Textiles have been used for millennia to protect and adorn us. What is their history and what is their cultural relevance to the story of humankind? We will read Kassia St. Clair’s book The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History and discover through fascinating episodic chapters how fabric has allowed people to achieve extraordinary things. It has enabled us to traverse the oceans and shatter athletic records and survive in unlikely places such as outer space and the South Pole. This course will make you rethink your relationship to fabric as we delve into both the wondrous and the dark history of textile production. What does the relationship between Indian calicoes and the Industrial Revolution tell us about our economic history? Why are textile arts so often associated with “women’s work”? Does this depreciate their artistic and historical value or does it shed new light on women’s role in cultural development? What is the significance of the linen wrappings of Tutankhamun's mummy? How did the famous Silk Road(s) develop? How did the woollen sails help the Vikings reach America 700 years before Columbus? These questions and many more will be discussed at length through the reading of the core book and some works of fiction.

This course is  partnered with the Victoria Visual Arts Centre. Participants will get to practice working textiles during two three-hour sessions with an instructor.

Books to Purchase (will be available at Argo Bookshop during the weeks prior to the course beginning):

• St. Clair, Kassia. The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History, 2018.

This course must have a minimum number of 8 participants to take place.

Please note that the maximum enrollment is 16 students. TMI does not allow participants to audit courses for free.

Location: Atwater

First Session: Monday September 16th, 2024

Course Length: 12 weeks, Mondays, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (Note: The last 2 sessions will be held at the Victoria Visual Arts Centre from 1:30 to 4:30.)

Discussion Team: Catherine Bérubé, Faye Trecartin, Joan Machnik

Degree Credit: 3 credits

Course Fee: 

$100.00 (New Students)
$160.00 (Standard Tuition)

Administrative Fee:

$40.00

Total:

$140.00 (New Students)
$200.00 (Standard Tuition)

For 12-week courses, fees are refundable in full before the second session. If the participant withdraws after the second course, they will be charged a $50 fee. There is no refund after the third course has passed. Please note that non-attendance does not constitute a withdrawal.

Students pursuing studies for credit are encouraged to consult with their advisers as they register for courses.

Course leaders, and students wishing to use credit vouchers, should call (514) 935-9585 to pay by phone or to schedule an appointment to pay in person.