Salon de la Courtepointe 2008, Montreal

I just came back from teaching at the Salon de la Courtepointe in Montreal. It was my first trip to Canada and I enjoyed it very much. The quilt exhibit was quite beautiful and people very friendly. I was surprised by the number of large hand-quilted quilts. Most of the quilts, both hand- and machine made, were exquisitely done. The executive committee member in charge of the faculty was so nice to take me around the city and it was wonderful to see very new buildings next to old stone ones. Some of the architecture, both modern and older, was quite interesting and beautiful and would certainly be an inspiration for work in textiles.

We also visited the Oratorium Saint Joseph, which houses a large collection of nativities created by artists from around the world. From an aesthetic standpoint, it was fascinating to see how artists in countries from parts of the world as different as Central or South America, Asia, Europe, etc. took advantage of the material available to them and how they interpreted the same moment in the history of Christianity.

One last note, I really enjoyed being in a country where I was surrounded by English as well as French speaking people.

The photos are of some decorative elements sculpted on the fronts of some of the buildings in the old part of downtown Montreal.