Colourful day celebrates women's creativity

Those who entered Waterloo North Mennonite Church on March 23 were greeted by a dazzling array of colours and objects that transformed the sanctuary into a lofty art gallery.

The other half of the spacious room was set up for music and dance performances, and for visiting over coffee.

Planners of the Mennonite arts event, entitled "More than work, more than play", were pleasantly surprised by the attendance of women (and men) from across Ontario, who came to celebrate a day of creativity "by all sorts of Anabaptist women", as the program stated.

The program listed 55 participating artists. The exhibits showed a broad range of skills: from painting and pottery to wood and metal creations, from jewellery and flower arrangements to sewing and baking. Workshop rooms around the display area provided intimate settings for reading poetry, telling stories, showing videos and worship aids, and demonstrating folk painting, quilting and drama.

Cate Friesen, singer/songwriter from Toronto, sang and talked about the struggle between her individual voice and her Mennonite voice. Karen A. Thiessen, who has exhibited in Toronto galleries, displayed her mixed media hangings--a series called "Mennonitemare"--for the first time in a Mennonite setting.

"The combination of art, women's contributions and Mennonite stuff was fantastic," noted one participant. Others appreciated the mix of ages and the chance to talk to many different women.

The event was sponsored by the Women's Concerns Committee of Mennonite Central Committee Ontario as an alternative to the annual women's retreat.

Margaret Loewen Reimer

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