A SERIES OF TALKS BY THOSE INVOLVED IN THE WOOL WORLD
In the fall of 2023, one of our activities was offering a series of free hybrid talks about the love of wool – our ethical, biodegradable, sustainable, and beautiful material for arts, crafts, and design – and valorizing our Canadian wool in particular. Four of the five talks were recorded and can be accessed here.
At the request of the speaker, British ‘mending’ artist Celia Pym, the third artist talk was not recorded but her book, On Mending, and her own beautiful website are both sources of inspiration about notions of repair of wool and of the world!
Kathleen Vaughan // September 27, 2023
Kathleen Vaughan, artist-researcher at Concordia University: “What is it about wool!?” Wool’s many benefits and cultural histories and an overview of results from Kathleen’s 2022 survey of 190 hand crafters!
Jane Underhill // October 4, 2023
Jane Underhill, agri-textile industry strategist, found and president of Laine OA Wool, speaks about the industrial/commercial aspects of wool in Canada, our wool’s strengths, and challenges along the supply chain.
Celia Pym // October 18, 2023
Celia Pym, artist, author of On Mending, and mending ‘philosopher’ extraordinaire, inspired us with her practice of tending to wool’s needs for occasional patching and repair. (NO RECORDING AVAILABLE)
After Celia’s presentation, artists Selina Latour and Mea Bissett led a mending workshop in person for those in Montreal and online for those in the Zoomverse, putting repair philosophy into practice.
Anna Hunter // November 1, 2023
Anna Hunter, sheep farmer, mill operator, and author of “Sheep, Shepherd, and Land: Stories of Sheep Farmers Reinvigorating Canadian Wool” presents “From Farm to Yarn” , an exploration of the farmer’s experience and the true cost of a skein of Canadian wool.
