Shared Threads explores the weaving of community through textile and image. Drawing inspiration from Celtic knotwork—an ancient visual language of continuity, connection, and interdependence—the works reflect how individual lives are bound together into something stronger and more enduring: community.
Textiles such as linen and wool hold deep meaning within Irish culture. Here, they become both material and metaphor—threads crossing, patterns emerging, looping, and holding tension—mirroring how communities in Ireland and across the diaspora are shaped through shared histories, relationships, and care. These materials also invite dialogue with other cultural traditions of making, where textiles carry memory, identity, and knowledge across generations.
Patterns and images of peace appear not as distant ideals, but as lived moments: quiet gestures, shared spaces, and acts of belonging woven into everyday life. The works create openings for reflection on how different cultures express peace, connection, and resilience, and how these expressions can meet and inform one another.
At its heart, Shared Threads asks essential questions: Who are we? What are our stories? How do they intersect, overlap, and support one another? Each work invites viewers to consider their own place within the larger pattern, recognizing that belonging is not fixed, but continually created through relationship and exchange.
This exhibition offers space to pause, reflect, and imagine a more peaceful collective future—one shaped by understanding, shared stories, and the threads that bind us together.
'Shared Threads' will be open from Sunday, March 1 to Monday, March 30.
This exhibit features art presented by the IRL Festival, driven by people passionate about Irish culture in Waterloo Region. They are a not-for-profit festival celebrating Ireland’s rich history and dynamic, evolving contemporary culture, which reflects how Irish culture continues to grow, adapt, and connect as the diaspora takes root in new landscapes beyond Ireland.
Come experience community and connection through music, dance, stories and more from March 7 - 17th, 2026.
Everyone is welcome to enjoy the programming —you don’t need to be Irish to join in!
Parking for the Exhibit
Parking fees apply Monday to Friday from 7:30 am until 7:30 pm. Parking can be purchased through the Honk Mobile app (Zone 9072) or through the Honk QR code (no app needed). The QR code is available in the main entrance vestibule or at the reception desk. Parking can also be purchased with cash or credit at Grebel's reception desk. Parking rates are $3/hour up to $9 per day.