In celebration of the fifth anniversary of Ontario's Greenbelt, the Ontario Crafts Council (OCC) and the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation (GBF) are working together to develop a community quilt celebrating this diverse and vibrant green space.
Currently, we are seeking interest from craftspeople, artists, community groups and guilds to submit a handcrafted square to be included in the quilt.
Participants are encouraged to share their ideas and memories of what the Greenbelt means to them, how it has impacted and enriched their lives and to explore how possibilities grow in the Greenbelt. We are seeking submissions from individuals who have lived in, spent time in or have been greatly impacted by Ontario's Greenbelt. The completed quilt will be unveiled at the Greenbelt's marquee event in early March 2010. Following this it will then travel to various venues throughout the Greenbelt over the course of the following year.
About the Quilt
The quilt will explore our relationship with the Greenbelt, and how it inspires us! We want to celebrate the positive role that the Greenbelt plays in our lives; its ability to bridge urban and rural life with the preservation of Ontario's rich natural environment.
Craftspeople, artists, community groups and guilds from within and around the Greenbelt are invited to participate. We are looking for contributions of 12" and 6" quilt squares inspired by your interactions with the Greenbelt. Consider the role the Greenbelt plays in your life:
Do you find beauty in the natural environment? Are you inspired by the landscape; the woods, the water, the plants and animals? Do you hike the escarpment?
Do you find comfort in the clean air and clean water the Greenbelt provides?
The Greenbelt contains over one million acres of the richest farmland in the world. Do you buy locally grown produce? Visit farmers markets? Go apple picking?
Do you participate in festivals and events in rural towns?
Are you proud to recognize the culturally diverse population throughout the Greenbelt?
Submission Parameters and Conditions
1. We are looking for entries that represent different aspects of our relationship with the Greenbelt, with a focus on nature, agriculture, rural community, and diverse peoples. How does the Greenbelt inspire you?
2. The finished quilt will feature both 12" and 6" squares. Please allow for a 1/2" seam allowance on all sides of your square. This means the outside dimension of your submission will measure 13" x 13" or 7" x 7". Centre your design and do not allow it to extend beyond the 12" x 12" or 6" x 6" guideline.
3. The Greenbelt is rich and diverse, and the final quilt will be as well. As such, we are looking for squares to come from a diverse range of textile techniques and materials. Feel free to explore methods of traditional blocking, applique, hand and machine embroidery, silkscreen, felting, knitting or embellishment - be creative!
4. We ask that you please add support to your square by backing it in muslin, or the equivalent. We will not be quilting through your square, so please take this into account and avoid very heavy embellishment or layering.
5. We are interested in documenting the creation of the quilt; please include in your submission an artist statement (max. 150 words) explaining what inspired your piece. Though not mandatory, we would also love to see images of you with or working on your square.
6. As charitable organizations, both the GBF and the OCC are seeking these quilt squares to be donated. A marketing and communication plan is currently being developed and we can assure that participating individuals will be appropriately credited and promoted for the generosity of their contribution.
NOTE: Please respect that each square makes up a larger community and must be able to integrate into the pieced quilt. (The project curator holds the right to not include contributions that are inappropriate, do not meet the project requirements, or are unable to be integrated into the quilt format.)
All submitted quilt squares and supporting material become property of the GBF. Quilt squares may be photographed and used by the GBF or OCC in promotion and documentation of the quilt.
If you are interested in submitting a square, an expression of interest would be appreciated by January 14th, as to provide an initial perspective on numbers. Please contact Kate Busby, Project Curator, either by e-mail atgreenbeltquilt@gmail.com or by phone at 416-925-4222 ext. 228.
Deadline for submissions is 5:00 pm, Friday January 29th, 2010. Completed submission packages and squares should be delivered to:
Ontario Crafts Council
990 Queen St. W. Toronto, ON M6J 1H1
In your submission, please include:
- Your completed Quilt of Diversity submission form - please click here to download
- Your completed quilt square
- An artist statement (max. 150 words, relating your piece to the quilts theme)
- Optional: An image of you with or working on your square. Pictures should be .jpegs and be equal to or larger than 2550 x 3300 pixels at 300 dpi
About the Greenbelt
Created through provincial legislation in 2005, Ontario's Greenbelt is a world leading initiative. It is a living testimonial to Ontario's values and hopes for its people, and inspires us all to look at our world differently, to protect our future by preserving our past and present.
At 1.8 million acres - an area larger than Prince Edward Island - it is the largest and most diverse Greenbelt in the world. It encompasses the Niagara Escarpment, the Oak Ridges Moraine, Rouge Park, agricultural land, pristine environment, and hundreds of rural towns and villages.
For more information, please visit www.greenbelt.ca
To view a map of Ontario's Greenbelt regions click here.
Questions? Contact Kate Busby, Project Curator, either by e-mail at greenbeltquilt@gmail.com or by phone at 416-925-4222 ext. 228
