Mississippi Valley Textile Museum presents two new exhibits to explore memory, material and meaning

The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) in Almonte is welcoming two compelling new exhibits this summer, each weaving together deeply personal narratives through the mediums of fibre, paper, and place. Running from August 9 to September 27, 2025, the temporary exhibitions are part of the museum’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

The vernissage, a private viewing of paintings before public exhibition, will take place Saturday, August 9 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event will have both featured artists, Susan Warner Keene and Alexia-Leana Kokozaki, in attendance. Both exhibitions will invite visitors to reflect on memory, identity, and how our experiences shape the world around us.

Keene’s exhibit, “Paper / Practice,” presents selections from her 30-year exploration of papermaking as an expressive medium. According to a release from the MVTM, the Toronto-based artist works with plant fibres and water to craft delicate, skin-like paper forms that evoke the human body and the written word.

“She has been intrigued by the ways that the paper membrane can suggest the body with its skin-like qualities, yet also recall the role of paper in recording thought,” explained the Museum.

In the adjacent gallery space, Kokozaki’s multimedia textile exhibit “here are some flowers to remember me by” shares the artist’s personal exploration of heritage and distance. The Canadian-Cypriot artist retraces the steps of her grandfather in Nicosia, the divided capital of Cyprus, leaving hand-sewn flowers at locations he once worked in a region shaped by decades of conflict.

“We’re all changed by our memories and experiences, and despite the different mediums, Keene and Kokozaki have both created deeply meaningful artworks that reflect their personal stories,” said Michael Rikley-Lancaster, Executive Director and Curator of MVTM. “I have no doubt that visitors will connect with their creations, and feel encouraged to reflect on how their own experiences impact who they are today.”.

For learn more information and to explore the virtual exhibits, visit mvtm.ca.