Art Gallery of Burlington announces Karen Cummings as the first recipient of the John Willard Fibre Arts Residency

By Staff

August 27, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

In the summer of 2013 the Art Gallery of Burlington proudly launched the John Willard Fibre Arts Residency to celebrate the remarkable life of John Willard.

Willard took quilting in a different direction – he was bold, at times outrageous and left a collection to guide others.

Not one to follow the rules of tradition, Willard turned the craft of quilting into a truly remarkable art form. With scissors, needles, thread and fabrics Willard created his own one of a kind quilt designs whether inspired by traditional patterns that he had deconstructed or by historical events.

To continue Willard’s legacy as a fibre art teacher, the residency will enable emerging artists to have access to one of the AGB resident fibre studios in order to develop a body of work for their first solo exhibition in the RBC Community Gallery.

Karen Cummings has a strong style of her own – she looks like an admirable choice to follow in some of the Willard footsteps

Cambridge’s Karen Cummings has been named the first recipient of the John Willard Fibre Arts Residency for Emerging Artists.  She describes her current work as abstract collage for which she uses fabric and fibre. Cummings sees her eclectic collection as an opportunity for personal expression, based on the classical techniques of machine and hand stitching. Her work at times can be careful, contrasted to the frenzied moments of fast machine-stitched along with the arranging and rearranging of fabric, thus creating endless possibilities of diverse surfaces. Between the harsh difference of the rate of speed at which Cummings works and techniques used, Cummings hopes to convey her message.

During the residency, Cummings will engage with the public to share her passion for textile art. This opportunity to share her work gives her a chance to talk about some of the processes she has come to use and to expand her fibre art language. Cummings shares “…that feedback from visitors is valuable and hopefully AGB visitors will ‘see’ and understand a little about the complexities of this medium”.

Cummings’s will begin her residency in September and expect to spend a few days each week at the gallery

The Art Gallery of Burlington is located at 1333 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7S 1A9

Gallery Hours:
Monday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday – Thursday: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm Friday – Saturday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Sunday: 12 noon – 5:00 pm