Art, design & music live in Old Strathcona
We are so excited to once again partner with the SkirtsAfire festival. From March 4-14, experience amazing art, design, and music come to life right here in Old Strathcona. With a strong history of featuring women-identifying and non-binary artists, it was a perfect opportunity to match this year’s Skirt Design competition finalists with a women owned business in the area to display their work.
The Invisible Threads That Connect Us
Kim’s skirt is made with fabric cut off waste collected from her day job at a couture drapery workroom. Each cut off has been rescued from the garbage and hand tied to create a fabric, each knot represents the hardships of isolation. The whole of the skirt itself represents the beauty of the invisible threads that connect us in another realm. Despite being physically isolated Kim believes we are never truly isolated if only we believe. There are connections made in every transaction, creation, and even in our prayers. This skirt is the visual representation of the compilation of the things unseen. It’s the invisible threads that connect us not just the physical.
Photos courtesy of April MacDonald Killins Photography / @april_mac_killins
About Kim
Kim Neeser AKA “creatapreneur” – a window covering specialist working with her mom at Rainbow Draperies creating luxury fabrications, with her husband at YEG builders doing infills AND her side hustle is to bring awareness to making something out of cut-offs/scraps/nothing
Kim is a long time supporter of women in the arts, practices second-hand upcycling, and has organized many community clothing swaps.
Kim loves her hometown, spends most of her time with her family, is active in the Art community and continues to contribute to making Edmonton the best place to live and raise a family through the arts.
The Plaid Giraffe
We are a locally owned boutique in the heart of the Old Strathcona Community located on Whyte Avenue. We love to find treasures as unique as a Plaid Giraffe. The Plaid Giraffe has been a go to gift shop for over 16 years. We specialize in locally crafted items, including jewelry, handbags and other gift items and accessories. We love to support and embrace local artisans, their stories and passions. As well we are all in when it comes to eco-friendly and environmentally conscience items too! – theplaidgiraffe.ca
The Plaid Giraffe / 10340 82 Ave, Edmonton
Grab a warm drink and a (masked) friend and join us for a COVID-safe stroll around Old Strathcona to experience the Visual Art Exhibit, Skirt Design Competition, and Key of Me singer-songwriter series.
About SkirtsAfire
Founded in 2012, SkirtsAfire is Edmonton’s only theatre and multidisciplinary arts organization featuring women-identifying and non-binary artists. In conjunction with International Women’s Day, our 10 day programming runs each March at various venues in Edmonton. We present powerful and insightful stories to a diverse audience that is hungry to be moved by passionate performances and exhibitions. Programming reflects the true diversity of the thriving arts community in Alberta and Canada, and is adaptive in its approach in order to remain responsive to the needs of artists and audiences.
SkirtsAfire values diversity in the women we represent and therefore welcomes women artists of all diverse backgrounds including trans women, self-identifying women, non-binary people, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, all ethnicities and all abilities.
About International Women’s Day
IWD provides an important moment to showcase commitment to women’s equality, launch new initiatives and action, celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness, highlight gender parity gains and more.
Collectively every person and all groups can make a difference within their sphere of influence by taking concrete action to help build a more gender equal world. From small powerful grassroots gatherings to large-scale conference and events – International Women’s Day is celebrated everywhere. It’s a day for big inspiration and change.
Read more about IWD’s herstory here.