manzer McMullen, Joyce Chown, Dawn MacNutt, Ann Pickard Langley, and others.

For 70 years, the Art Department at Mount Allison University was housed within the Owens Art Gallery. Classes were offered in Fine and Applied Arts, including woodcarving, leatherwork, jewellery, metalwork, basketry, porcelain painting, ceramics and weaving. In the 1930s, the University gained recognition as a centre for weaving when the Mount Allison Handicraft Guild was formed and affiliated with the Canadian Handicraft Guild. With the cancellation of the Applied Arts program in 1960, weaving was no longer included in the curriculum of the Art Department. However, former students continued to share their knowledge and expand their own weaving practices. This exhibition celebrates their careers and the history of weaving at Mount Allison.

Curated by Jane Tisdale