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Common Thread Exhibition Photo by OKGN Co.

Common Thread

temporary exhibit | floor two

Experience Common Thread at Kamloops Museum, where wool’s journey connects culture, history, and community through engaging displays and artifacts.

Showcasing how wool makes a transformative journey—from the landscape to the workshop, to yarn, to clothing, and beyond, Common Thread at the Kamloops Museum and Archives is a celebration of the materials and processes behind our region’s wool and natural fibre production.

Just as wool is spun into something lasting, this exhibition echoes how we create and preserve history by turning fleeting moments into enduring cultural treasures. You’ll explore the connections between ranching, retail, and the art of wool-making, discovering how these threads intertwine with our community and culture.

With a blend of artifacts, images, videos, and interactive elements, Common Thread creates a warm and inviting space where stories are shared, work is celebrated, and culture comes alive. Whether you’re a history buff, a craft enthusiast, or just curious, this exhibition offers a cozy, creative experience that weaves together the fabric of our shared heritage. The interactive elements ensure that you’re not just a spectator but an active participant in the celebration of our history and culture.

With interlacing artifacts, images, videos, and ways to actively participate, Common Thread stages the museum as a place for gathering and sharing stories, sharing work, and sharing culture. A space of warmth and togetherness timed with the arrival of cooler weather, the exhibition aims to weave a varied sense of community through a confluence of ideas and natural and cultural factors that bind us together.

Throughout the duration of the exhibition, the museum will be hosting a series of activities in connection to Common Thread, including a free drop-in textile circle every Wednesday morning starting on September 25 and a monthly discussion entitled Things We Carry With Us: A Fabric, Clothing, and Culture Gathering Series, which explores cultural traditions and ancestral legacies of fabric and fashions as guided by local cultural communities.

What's On At The KMA
  • Admission By Donation Suggested
    $1 per child & $3 per adult.
    Frequently Asked Questions
  • Museum Hours
    Tuesday - Saturday: 9:30am - 4:30pm
    Sunday & Monday: Closed
  • Archive Hours
    Tuesday - Friday: 1:15pm - 4:00pm
    Saturday: By Appointment
    Sunday & Monday: Closed
  • Please Note:
    The admissions desk may ask that you check your bags and any food and beverages upon entry.

    We encourage you talk in our galleries, have fun, and discuss the content and artifacts you see as you make your way around the building. Laugh, cry, and remember that we like hearing our galleries active!

The exhibition will be open from September 20, 2024, to March 8, 2025. 

Educational programs are available to school groups based on this exhibition. Please visit our School Programming page for more information and to book your class.
Raw wool, freshly sheared from sheep, is a coarse and tangled mass of fibres filled with natural oils, dirt, and debris. Before it can be spun into yarn, it must go through carding—a process that cleans and aligns the fibres, transforming the wool into a soft, workable material ready for crafting.
Raw wool, freshly sheared from sheep, is a coarse and tangled mass of fibres filled with natural oils, dirt, and debris. Before it can be spun into yarn, it must go through carding—a process that cleans and aligns the fibres, transforming the wool into a soft, workable material ready for crafting.
Wool carding brushes, essential tools in the wool-making process, are used to separate and straighten wool fibres, preparing them for spinning into yarn. This step ensures smooth, tangle-free fibres, making it easier to create quality yarn for crafting and textiles.
Wool carding brushes, essential tools in the wool-making process, are used to separate and straighten wool fibres, preparing them for spinning into yarn. This step ensures smooth, tangle-free fibres, making it easier to create quality yarn for crafting and textiles.
A wooden hand spinner, often called a drop spindle, uses gravity to spin wool fibres into yarn. By gently twisting the fibres while the spindle spins downward, this traditional tool allows crafters to create fine, even yarn with skillful hands and simple mechanics.
A wooden hand spinner, often called a drop spindle, uses gravity to spin wool fibres into yarn. By gently twisting the fibres while the spindle spins downward, this traditional tool allows crafters to create fine, even yarn with skillful hands and simple mechanics.
A skein of wool is a neatly wound bundle of yarn, ready for knitting, weaving, or other fibre crafts. Each skein represents the final stage of wool's transformation—from raw fleece to beautifully spun yarn—capturing the essence of traditional craftsmanship.
A skein of wool is a neatly wound bundle of yarn, ready for knitting, weaving, or other fibre crafts. Each skein represents the final stage of wool's transformation—from raw fleece to beautifully spun yarn—capturing the essence of traditional craftsmanship.
Step up to our donated loom, which allows KMA visitors to interlace their spun threads and create a collective fabric by hand.
Step up to our donated loom, which allows KMA visitors to interlace their spun threads and create a collective fabric by hand.
A table in the exhibition space provides a cozy and inviting space for fabric artists, crocheters, and knitters to gather and work on their projects. Surrounded by the warmth of history, this communal setup encourages creativity and collaboration, where hands-on craftsmanship comes to life.
A table in the exhibition space provides a cozy and inviting space for fabric artists, crocheters, and knitters to gather and work on their projects. Surrounded by the warmth of history, this communal setup encourages creativity and collaboration, where hands-on craftsmanship comes to life.
Accession Number: 0.1470 Catalogue Description: "Came to Canada with United Empire Loyalists. To B.C. in 1947 with Cowley Fathers— used briefly at their Sorrento Mission. To Kamloops in 1956 for Arts and Crafts Club. To Museum 1960 through Mrs. Helen Millward. Restored in 1970 by Tom Taylor."
Accession Number: 0.1470 Catalogue Description: "Came to Canada with United Empire Loyalists. To B.C. in 1947 with Cowley Fathers— used briefly at their Sorrento Mission. To Kamloops in 1956 for Arts and Crafts Club. To Museum 1960 through Mrs. Helen Millward. Restored in 1970 by Tom Taylor."
The wool comes from various fibres, each with unique qualities. Sheep wool is durable and versatile, alpaca is soft and insulating, and merino is fine and breathable. Mohair offers a lustrous sheen, while cashmere is prized for its ultra-soft, lightweight feel. Each fibre adds its charm to wool crafting.
The wool comes from various fibres, each with unique qualities. Sheep wool is durable and versatile, alpaca is soft and insulating, and merino is fine and breathable. Mohair offers a lustrous sheen, while cashmere is prized for its ultra-soft, lightweight feel. Each fibre adds its charm to wool crafting.
Accession Number: 2021.52 provisional/ An item that has moved from a 'natural' condition (part of an animal), to a 'cultural' condition (part of the language of economics, production and clothing), is now in the process of moving fully into a new cultural role: part of a museum collection.
Accession Number: 2021.52 provisional/ An item that has moved from a 'natural' condition (part of an animal), to a 'cultural' condition (part of the language of economics, production and clothing), is now in the process of moving fully into a new cultural role: part of a museum collection.
The vast grasslands and mild climate of the Thompson Valley made it an ideal location for sheep farming, and ranchers raised flocks for wool and meat. By the early 1900s, Kamloops was home to several large sheep ranches that supplied local markets and export demands.
The vast grasslands and mild climate of the Thompson Valley made it an ideal location for sheep farming, and ranchers raised flocks for wool and meat. By the early 1900s, Kamloops was home to several large sheep ranches that supplied local markets and export demands.

Exhibit Highlights

Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives

Things We Carry With Us: A Fabric, Clothing, and Cultural Gathering Series

Things We Carry With Us is a featured presentation of the Kamloops Museum and Archive’s fall exhibition, Common Thread.This monthly series will explore the cultural traditions and ancestral legacies of fabric, fashion, and textiles as guided by local cultural communities.

Each month of Common Thread will feature a different cultural group. Monthly workshops will offer the opportunity to delve deeper into the meaning behind the textiles showcased.

The dates for each event are listed below, as they happen they will be linked to the event’s photo recap:

  • Oct 12: The Hispanic Society of Kamloops
  • Nov 30: Sagebrush Quilter’s Guild
  • Dec 5, Dec 13, Dec 17: Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park with the Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Society
  • Jan 25: KCCA/Kamloops Chinese Freemasons
  • Feb 8: Unique Get Together Society

 

Common Thread: Opening Event

On Friday, September 20, 2024, the Kamloops Museum and Archives hosted the opening event for its new exhibition, Common Thread. 

The evening featured welcoming remarks from museum representatives and a live weaving demonstration, offering guests an engaging introduction to the exhibition’s theme. Attendees enjoyed light refreshments as they explored the exhibition, which celebrates the cultural significance of wool and natural fibre production in the region.

The event fostered a sense of togetherness, successfully launching a space where stories are shared, history is celebrated, and cultural connections are woven into the fabric of the exhibition.

Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives
Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives
Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives
Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives
Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives
Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives
Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives
Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives
Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives
Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives
Common Thread opening ceremony at the Kamloops Museum and Archives

The Kamloops Museum and Archives operates as part of the City of Kamloops, on Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc territory within the traditional and unceded lands of Secwépemc Nation, Secwepemcúl’ecw.

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207 Seymour St. (map)
Kamloops, BC V2C 2E7
(250) 828-3576
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