Textile and fibre artists to show at Steinbach Cultural Arts Centre

Kicking off the 2025/26 arts season in Steinbach is an exhibit that focuses on textiles and fibre arts.

The Textile and Fibre Artists of Manitoba (TFAM) will exhibit Dual Impressions from Sept. 5 to Oct. 10 at Steinbach Cultural Arts Centre. The exhibit will show how two artists portray the same theme in their work. There are 19 pairs of artwork for 19 themes.

“For most of those pairs the two had no idea what the other one was doing,” said exhibit coordinator for TFAM Cathie Ugrin. “They had their theme, so for example Kirsta (Zeghers) and Coreen (Zerr) their theme is agriculture and they both went back to their studios and made their pieces and came together. And it’s really, really interesting to see the different impressions of those themes that the artist selected.”

TFAM began in 2017 when Zeghers was feeling isolated and wanted to create a group for fibre artists. The group opened to artists across Canada during the COVID pandemic and now has 77 members. It has four pillars: education and workshops, networking and support, exhibition, and to promote fibre as an artform.

“There was a need I guess,” said Ugrin.

For the exhibit, art goers will see some really interesting pieces such as one piece that is completely French knotted and crocheted and another completely made of buttons.

“They’re all really, really interesting and amazing to see what people came up with. Some of the members this is their first exhibit so its touching how they rose to the occasion and did a fantastic job,” said Ugrin.

Most of the pieces are for sale ranging in price from $150 to $500. Since the pieces will be touring until 2027 buyers might not get their piece until then or until the artists makes a duplicate to sell.

“We sold three pieces already,” said Ugrin.

What makes working with fibre and textiles different from other artistic mediums is that it’s very textural, according to Ugrin.

“When you get right up to it and you see it in person it’s amazing. We have one that’s a tree and the piece is based on lichen and she’d done all of the various lichen (as) hand work. It’s amazingly textural and alive and it makes you want to touch it so that is really what is unique about fibre art…It’s really diverse and they just come alive when you see them in person.”