‘Rock Paper Scissors’ exhibition at Mississippi Valley Textile Museum explores humanity, heritage and history

A new exhibition at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) is inviting visitors to look beyond the surface level of fabrics and fibres to explore deeper themes of memory, labour, history and human connection.

The new exhibition, which opened on May 2, 2026, showcases the 40-year artistic evolution of Quebecois artist Carole Baillargeon. Rock Paper Scissors brings together four distinct bodies of work created and developed by Baillargeon over many years as her multidisciplinary practice fuses contemporary textile work with references to labour, craft traditions and human emotions.

The exhibition was carefully curated by José Niaison, who worked closed with Baillargeon over the last two and a half years to bring her creative vision to fruition. Niaison is no stranger to the art world, having spent 22 years working as a Program Officer in Visual Arts for the Canada Council for the Arts.

“At the time, I was seeing a large number of museums and galleries across the whole country, but also getting really deep connections with makers and artists that were from the craft community or fine craft community,” explained Niaison in an interview with Lanarkist, “Through my in my job, I always had interesting conversations with some artists who were trying but who were going through difficult periods and needed support.”

At the time, Niaison says he could not get personally involved in any project outside of his work due to it being a conflict of interest. However, upon retirement, he was able to devote his attention to these artistic communities and endeavours.

One of the artists he encountered throughout his work was Carole Baillargeon, who’s work thoroughly intrigued him, especially after a visit to the MVTM in 2023 where she was included in a group exhibition called ‘Among the Garbage and the Flowers.’

“I went for the opening, and we reconnected there,” recounted Niaison. “We started talking and decided to work together towards her solo show at the museum, which was scheduled for 2026.”

This solo show has now fully come to life as Rock Paper Scissors. The exhibition is said to examine recurring themes that feel especially relevant in today’s world such as environmental fragility, the impermanence of life, cultural transmission and more.

“She works with material in a very sensitive and intelligent way,” Niaison shared. “The works are deeply rooted in textile knowledge, but they also speak to universal human experiences.”

The exhibition features two series of handmade paper works — one in two dimensions and another in sculptural form — alongside a large-scale installation composed of felted stones and metal objects inspired by ancestral agricultural practices.

“Her work exists somewhere between visual art, craft and installation,” Niaison told Lanarkist. “There’s a physicality to it, but also a strong emotional and historical presence.”

Niaison explained that one of the goals of the exhibition was to highlight how Baillargeon transforms ordinary utilitarian materials, fabrics and objects into resonant pieces that encourage internal and societal reflection.

Baillargeon draws on her extensive understanding of fibres, textiles and clothing to connect her art with broader collective experiences, reflecting both a reverence for traditional skills and a clear awareness of how quickly those forms of knowledge can disappear with the emergence of technology.

While the four bodies of work may initially appear unrelated, Niaison said they are all connected through three central ideas: Baillargeon’s deep relationship to land, her exploration of shared human experiences, and her commitment to reusing and transforming discarded materials.

“There’s so much going on in her work,” Niaison expressed. “One is the land. Two is her empathy and sensitivity, and the third is her desire to recycle and make use of things, not discarding them but giving them a second and a third life.”

These themes emerge differently throughout the exhibition’s “rock,” “paper” and “scissors” components. One of the installations explores Baillargeon’s connection to nature through handmade pigments, layered paper works and organic materials grown or gathered from the land.

“She has connection with the land and with what the land provides, and all the hand skills that are tied to living on that land,” stated Niaison.

The “scissors” series, which Baillargeon has been working on for well over a decade, was inspired by the emotional toll of job loss, technological change and personal hardship.

“At one point, years ago, she made a call for old scissors and old tools that meant something to people,” Niaison shared. “She gathered them for a few years, and then all of a sudden, she was overwhelmed with the emotions of what was going on in the world and how people were feeling so she turned around and says, ‘I’m going to use this’…And then the series started that way.”

Running until July 26, Rock Paper Scissors is being showcased alongside Tartan: Culture & Cloth, another new exhibition at MVTM focused on examining identity, heritage and storytelling through textiles. Both exhibitions aim to introduce new audiences to the breadth and versatility of contemporary textile art.

“For a long time, practices connected to textiles or domestic labour were not always given the same recognition as other forms of contemporary art,” Niaison told Lanarkist. “This exhibition shows the complexity, intelligence and emotional depth that exists within those materials and traditions.”

Both Baillargeon and Niaison wished to acknowledge the financial backing of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, reiterating that this exhibition could not be what it is without their funding and support.

Learn more about the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum at https://mvtm.ca/mvtm-event/rock-paper-scissors-by-carole-baillargeon/