Nature's Clothesline

A rise in clothing consumption and production has led to a dramatic increase in textile waste across the world. Nature’s Clothesline introduces the idea of sustainable textiles through upcycled art, textile creations and objects about sustainability. This collection of mindful textiles celebrates the earth and offers sustainable ideas in support of a healthier planet. "Nature's Clothesline" is the symbolic clotheslines of the world that draws a parallel between the idea of textile as a precious handmade item, and the commercial reality of textiles as a mass-produced disposable commodity.  How people use and discard textiles matters to the world we live in. Our clothing choices have a real consequence to the health of the planet.  

The exhibit showcases six renowned textile artists, including:

• Roxanne Charles
• Sola Fiedler 
• Barbara Heller 
• Sharon Kallis 
• Ruth Scheuing 
• Amy Walker  

 Works by the Peace Arch Weavers and Spinners Guild (PAWS) and objects from Native Shoes and Trans-Continental Textiles will also be featured. 

Artist Profile - Amy Walker

Amy Walker has been buying her clothing at thrift shops most of her adult life – partly for the thrill of the hunt, but mostly because she is keen on re-using things and reducing waste. In fact, many of the pieces that cover her from head-to-toe have been handmade utilizing all-natural sustainable materials like wool, silk, cotton, and hemp. In her own words:

“They will organically break down and be less harmful to the Earth at the end of their life-cycle. From materials to labour conditions, clothing impacts people and the planet. Too many of the fabrics we use are synthetics. Synthetic fibres are inorganically human-made fibres, derived from chemical-based oil products (polyester, acrylic, nylon, vinyl, etc.). Since these fibers do not decompose naturally, they can have a devastating impact on the environment.

They don’t bio-degrade, so synthetics clog nature’s beautiful systems and cause massive pollution problems. From the micro-plastics found in our water, soil, and food, to the great pacific gyre – an island of plastic in the ocean the size of a continent, to the choking and killing of birds, fish and wildlife that eat the plastics, thinking they are food.

Everyone wears clothes and uses textiles in their daily life. I hope people will come and reflect on the textile stories of their own clothing – and perhaps they will be inspired to try making something to wear – or read all the labels in their clothes to find out what they are made of."

For more information about Walker or her mobile makers’ studio, visit Makemobile.ca.
Read more about Amy's involvement in Nature's Clothesline.

Hours

Wednesday-Saturday
9:30am - 4:30pm
Take a virtual tour of the exhibit.