CV

Judith e Martin

Canadian artist Judith e Martin combines traditional hand stitch, local natural dyes and used domestic textiles to connect us poetically with our own interior worlds.

Her large format textiles are included in several Ontario public art collections (Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Cambridge) as well as the International Quilt Museum in the USA and the Canada Council Art Bank.  Martin has exhibited her work internationally and holds two BA degrees in fine art; one from Canada (Lakehead 1993 chancellors medal) and one from the UK (Middlesex 2012 first class honours.

The artist grew up on a large rural property in Northwestern Ontario ten miles from anywhere and believes that the solitude of long summers is how she discovered the inner dream world that is her subject.  For the last thirty years, Judy and her husband have continued to live far from the urban on Manitoulin Island in the Great Lake Huron.

Judy Martin thanks the Ontario Arts Council for encouragement and financial support.

 

Judy's website:  judithemartin.com  

Judy's solo exhibition at the Festival of Quilts 2024 video recording by k39  

 Judy's 2024 video interview with Fibre Arts Take Two 

Judy's 2023  zoom presentation for Rue Pigalle 

Judy's 2023 podcast interview with Zak Foster on SEAMSIDE

                                       

Education

2012  First Class Honours, BA Embroidered Textiles, Middlesex University, London England

1994  Honours BFA, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay Canada, Chancellor’s Medal

Recent solo and two person exhibitions

2024

Softer and Dreamier:  solo exhibition at the Festival of Quilts Birmingham, UK 

In the Middle of the World  ArtsPlace, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Sept 7 - Oct 26 (with Penny Berens, curated by Miranda Bouchard  

2023

Northern Ontario, an installation, World of Threads Festival, Oakville Ontario

Stardust: a solo exhibition at the Gore Bay Museum, Gore Bay Ontario

In The Middle of the World:  two-person exhibition at he Muse, Kenora Ontario 

Inside Out:  Solo exhibition at Homer Watson House, Kitchener, Ontario 

2021

In The Middle of the World: two-person exhibition at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, Almonte Ontario , catalogue available 

2019
Beauty, Emotion, Sprit, Soul:  solo exhibition at One Sky Gallery, Sudbury Ontario

2018

Cloth of Time:  two-person exhibition at the Mary E Black gallery, Halifax Nova Scotia (with Penny Berens

The Cloud In Me: solo exhibition at World of Threads Festival, Oakville Ontario

2017
The Cloud In Me:  solo exhibition at the David Kaye Gallery, Toronto Ontario Canada

2015

Mended World:  solo exhibition at the Homer Watson House and Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario  

2014   
Mended World :  solo exhibition at the Art Gallery of Sudbury 
                                                                       video of Judy's artist talk at the opening reception
Lucky Protection:  solo exhibition at the Northern Artist Gallery in Sudbury, Ontario  

                                                                      video of the exhibition

2013
Mended World :  solo exhibition at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay Ontario, catalogue available 

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024

Renewal:  SAQA Canadian Members at Homer Watson House, Kitchener, Ontario  Catalogue available.  July 5 - September 8, tours until late 2026.

2023

Quilts = Art = Quilts, Schweinfurth Art Centre, Albany New York, USA ***Underfoot the Earth Divine won the Schweinfurt Award***

Minimalism: SAQA curated exhibition at the Europeen du Patchwork in Alsace, France, catalogue available. 

Among the Garbage and the Flowers:  curated at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, Almonte, Ontario Canada.  catalogue available  

Quilt National:  juried exhibition at the Dairy Barn, Athens Ohio USA ***UNDER DRIFTING STARS won the Handwork award.***  artist talk about her quilt

2022

Evolve   six person exhibition at the Propeller gallery, Toronto Ontario, September 14 - October 2 organized by artist/curator Loree Ovens 

Fine Art Textiles Award Shortlist exhibition:  August 18 - 21 at the Festival of Quilts Birmingham England and also at the Knitting and Stitching Shows in London (October)  and in Yorkshire (November).  ***Underfoot the Earth Divine  was highly commended ***

The World We Know  April 8 - June 13 2022  New Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery   (Canadian Pioneer)

2021

QUILT NATIONAL Dairy Barn, Athens Ohio, USA   (Prayer To The Sky) and then toured to Mystic Museum of Art, Mystic Connecticut in spring of 2022

2020

Visions 2020, Visions Art Museum San Diego California, online only because of the pandemic

2019    
Ontario Craft 19    Ontario Craft Gallery downtown Toronto  *** How Much I Tried Not To Worry won best of North award***
All Stitched Up    Collins University Library, Tacoma Washington 
Hard Twist 14:Entwined - Gladstone Hotel, Queen Street West Toronto
3D Expression   Gerald R Ford Presidential Museum and touring for 3 years, a SAQA                                      touring global exhibition curated by Bruce Hoffman
Housewarming     Craft Ontario gallery, Toronto Ontario
Innovation 19  Quest Gallery, Midland Ontario *** My Light Green Heart awarded 2nd place ***
                
2018
In the Spirit of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven,  Perivale Gallery, Manitoulin Island, Ontario 
Fibreworks 2018: Queen's Square Gallery, Cambridge On, jurors Melissa Bennett and Meghan Price
Masterworks: tours Japan and the USA until March 2019   curator Martha Sielman

2017
Masterworks: Art Quilts International, International Quilt Festival: Houston Texas, curated by Martha Sielman and touring globally until 2021                      

Hard Twist 12: Yarn  Gladstone Hotel Toronto Ontario, 
                        curators Chris Mitchell and Helena Frei  
Prayer Flags for Canada, Gore Bay Museum, Manitoulin Island Ontario Canada
                         A community invitational project, curated by Nicole Weppler
Perspectives From Here  Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay Ontario Canada
                         North Western Ontario artists curated by Nadia Kurd 

QUILT NATIONAL, Dairy Barn Athens Ohio.  jurors Nancy Crow, Petra Fallaux,Art Martin.                             two awards: Lynn Bergman award for Surface Design and the Surface                                   Design Association's award                           Quilt National video of Judy Martin 

(In)finite: Canadian Textile Exhibition, Christ church Cathedral, Vancouver BC Canada,                                   organized by Thomas Roach.
Craft Ontario 17 1106 Queen W Toronto, jurors Gordon Thompson, chung-Im Kim

International Quilt Festival Chicago, Traditional mid-West USA and Canada exhibition

2016

World of Threads Festival, Oakville Ontario
                   Curators:  Dawne Rudman, Gareth Bate
Elemental Festival, Kagawong,  Manitoulin Island Canada
                   Curator:  Sophie Edwards
Hard Twist 11: Spin Gladstone Hotel,Toronto Ontario
                   Curators Chris Mitchell, Helena Frei
In the Spirit of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven, Perivale Gallery, Spring Bay,                                  Manitoulin Island Ontario Canada   curator: Shannon McMullan

My Corner of the World: Canada  Stratford Perth Museum, Stratford Ontario Canada,                              Curator Micaela Fitzsimmons a SAQA exhibit

2015
Quilts=Art=Quilts, Schweinfurth Art Center, Auburn New York  
                   Jurors: Mary Ann Jordon, Linda Colsh and Cynthia Corbin
Hard Twist 10: Memory, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 
                   Curated by Chris Mitchell and Helena Frei
Wild Pure Aesthetic Wonder, Woody Point Discover Centre, Gros Morne National Park,                           Newfoundland, and Devon House, Craft Council of Newfoundland and                                    Labrador, St. John's Newfoundland, Canada.
                   curated by Gloria Hickey and Philippa Jones  pdf catalogue 
Pop Folk T3xtiLEs, la Galerie du Nouvel Ontario, Sudbury, Ontario , Canada
                   and Campbell House museum, Queen St West, Toronto, Ontario (Le Labo                            Gallery).  curated by Sophie LeBlanc     
Citizen of Craft, promotional video for Craft Ontario  view here

2014

Quilts=Art=quilts (award)   Schweinfurth Art Centre Auburn New York

Visions: The sky's the Limit (award)   San Diego California

World of Threads Festival   Oakville Ontario          Two solo exhibitions

500 Traditional Quilts, International quilt Festival  Houston Texas

2013 
Ontario Craft 13  Ontario Craft Council,Toronto Ontario

2012 

World of Threads Festival    Oakville, Ontario     three group exhibitions

Quilts=Art=Quilts           Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center    Auburn, New York
Tradition in Transition  curated by Sandra Reford  Carrefour du Patchwork, Alsace, France

2011
Ontario Craft 11    Ontario Craft Council, Toronto
Quilt National 2011      The Dairy Barn (touring)  Athens, Ohio, USA
Craft Currents        Ontario Craft Council (touring)  Northern Ontario

2010
Fibreworks 2010       Cambridge Galleries    Cambridge  

2009
A Common Thread        World of Threads Festival,  Oakville, Ontario

2007         

Tactile Architecture  International Quilt Festival (touring)             Houston USA
Celebrate Craft      Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador   St Johns NL

2005 
Triple X ,Visual Arts Ontario (tour)  Toronto
Canadian Art Quilts in Japan (curated by Valerie Hearder) Yokohama, Japan
Material Metamorphosis (curated by Emma Quin)  Ontario Craft Council, Toronto

2003
Masterpieces: Spirit and Strength   International Quilt Festival (tour Europe) Houston
Family Matters (3 person)    WKP Kennedy art gallery, North Bay

2002

Art Quilts: Encrustations, International Quilt Festival, Houston  USA

2000
Arts 2000 (RCA exhibition) Gallery Stratford, Stratford, Ontario  

1996
Oh! Canada        Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto     

1995

Picking up the Pieces  , York Quay Gallery, Toronto        

1994

Quilted Stories, A Space Gallery, Toronto  

1992
Canadian Contemporary Quilts    Rodman Hall  (tour), St Catherine’s 

1990
Quilt Evolution (curated by Kai Chan) Museum for Textiles , Toronto   
I Am Where I Live , Pictograph Gallery (tour) Atikokan

1989
Redefined: The Quilt As Art, Whyte Museum (toured), Banff


Judging and Jurying

2020    Land Art, online exhibition of SAQA members,  Judy was one of three jurors, the others were Susan Lenz and 

2015   Edge of the Forest  exhibition of 53 Canadian Members of the international Surface Design Association.  Judy Martin judged the award of excellence. (jurors: Joe Lewis, Line Dufour, Rachel Miller)  exhibit toured Canada

2014  Stitches Across Time  national exhibition, pieces inspired by six pieces in the Dufferin Museum and Archives collection.  Judy Martin, Judith Tinkl, Dorie Millerson were jurors.

2013  Threadworks  national exhibition, theme of WATER.  Wellington County Museum, Ontario.  Judy Martin, William Hodge, Sylvia Naylor were jurors.  Hear Judy speak at Threadworks 2013  exhibit toured Canada

Selected recent Publications

2023   In the Middle of the World-  soft cover and digital catalogue, available October 2023  

            Bayfield - Nares Inlet - Association annual members book, feature article by Ginny LeVan

2020   Quilting Arts December 2020-Jan 2021 issue 108, feature article by Cate Prato

2020    Patchwork Gilde September 2020 issue 140, feature article by Uta Lenk (Germany)

2018   Art Quilts Unfolding - Judy Martin is included in this important book pub by SAQA 

Judy's 2019 interview with School of Stitched Textiles Lancashire, UK 

2018   Not To Know But To Go On, A Poem About Time by Judy Martin  6" x 6" booklet
2016   Art Quilts International: Abstracts and Geometrics by Martha Sielman, Schiffer. 
2015   Slow Stitch: Mindful and Contemplative Textile Art  Claire Wellesley-Smith, Batsord. 
2014  500 Traditional Quilts curated by Karey Patterson Bresenhan, Lark Books
2013   Mended World, a catalog for the exhibition  essay by Elizabeth Kalbfleisch, published by the Thunder Bay Art Gallery
2011   World of Threads Interview   by Dawne Rudman and Gareth Bates

In the Middle of the World                                                           a catalogue of the exhibition, with essay by Miranda Bouchard is available for purchase 

and read it for free ONLINE at this link

Selected recent Teaching
2019    CSARN mentorship with Sophie Anne Edwards, Manitoulin Island
2018    Meditation Panels workshop, Elliot Lake Summer Arts 
2017    CSARN mentorship with Mariana Lafrance, Manitoulin Island. 
2016    Celebrating Our Circles - four separate one day workshops for the Canadian                          Embroiders Guild, London's 45th anniversary celebration    
            Cross My Heart - stitch collage one day workshop, Manitoulin Island Ontario
2015    Meditation Panels Workshop:   Part of Fibre Arts  Newfoundland. 
2011    Slow Art:  A weekend workshop. Fibreworks Kingston, Ontario
2008    The Power and Beauty of Hand Stitched Textiles:  a five-day workshop
            Canadian Embroiderer's Guild Summer Workshop


Selected recent Speaking

2024  The Aesthetics of Care - a youtube interview with Fibre Arts Take Two

2023  Turning Forever to the Heart - a recorded zoom presentation for Rue Pigalle about Judy's quilt/life. 

2923  Under Drifting Stars  Judith E Martin's recording for Quilt National on you tube. 

2023  Two artist presentations at the Muse in Kenora, May 12, a digital slide presentation about Judy's life and art practice, and on May 13, a walk through of In the Middle of the World alongside Penny Berens. 

 

2021    In The Middle of the World  artist opening talk for the exhibition, September 29 2021 over zoom.  Penny Berens and Judy Martin speak about how living close to nature informs their work for the exhibition, the question and answers were also recorded.

2020    Textile Talk:  3:D Expression panel  April 2020   

            Weave podcast with Judy Martin   May 2020      

  

             My Awakened Heart / My Pandemic Summer  originally for York Heritage Quilt Guild, 
            

            Mosaica SAQA Conference  March 2020  Handwork, Homework, Heartwork: Adventures in                 Long Distance Collaboration  Miranda Bouchard (curator) Judy Martin, Penny Berens.

  
2017     The Aesthetic of Simplicity, 2 minute you tube video, Quilt National 2017 
2016     Marking my place, a thousand walks, luminous halo path  walk and talk
             Elemental 2 Festival,  Kagawong Ontario  installation and performance 
             Go Slow, Stop Thinking  45th anniversary of Canadian Embroiders' Guild 
             It is an Honour to Make a quilt  Sudbury quilt and stitchery Guild

2014     Motherly Advice - keynote speech, Espanola Fibre Festival, Espanola Ontario
2013     Touch is the mother of the senses - Opening lecture, Mended World Exhibition,                     Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay Ontario
2012      Not Finished Yet - trunk show, Pomegranate Quilt Guild, Toronto Ontario


Permanent Public Collections
International Quilt Museum, Nebraska USA
Ontario Government 
Canada Council Art Bank
Ontario Juried Show collection
Thunder Bay Art Gallery
Art Gallery of Sudbury
Idea Exchange: Cambridge Art Galleries Contemporary Fibre Art Collection

Judith Martin was Artist in Residence in her local community of Little Current
Manitoulin circle project  2009 - 2013

Gallery Representation
Guildworks, Bloomfield,  Prince Edward Country, Ontario
Perivale Gallery  Spring Bay Manitoulin Island  Ontario Canada

David Kaye Projects, Toronto, Ontario Canada