The Sault Ste Marie Museum is excited to announce that we are continuing our Community Threads: Unmapping/Reweaving project!

This ongoing project is set up for visitors to continue until the work is complete.

ABOUT THE PROJECT
Community Threads: Unmapping/Reweaving is a large scale project that bridges textile arts, community, and archives with a specific focus on mapping.

“Maps are unique in the way they use space to represent place. They feature contours, calligraphic marks, writing, and are selective in what they choose to represent. Maps are powerful, able to locate, describe, demarcate and ground. Maps are participatory and interpretive. Mapping questions knowing, organizing and presenting.”

The artwork created through community collaboration in the form of various workshops with local artists, will represent an intentional break from traditional mapping as an alternative record becoming inclusive of many stories, techniques, and contributors of all ages and backgrounds. The final piece will be installed in the form of a large-scale map within the Sault Ste. Marie Museum created by the work done through workshops and community engagement.

This project was generously funded by the Ontario Arts Council – Artists in Communities and Schools Grant Stream. 
Past WORKSHOPs

May 13, 10:15am to 12:30pm

​Come and learn how to make Lucet cords which can be used as bracelets, anklets, bookmarks etc.  Lucets are portable cord making devices believed to have been used by Vikings to make strong cords for hanging objects from their clothing. Participants will learn how to make a variety of square cords and will be given a Lucet fork and yarn to take with them.

4 Part Weaving Workshop

Algoma Weavers Guild and the Sault Museum Present a 4 part Intro to Weaving Workshop with the Algoma Weavers Guild. ​

October 12th

Join us from 12-3pm for a guided walk on Whitefish Island by Thrive Tours followed by a beading workshop with Lucia O'Connor!

October 5th

Join us from 12-3pm for a guided walk on Whitefish Island by Thrive Tours followed by a photography workshop by ArtSpeaks

October 1st 

Algoma Weavers Guild and the Sault Museum Present an intro to Paper Basket Weaving Workshop 10am - Noon Saturday October 1st. ​

September 10th 

Join the Algoma Weavers Guild at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum for a 2 hour intro to Kumihimo Japanese braiding.

​MISSED IT? Open the TRY AT HOME: HOW TO'S TAB below and learn how to make Kumihimo Japanese braids at home!

August 21st 

Come and Go experiment with textiles from 2:30am - 4:30pm with ArtSpeaks at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum

August 9th

Join us on the 9th from 12-3pm for a guided walk on Whitefish Island by Thrive Tours followed by a cyanotype dyeing workshop by ArtSpeaks using plants collected during the walk. 

July 15th: 2nd Workshop

Join us from 2pm - 4pm at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum with Katie Huckson as she teaches sewing. Hand stitching and machine skills will be taught! 

July 9th: 1st Workshop

Join us for our first workshop at James Street with Isabelle Michaud as Galerie sans clous from 12 -2pm. 

June 25th: Official Project Launch 

Join us as we launch our Community Threads Project at the Summer Moon Festival with artist Katie Huckson! We will be at the Mill Market (35 Canal Drive) from 9am - 4pm. 
Original Project PArtNERS
La Galerie Sans Clous is a contemporary hybrid exhibition space where all levels and styles of visual art-making are possible. The only limit is: no nails can be planted in the walls, hence, the Sans Clous or "without nails." It is predominantly a virtual space, exhibiting via Instagram or at www.lagaleriesansclous.com.
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Contact [email protected], to book an in-person visit, Wed-Sat 11-4pm

La Galerie Sans Clous est un espace d'exposition hybride contemporain où tous les niveaux et tous les styles de création d'art visuel sont possibles.
La seule limite est : aucun clou ne peut être planté dans les murs.  C'est principalement un espace virtuel via Instagram ou à www.lagaleriesansclous.com

Contactez [email protected]. pour réserver une visite en personne, du mer. au sam. 11h à 16h.
Established in 1948, The Algoma Weavers' Guild (AWG) is the longest continually running weaving guild in the province. From its inception, the AWG has promoted weaver education regularly holding workshops for both beginner, youth, seniors, and experienced weavers. AWG often invites participation from neighbouring guilds in Michigan, U.S.A. and Elliot Lake, ON.
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The Algoma Weavers' Guild has been operating out of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum for the past 5 years, allowing for the Guild to continue to engage with the public, host meetings, skill sharing, workshops, and provide community programming.
The ArtSpeaks Project came into existence in 2017 thanks to a Seed Grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. ArtSpeaks relies on the generous support of local  artists/arts groups, community grants and public donations.  

Many thanks to our partner agencies Breton House: The Algoma Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Centre, Sault Area Hospital’s Sexual Assault Care Centre and the Sault Ste. Marie Museum for their long-standing commitment to our mission of fostering resilience through arts-based learning and skill-building in those impacted by trauma. Much gratitude as well to the City of Sault Ste. Marie's Cultural Vitality Committee for funding our special projects in 2021, and previous funding from the Local Immigration Partnership (LIP), Women In Crisis (WIC) Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF)/Algoma Community Foundation (ACF), the City and all private donations

Katie Huckson
Huckson graduated with a BFA from Algoma University in 2013 and an MFA from the University of Windsor in 2017. She has exhibited across Canada and abroad and has participated in residencies in Colorado, Italy, Greece, and Vietnam. Her video, Normal Disorders, won Best Picture at the Lights, Camera, Take Action Film Festival at the University of Colorado in 2018. In 2019, she performed an artwork for Occupy The Kitchen Vol.2 in Varese, Italy, supported by the Ontario Arts Council. Huckson is an instructor in Visual art and Art History at Algoma University, and is working towards her PhD in Communication, New Media, and Cultural Studies at McMaster University.
This project is generously funded by the Ontario Arts Council – Artists in Communities and Schools Grant Stream. ​
DOCUMENTATION
Photo Gallery 
Photos taken by Taylor Jolin
try at home: how to's

Kumihimo Braids

  1. Choose three colours of yarn (knitting, ribbon, embroidery thread)
  2. Cut 7 lengths each 55cm/20” long.
  3. Tie them together on one end.  No need to trim the other end.
  4. Cut an octagonal (8 sides) shape of firm cardboard about 8 cm in width.
  5. Make a hole about 1.5 cm wide in the centre.
  6. Cut 1 notch about 1 cm long in the middle of each side to make 8 notches around the shape.
  7. Place the yarn bundle in the centre hole with the knot hanging down.
  8. Arrange each strand in a notch – there will be one empty.
  9. Turn the empty side to face you.
  10. Count 1, 2, 3 threads from the empty side moving counter-clockwise.
  11. Move the third thread down to the empty notch.
  12. Turn the disc counter-clockwise so that the new empty space faces you.
  13. Count 1, 2, 3 threads and move the third thread to the empty space.  Turn the disc counter-clockwise so that the new empty space faces you.
  14. Repeat and continue.
 ​Helpful hints:
Use 2, 2, and 3 strands of the same colour (e.g. 2 blue, 2 green, 3 yellow) to help a pattern show. Place those colours next to each other when setting up the disc.
Double the embroidery thread for thickness (use two strands as one and place two in the notch)
Clip a weight (pill bottle filled with 20 pennies) to the knotted end to help keep the braid straight.
Tug down gently on the braid every few rotations to keep the threads straight.