August 25th to September 27th
Opening Reception:
August 27th, 5pm-7pm
Artist Talk:
August 29th, 12pm
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Workshops:
August 30th, 10am – 12pm
Creating for Community
— Registration required —
Help design a one-of-a-kind quilt using leftover quilt blocks that will be donated within our local community. We will work intuitively to consider colour value, balance and pattern as we create a work of art!
Spaces are limited, so please register online before the workshop at:
alderneylanding.com/workshops
Sit & Stitch
— No registration required —
Come and learn about quilting in Nova Scotia while visiting with local quilters!
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DESCRIPTION
During the Second World War, women produced thousands of quilts for the Canadian Red Cross. Made collectively and distributed through relief efforts, these quilts offered warmth, care, and a tangible expression of solidarity to people affected by war.
EMERGENCY QUILTS is a series of thermal blankets—designed to reflect body heat—with patterns inspired by traditional quilts. By combining the aesthetics of quilting with a material associated with emergency response, the project reflects on the enduring role of collective care in times of crisis. It asks how gestures of mutual aid, protection, and generosity can be carried forward today, as growing numbers of people experience displacement, housing insecurity, and other forms of precarity.
Different editions have been produced for exhibitions in Québec (2024), Nova Scotia (2026), and New Brunswick (2027), with proceeds donated to local shelters. This edition is presented in collaboration with the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild and the Mayflower Quilters Guild, whose members continue the rich tradition of quilting in the Halifax region. The exhibition celebrates quilting not only as a craft, but as a living practice of community, resilience, and care. Please join the special events presented in conjunction with the exhibition!
Acknowledgment: The production of this project is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
BIO+STATEMENT
Marie-Soleil Provençal is a French-Canadian sculptor whose practice is rooted in the landscapes of Québec’s Eastern Townships, where she grew up between the Appalachian Mountains and her grandfather’s repair workshop. These contrasting environments continue to inform her work, which examines the consequences of our fractured relationships with the natural world, including waste pollution, species extinction and climate changes.
Her sculptures and site-specific installations combine industrial materials—such as concrete and found objects—with organic elements, including plants and animal forms. Through a process grounded in research and collaboration, she engages with local organizations and institutions, from landfills to museums. Drawing on strategies from visual communication and popular science, she seeks to render complex issues accessible and tangible.
Her work has been presented across Canada in galleries, museums, festivals, public spaces, and private collections. She is the recipient of multiple grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, supporting projects at the intersection of environmental and social concerns.
Provençal studied graphic design at Cégep de Sherbrooke, completed a BA at Bishop’s University, and earned an MFA from NSCAD University in Nova Scotia. She has also pursued additional training in the United States. Alongside her studio practice, she has worked throughout Eastern Canada as a researcher, technician and instructor in visual arts.
