Dr Skye Morrison
Dr. Skye Morrison is a Canadian educator, researcher and designer with a lifelong interest in traditional crafts. She received her PhD in Folklore (Material Culture) from the University of Pennsylvania (1991), her MA in Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University (1976) and her Diploma in Design (Textiles) from Sheridan College, Canada (1972). A Professor at Sheridan, School of Crafts and Design from 1978 to 2002, she left full time teaching to pursue research projects. She is one of seven founding life-members of the Textile Museum of Canada.
Receiving the prestigious “Chalmers Arts Fellowship”, Skye conducted field research deciphering Narrative Textiles in Bihar, Jharkhand and Kutch as well as in Canada, Panama and Chile. Her work includes curating numerous exhibitions. She wrote and directed the Film: “Thread has a Life of its Own, Aboriginal Women’s Stitched Stories.” Pursuing her forty year passion for Kites, Skye has written “Strings of a Timeless Tradition” and the script for the film “Keepers of Flight” about the kite makers of Gujarat.
Skye’s love affair with India began in 1992 as a visiting professor at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. In 2009 she wrote, with researcher and visual author, Jay Thakkar, Matra: Ways of Viewing Vernacular Built form in Himachal Pradesh. Published by CEPT University, the book was awarded the ARCHI DESIGN ‘Best Written Work on Architecture”, 2009. Her academic associations continue with IICD, Jaipur, NIFT, Pearl Academy, Poornima University and most recently with Chitkara University, Punjab and Anant University Centre for Cultural Leadership, Ahmedabad. She is an ongoing guest at PDF, the Pune Design Festival, as the resident writer of commentary Limericks.
Skye Morrison has worked in Jaipur, with Ayush and Geetanjali Kasliwal creating object narratives at the ‘Skye Word Salon’ at AnanTaya and AKFD Storey and as an advisor for TOSS, the Open Space Society. During the Pandemic her primary project is the Hastings Community Edible Peace Garden, growing food for the local food bank. She advises artists and cultural groups about grants, while making custom masks, miniature kites, streamers and creating COVID safe celebrations.