Save the Date! Our Scandinavian Weavers Study Group of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota has an upcoming show at the Depot Gallery in the beautiful southern Minnesota town of Red Wing.
Domestic to Decorative: The Evolution of Nordic Weaving
Oct 27 – Dec 24, 2023
“Some of the most beautiful woven art has been produced by people living in harsh and often bleak environments and the Scandinavian peoples are no exception. What is more, the production of Scandinavian textiles was never influenced by a commercial marketplace. [Instead] the work was undertaken by the women in the family often to contribute to their dowries, with all the love and care that such an important purpose implied.”
Flatweaves from Fjord and Forest: Scandinavian Tapestries of the 18th and 19th Centuries
From the humble beginnings described above, woven textiles from Nordic countries evolved over the centuries into an acclaimed decorative art, both in the home countries of Norway, Sweden, and Finland and wherever immigrants traveled. The Scandinavian Weavers Interest Group traces this journey in the curated exhibition “Domestic to Decorative: The Evolution of Nordic Weaving,” as each of the twenty weavers present a personal take on the theme. Some are inspired by treasured family heirlooms and traditional techniques, others by the possibilities of modern looms and materials. The exhibit will include demonstrations of weaving and spinning. The Scandinavian Weavers Interest Group is the largest of several interest groups affiliated with the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Interest groups allow members to delve deeply into specific weaving techniques and traditions through coordinated study, exhibits, publications, and volunteer efforts. The members of the Scandinavian Weavers Interest Group are honored to work with Red Wing Arts to share “Domestic to Decorative” with the Red Wing community.
This will be a super exhibit. Keep up to date on the planned activities and demonstrations in conjunction at the website of Red Wing Arts. My entry is the rag rug I wove in Sweden this summer, definitely on the decorative side. Traditional rag rugs were made of fabric scraps, to create thrifty, utilitarian textiles, like the ones in this photo of a man reading a book.
My rug is still made of old fabric, including recycled bedsheets, but dyed and embellished in the colors of the summer flowers in bloom at Sätergläntan this summer.
