Colourful Roots
Ready…set…knit…create!
The Colourful Roots project – a fabric garden installation – will celebrate Peel Region’s horticultural industry and Brampton’s historic reputation as The Flower Town of Canada, while the variety of handicraft techniques used for the project will reflect the diversity of the present day Peel community. The installation, displayed as an underground secret garden, will flourish on the walls of the new tunnel, connecting the buildings that make up the art gallery, museum and archives. With the grand re-opening of the PHC in 2012, the public will be invited to travel through the newly renovated PHC buildings in search of the secret garden in the new tunnel.
How to Participate
The community is invited to participate in Colourful Roots by submitting handcrafted items, and by helping to install the project in the tunnel.
Divided to look like a cross section of the earth, the public can contribute in two ways. The lower section, or the earth, will contain knitted or crocheted scarves, mittens or hats submitted by the community and assembled to look like the roots of the flowers.
Contribute to the flowers (the top section) by creating flowers on 10x10 fabric squares:
- The flowers on the 10 x 10 inch fabric squares may be created in the technique or materials of choice by the maker, using influences of the maker’s own cultural roots.
- Techniques or materials might include rug hooking, knitting, embroidery, beading, quilting, felting, etc., using new materials or recycled materials.
Contribute to the grassy earth section (between the roots and the flowers) by:
- Submitting text with stories related to the item you have submitted.
Items received will be repurposed into blankets, scarves, mitts and hats and donated to various charities in the Peel Region.
Items can dropped off or mailed to Beaux-Arts Brampton at 74 Main Street North, Brampton, ON L6V 1N7
Public transit: Main St. S. (north of Guest St), Open Tue-Fri 12pm-6pm; Sat 9am-3pm
Visit ColourfulRoots.com for more information.
About Artist Sue Sturdy:
Sue Sturdy, a fibre artist from Cambridge, Ontario, recently honoured the history of Cambridge’s textile industry with a large-scale piece of public art entitled Knit Cambridge. People from the local community and around the world submitted knitted and crocheted pieces to Knit Cambridge that were used to cover the Main Street Bridge in downtown Cambridge.
