Winter Warth 2009 at the Park Gallery

Winter Warmth 2009
Saturday 31 October – Thursday 31 December 2009 at theparkgallery and Callendar House, Callendar Park, Falkirk

Now in its fifth year, Winter Warmth 2009 will focus on textile design, in all its forms. It will highlight contemporary textile design and the original and innovative use of textile materials and techniques in all areas of applied arts and crafts. A unique and tantalising array of work will be on show from sixty artists from the UK and beyond.

This year’s exhibition will be a rich, colourful and vibrant showcase of textile practices; including modern and quirky embroidery sculptures, felt flowers and insects, knitted animation, patchwork birds, crocheted ceramics, silk and corduroy quilted tapestries, woolly toys, tweed jewellery, organic cotton cushions, velvet handbags and linen cards.

This exhibition includes work by artists at the forefront of their practice. For example:

Michael Brennand–Wood is internationally regarded as one of the most innovative and inspiring artists working in textiles. His recent work is inspired by traditions of floral imagery which have utilised computerised machine embroidery, acrylic paint, wood, glass and collage. Michael’s work can be seen all over the world, including in the Victoria and Albert Museum, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, in Japan and the National Gallery of Australia. He was appointed Visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2005 and is Research Fellow at the University of Ulster.

Aberdeen artist Donna Wilson is one of Scotland’s most notable young textile designers. She will exhibit an installation of her playful and bright knitted creatures and toys that are inspired by the everyday oddities and deformities of life.
A graduate of Glasgow School of Art Deirdre Nelson’s textile work employs a variety of techniques and materials fusing traditional textile skills and contemporary reinterpretation through photography and digital manipulation. She has been artist in residence in a variety of locations from Sutherland, Outer Hebrides to Western Australia, creating work for exhibitions and with local communities. She has recently been selected for the Jerwood Contemporary Makers award.

Abigail Brown’s work is instantly endearing and full of childhood charm, she makes beautifully crafted bird sculptures with scraps of materials and eccentric hand stitching. Stirling based artist Iona Crawford, is described by Vogue magazine as "one of the most avant-garde young fashion designers emerging today".

Claire Moynihan a recent textile graduate from the University of Hertfordshire creates hand embroidered artistic insects in felt balls as part of her entomological collection, using local and sustainable alpaca wool. Her work can currently be seen in London at Paul Smith's and it will be in Liberty's from the end of September.

French artist Ode Marie and is now based in London, she explores handicraft techniques such as knitting, crochet and embroidery to create colourful three dimensional sculptures and fashionable pieces of jewellery. Sarah Symes grew up in the UK and is currently living in California; she creates her unique textile abstract tapestries from scratch, hand-dyeing different colours of cloth for each piece before cutting, stitching, and layering the entire composition together. She won the Best of Show prize at the Los Angeles Art Association last year.

“We’re tremendously excited about this new exhibition of textile design at the Park Gallery and Callendar House. All work is for sale and available to take away. It will be a great opportunity to see innovative artwork of the highest standard, and will provide an irresistible choice if you’re looking for unique ideas for your Christmas shopping,” says Gillian Smith, Arts Development Officer.

The Park Gallery and Callendar House opening hours from October: Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm/ Admission is free, all welcome!

Participating Artists

Max Alexander
Harriet Appleby
Maggie Ayres
Michael Brennand - Wood
Claire Brown
Abigail Brown
Annette Bugansky
Janet Clarke
Pauline Coddington
Sylvia Corsie
Iona Crawford
Kandy Diamond
Anna Divers
Victoria Evans
Betty Fraser Myerscough
Midge Gourlay
Anita Hutchison
Wendy Inkster
Jo Jack
Samantha Jack
Gourlay Jenkins
Rebecca Johnston
Louise Kirby
Vikki Lafford
Ruth Lee
Stephanie Liddle
Ode Marie
Sheena May
Paola McClure
Lyndsay McFarlane
Angharad McLaren
Carol Meldrum
Claire Moynihan
Pringle & Murray
Joanna Neil
Deirdre Nelson
Agnieszka Niciak-Marciniak
Clare Nicolson
Louise Oppenheimer
Sue Rankine
Marilyn Rattray
Ebba Redman
Mouse and Bean
Jenny Sweetnam
Sarah Symes
Annette Tait
Moira Third
Lucy Turner
Morag Tweedie
Allison Weightman
Donna Wilson
Nicola Wilson
Sylvia Woodford
Shona Young