Mining a Golden Seam
Exhibition of
Embroidery and Textiles by Members of the Embroiderers’ Guild in the North East
Region
14th January - 13th May 2012
The Cutter, Woodhorn, QEII Country Park
Ashington,
Northumberland NE63 9YF
It’s hard to imagine that a dark, dangerous industry where men
toiled long hard hours deep in the bowels of the earth could inspire delicate
works of art made from fabric and thread, but that’s exactly what has happened
with the stunning Mining a Golden Seam exhibition.
Members of the Embroiderers’ Guild in the North East Region are
proud to present an exhibition which has been created by around 80 of its
members. Running at Woodhorn from 14 January until 13 May 2012, it is the
organisation’s first regional exhibition for five years. Both adult and young
embroiderers from as far afield as Hexham and Wooler, Teesside and Tyneside,
and Sunderland and North Yorkshire have enthusiastically translated their ideas
into design and stitch.
Joy Bradshaw. North East Regional Chairman of the Guild explained
the thinking behind the exhibition.
“Many different strands of ideas have come together to create and
inspire the pieces in the show. Our mining heritage in the NE is featured
strongly: memories of communities and the life that was so familiar when the
pits were part of everyday life. Beside these interpretations of a familiar but
vanishing and changing world, come embroideries which mine the other treasures
lying beneath the surface. These illustrate strata and geology - richly
interpreted in stitch.”
Gold has always held a particular fascination according to Joy.
“The thought of golden seams inspires embroiderers, and it is a
particular gift for those who enjoy using fabric and thread. We all love to
include its richness in our special pieces and this exhibition has given an
opportunity to celebrate and show it off in a spectacular way! The theme is
also a metaphor for any type of exploration and searching that we may do when
we dig into rich areas of the imagination: when we mine memories and reveal our
individual passions – so there are unexpected and surprising ideas too, adding
colour and excitement to the gallery display.”
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| Heather Waring Seam of Life |
Liz Ritson from Woodhorn is excited about the embroidery
exhibition.
“There are some gorgeous pieces of work in this show, and I’m sure
all of our visitors will appreciate not just the obvious beauty of the
embroidery, but the amazing skills and hours of dedication taken to produce the
final piece.”
