Textile Museum of Canada Curatorial Director, Sarah Quinton, Leaving Museum after 27 Years of Service
Posted: May 17th, 2022 | News

TORONTO, CANADA – The Textile Museum of Canada (the Museum) announces the departure of our colleague and friend, Curatorial Director, Sarah Quinton. Her last day will be Thursday, May 19, 2022. 

Sarah has been an integral part of the Textile Museum of Canada for the past 27 years, during which she has led the curatorial department and spearheaded key projects that have placed the Museum at the forefront of contemporary visual arts. She has curated over 30 exhibitions through a lens of cultural inclusivity, social awareness, and accessibility with an emphasis on education and community outreach. Her curatorial projects have focused on art practices that explore textiles as they intersect with sculpture, photography, design, painting, and site-specific installations. 

“Sarah has led the artistic vision of the Textile Museum of Canada and the contemporary exhibitions that helped put us on the map as a cultural destination in Toronto. She has invited the community into the Museum with warmth and enthusiasm, and it is in large part due to Sarah that the Museum is the welcoming and engaging space that it is today.” – Judith Harris, Chair of the Board of Trustees 

Sarah’s curatorial practice highlights textiles as they relate to the individual and the human condition, and she places great value on working with artists, community members, and other collaborators. She is the recipient of the awards for Curatorial Art Writing and Exhibition of the Year through Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries (GOG). Throughout her distinguished career, Sarah has mentored and supported the work of many artists and curators, broadening recognition of their work. She has also been invited as a speaker nationally and internationally, including the Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art (China); Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City and Puebla (Mexico); the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (Halifax); The Power Plant (Toronto); Concordia University (Montreal); and elsewhere. Her accomplishments will always be valued and celebrated, along with her hard work, resilience, commitment, and creativity that have made a difference to the Museum and many other organizations and individuals.  

“Sarah Quinton’s cross-disciplinary curatorial work has innovatively introduced new avenues through which to conceptualize and understand arts rendered in contemporary and historical textile media. Quinton’s practice stands out because of its theoretical sophistication and rigor, its academic and applied relevance to makers and scholars, and its accessibility across communities.” – Lynne Milgram, Professor Emerita and Adjunct Professor (Anthropology), OCAD University, and a former Trustee of the Museum 

Sarah’s final project, Aïda Muluneh: Water Life, is on now at the Museum until September 25, 2022. The artist’s vibrant photographs address the impact of living without access to clean water on local women and girls, while drawing attention to other communities around the world suffering from water scarcity.  Water Life is presented in partnership with Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, with additional support from Partners in Art, and the Aga Khan Museum. Learn more here. 

“I joined the Textile Museum of Canada this month and while I knew my time with Sarah would be short, I am so fortunate to have worked with her and to be inspired by her passion and vision. Sarah has played an extraordinary role in the positive reputation of the Museum, and in addition to her curatorial work, she has been a beloved mentor to many staff, artists and curators. On behalf of all of us at the Museum, please join me in thanking Sarah for her outstanding impact and wishing her the best on well-deserved new adventures!” – Kirsten Kamper, Director and CEO of the Textile Museum of Canada   

A national search for a new Curator will commence in the near future.  

About the Textile Museum of Canada 

The Textile Museum of Canada aims to inspire understanding of the human experience through textiles. We are the only museum in Canada delivering programs and exhibitions dedicated solely to textile arts. The Museum ignites creativity, inspires wonder, and sparks conversation through the stories held within our global collection of textiles, and active engagement with contemporary art practices. For more information, visit: textilemuseum.ca, IG: @textilemuseumofcanada, Twitter: @TMCtoronto, and FB: Textile Museum of Canada. 

Media Inquiries  

Textile Museum of Canada  

Alex Paton, Head of Marketing & Design   

416-599-5321 x2239 or apaton@textilemuseum.ca