After more than 20 years in existence, the Grand National Exhibition had success in 2019 with it first exhibit outside of Ontario: Still featured fibre artists from across the nation. Now, it gives the organizing committee great pleasure to announce the success of securing six different venues for the 2021 exhibition, Crossroads. One of the goals for the current Grand National committee is to tour the exhibit to various locations across Canada. Crossroads will travel to six different venues in five different provinces – New Brunswick, Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba – bringing fibre art produced by Canadian artists to thousands of viewers. Touring will take over a year and a half!
The exhibit will open at the University of New Brunswick Art Centre in Fredericton, NB, on April 30, 2021, and run through to June 24, 2021. The artworks then travel to:
• Thunder Bay, ON: July 10 – September 25, 2021
• Woodstock, ON: October 10, 2021 – February 28, 2022
• Victoria, BC: March 14 – May 31, 2022
• Weyburn, SK: July – August 2022
• Brandon, MB: September 22 – November 21, 2022
In the event that social distancing is still a concern in 2021, the committee will adjust the exhibition schedule and/or go virtual. The show must go on!
The theme, Crossroads, focuses on times when one encounters a point at which the normal path through life is divided and a decision must be made. Which way do I go? For better or for worse, the future will take a new path. Fibre artists are challenged to create a piece that represents a crossroad that has a profound meaning to them: past, present or future. This theme was developed over a year ago but seems particularly poignant at this time. Get creating now so that you will be ready to enter your artwork as the opening for entries is November 1 – December 15, 2020. You can find all of the details online. We would like to acknowledge and thank our current sponsors:
Platinum Level: Janome Canada and WonderFil Specialty Threads.
Gold Level: Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation, Grand National Legacy Fund, Fibre Art Network and the Fredericton Quilters’ Guild.
Please consider donating, through sponsorship, to this one-of-a-kind national fibre art exhibition. There are five different donation levels: Platinum: $2500 or more; Gold: $1000-2499; Silver: $500-999; Bronze: $100-499; and Chrome: $10-99.
Important Dates to Remember:
On-line Entry – November 1 to December 15, 2020
Notification of Acceptance of Entry – February 15, 2021
Accepted Entry Received at UNB Art Centre – April 12 to 16, 2021
Return of Artwork by December 2022
The Grand National Exhibition committee meets virtually on a monthly basis to continue planning the 2021 exhibition and beyond. Members currently represent British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick. If you would like to join the committee, particularly if you are from a province or territory not already represented, you would be warmly welcomed! Interested? Please email us. Stay connected to find out if any dates change.
