The Canadian Museum of Civilization welcomes Across Borders: Beadwork in Iroquois LifeHull, Quebec, March 28, 2001 — The Canadian Museum of Civilization will soon be hosting Across Borders: Beadwork in Iroquois Life, a travelling exhibition from the McCord Museum (http://www.musee-mccord.qc.ca/). Starting June 8, 2001, visitors will be able to see a superb collection that has rarely been exhibited, featuring more than 300 beaded articles dating from the nineteenth century to the present day.
Across Borders: Beadwork in Iroquois Life (http://www.musee-mccord.qc.ca/scripts/EX_acrossborders(2)_E.htm). looks at the significance of beadwork in traditional and contemporary Iroquois culture from the artistic, cultural and political viewpoints. Demonstrating that the artistic activity of a nation is closely linked to the survival of its people, the exhibition leads visitors to understand that Iroquois beadwork is the product of a long, constant interaction among creative influences that crossed geographical, political and cultural borders. The creations of the turn of the century illustrate how the language of beadwork evolved, without ever ceasing to express the Iroquois identity.
The exhibition features a magnificent collection of richly embroidered clothing, including collars, belts, leggings and skirts. These remarkably beautiful beaded pieces are presented alongside an astonishing array of objects created expressly for the Victorian tourist market, including pincushions, photo frames, decorative boxes and wall pieces.
The exhibition is divided into six thematic sections. The Introduction includes historical and contemporary beaded articles and presents eloquent images of the Iroquois people today. The World of the Iroquois is an evocative installation that uses sound, artifacts and traditional designs to explain the Iroquois vision of the world. The Evolution of Beadwork looks at the transition from decorations in porcupine quills and other ancient decorating techniques to the use of glass beads, and explains the context in which the Iroquois began selling beadwork. In Creation, the magic of video allows visitors to meet Iroquois craftspeople who talk about their beadwork techniques and sources of inspiration. A series of late nineteenth-century pieces illustrates the fascinating interaction between Iroquois and Victorian esthetics. Commercialization explores the economic aspects of this unique art form using impressive presentations that show the entrepreneurial spirit of the Iroquois.
The final section, Continuity, looks at the strong ties that still exist between beadwork and the Iroquois cultural identity, and illustrates the way that contemporary Iroquois artists are constantly reinventing the language of beadwork.
Across Borders: Beadwork in Iroquois Life is a travelling exhibition organized and circulated by the McCord Museum, Montreal and the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University, New York, in association with the Kanien'kehaka Onkwawén:na Raotitiohkwa Cultural Centre, Kahnawake, the artists of the community of Tuscarora in New York State and the Royal Ontario Museum. It will be presented in the Temporary Exhibitions area of the First Peoples Hall until November 4, 2001.
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