Canberra Day Fibre Workshops @ Enlighten Festival

Join artist, Sharon Peoples, for a workshop making ‘gardening gloves’ inspired by her work in the exhibition, Connection Point: Contemporary established fibre textile artists of ACT and NSW. In this workshop participants will create a stitched paper ‘gloves’, or pair of gloves, from new, found and recycled papers that reflect Canberra, the gardens, landscapes, reserves. Participants will be shown how to piece these together to create a paper glove using a template. Very simple stitching will be used to highlight and decorate the gloves. Participants will be encouraged to bring in maps, sheet music, tickets, tags or any other treasured paper ephemera or scraps. Small buttons and ribbons might also be used. 

About the artist

Sharon Peoples has worked as an artist in Canberra for over 20 years, exhibiting nationally and internationally. She has had ten solo exhibitions since 2010, the most recent was Messenger From the Garden in Newcastle. She has also participated in over 20 group exhibitions – including Stitched Art is Art in London (2019) and the 2021 Art Textiles Biennale at East Gippsland Art Gallery. Peoples’ work has been collected by national and state institutions.

She is a keen gardener and has been exploring gardens through portraits. Fragility of the environment and the human condition is reflected in Peoples’ work: oscillating between hand and machine embroidery to examine this state. Also, in thinking of historic embroideries the marks of restorers and menders illustrate the repair, care and protection that is required for the environment. She uses her work, embroidery, as a metaphor for repair.  

In association with Enlighten Festival. 

For ages 16+, no prior experience necessary.

Free, bookings essential