Written By Olena Riznyk
AILSA CRAIG – Poetry and fibre art are coming together at the Ailsa Craig Arts Centre through a new exhibit that pairs local poems with handmade textile artwork inspired by the poems.
The exhibit, “A Vision of Verse,” runs from May 16 to June 25 and grew out of an idea first seen several years ago in the Orangeville area. “We thought that we should try something similar with our writers,” said Wilma Kirmse, an exhibit coordinator with the Ailsa Craig Arts Centre.
Seven local writers submitted 11 poems during the summer of 2025. Those poems were then randomly assigned to 24 fibre artists from the Guild, who created original textile pieces inspired by the writing. The exhibit shows how differently people can interpret the same words.
Some poems inspired just one piece, while others led to two or three very different artistic interpretations. “It is fascinating to see how one piece of writing can inspire two or three pieces of fibre art that are very different, and yet they all represent the poem beautifully,” Kirmse said.
One example is the poem “I’m Just a Girl” by Heather Otton. One artist created a light and delicate piece featuring a young girl, while another created a darker, more reflective work centred around an older woman. “Both capture the message of the poem perfectly despite seeming to be almost opposite,” Kirmse said.
Another poem, “Wind” by Jennifer Dobinson, inspired a range of ideas, including a lone tree bending in the wind, swirling abstract shapes and one piece combining both concepts. The poems and artwork were first displayed at the Canadian Embroiderers’ Guild Annual Textile Showcase in London before moving to Ailsa Craig.
During the opening reception on May 16, writers and fibre artists met face-to-face for the first time and saw the finished pieces together. “One of the writers was heard to say, ‘I can’t believe that someone has taken my words and made something so beautiful,’” Kirmse said.
Another writer told an artist, “It’s like you know me,” after seeing the techniques used in the artwork inspired by her poem. One of the participating writers passed away between the collection of the poems and the opening of the show, making the exhibit especially meaningful for the rest of the group.
Kirmse said both the writers and artists are already hoping the collaboration will continue again in the future.
