KAREN LEBLANC
Art Discipline(s)
- Fine Craft
Fredericton | (506) 457-1443.506
Preferred School District(s)
- ASD-East
- ASD-South
- ASD-North
- ASD-West
Preferred Grade Level(s)
- K-2
- 3-5
- 6-8
- 9-12
Can provide residency in
- English
Indigenous Artist
- No
Completed Policy 701
- Yes
Space/Material Requirements
- For stitching, I need a classroom or room large enough for 15-20 participants to sit in a circle and stitch a heart. For younger students, an assistant will be required to help with the stitching.
Bio
Karen LeBlanc is a fibre artist and weaver. In 2021, after hearing the news unmarked graves on Residential School (RS) sites, Karen hand-stitched hearts in memory of the Indigenous children. Karen has created several public art installations in schools. Karen was a NB representative at Collect 2020 (London, UK, 2020). She has exhibited internationally, nationally, and locally and participated in several residencies. Karen is a member of CraftNB, Guild of Canadian Weavers, CraftNS, ArtsLink NB, American Tapestry Alliance, and Handweavers Guild of America. Karen is a docent at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and has served on several Boards of Directors.
Residency Project
Students will participate in a Reconciliation project by learning how to stitch a small heart in memory of an Indigenous child who did not return home from a Residential School. Students are often affected by the news of the unmarked graves and often want to talk about the impact of Residential Schools. For this residency, I will start with a discussion about the impact Residential Schools had on Indigenous people many years ago, and the effects today. I will explain the symbolism of the hearts to the students. Each student will be given a heart kit in a small bag. The kit will include a front and back for the heart, a needle, embroidery floss and a bit of stuffing to fill the little heart. Students will be instructed on how to stitch the hearts and will be assisted with the stitching, stuffing, and finishing processes. I will explain the significance of the hearts – a running stitch for the children who tried to run away, stuffing the hearts to fill the bellies of children who were hungry and finally to hang the hearts while sending light and love to the lost children. Younger students will stitch a felt heart with a plastic needle while older students will stitch a fabric heart with a sharp metal needle. Each student will create at least one heart which will have their names attached to it. When the hearts are finished, students will be asked to send light and love to an Indigenous child who did not return home from a Residential School. The hearts will all be collected and hung in a main area of the school as a Truth and Reconciliation installation.
Teaching Experience
With a Master’s of Education degree, my teaching experience includes teaching weaving to adults and children in the past. This includes intro to weaving, frame loom weaving, floor loom weaving. Students learn the basics of weaving scarves, shawls, tea towels or placemats. I also teach basic stitching workshops using the running stitch, the buttonhole stitch or other basic stitches.