Nasty floods obliterated our museum scene here in Iowa City in 2008, and FEMA is now deciding what it will contribute and what additional monies need to be raised. So, at the heels of the Surface Design Association Board Meeting Washington DC, I attended exhibits at the Textile Museum, and in the National Gallery of Art, the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall.

My day on the Mall was so invigorating, as if little microbes honoring history and artifacts and legacy were simply there as energy in the air. The most singular, surprising experience was my lunch at the National Museum of the American Indian, which served up native foods. I could have chosen 18 variations of lunch there, equally interesting and tasty. In the end I went for a pumpkin soup with roasted chestnuts with maple syrup, a side dish of roasted fall apples, pumpkin and sassafras vinaigrette, and fry bread with wild blueberries. The soup was wonderful, if sweeter than expected. The sassafras component added a  bitter,  oddly intriguing taste. The fry bread was not what I’d hoped for; I should have chosen the blue corn cornbread instead. There were many other variations of foods and flavors, —for instance buffalo chili or salmon. Don’t miss it if you go there.

The Textile Museum had a stellar exhibition on Kuba textiles. Another one not-to-be-missed. I know a great deal about Kuba cloth, but this exhibit included other types of designs, including interspersed resist-dyed fabrics (the blacks dyed in iron-rich mud), plus exquisite head pieces. The very long Kuba cloths looked more contemporary than many works I see by artists today. A treat. Plans are in the works for the Textile Museum to associate with George Washington University, relocating there in a larger building with more opportunities for display and study. A great collaboration.

At the National Gallery, I viewed an impressive exhibit of the Pastrana Tapestries, documenting the Portuguese invasion of Asilah in Morocco. These are huge silk and wool tapestries dating to the late 1400s, measuring about 14 x 39 feet, woven in Belgium. They’ve been restored in recent years by the Spanish Government. My first impression is that they are a early form of graphic novel. The exhibition describes them as “war journalism of the 15th Century.” I was not allowed to photograph, and the image on the website simply does not do the work justice. Best to see it in person.

The remaining images show views in and around the Museums. Not a stellar camera, just my iPhone. The selection of three Rothkos defies photographic representation, the depiction of light through color. Of course, I love the large canvases of the Abstract Expressionists. Lots of construction. Sculpture in the fall gardens. Lovely.

Mourner Costume, 1919, Felt Coat with blue velvet applique, designed by Henri Matisse

Confusing art with construction, Sam Francis paintings, sculpture

Jean Dubuffet, La ronde des images, 1977, large painting, acrylic on paper, over canvas

the Calders, and the Calder room, my favorite. One has to slow down to take in the imperceptible movements

What's art? What's installation? What's simply a planter?

Guestbook, studio of printmaker John Taylor Arms

National Gallery Sculpture Garden, near the restaurant, a facsimile of the metro gates in Paris

Roxy Paine, "Graft," 2008-2009 stainless steel & concrete, in the National Gallery Sculpture Garden

Sculpture Garden at the Hirschhorn. Hard to tell what’s sculpture and what’s construcion. (Hint: the red elements are a sculpture. The crane is not.)

Giacomo Balla, Italian, "Futurist Flowers," 1918-25, reconstructed 1968, wood and paint. This is a terrible photograph, but I was struck by how contemporary this work looks, and it was conceived during World War I.

Contemporary Art Quilts of Astrid Hilger Bennett, Carol Coohey, BJ Parady and Judy Zoelzer Levine is featured exhibition at ICON Gallery in Fairfield, Iowa. What a wonderful installation: clean, light-filled and spacious, the best installation of my own work I’ve ever come across. This is ICON’s first-ever art quilt exhibition; exhibit dates are October 7 to November 12. ICON is located at 58 Main St. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday noon to 4pm, Saturday 1 – 4pm, and by appointment. For more information, contact ICON Gallery by phone, 641.919.6252.

 “Curators Wendy Read and Karen Harris have brought four of the best contemporary art quilters in the region to ICON Gallery,” says ICON Director Bill Teeple. “If you are used to traditional quilt making in Iowa, this will be an eye opener. It contains the visual and conceptual impact of a contemporary painting exhibit.” My personal opinion is that the Midwest is rich with exceptional art quilters. We appreciate the compliment, and curator Wendy Read, also a SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Association) Iowa Representative and Karen Harris did a great job balancing styles of work, which makes for a conceptually strong show. What follows are images more from my own section of the exhibit; the work was divided up by artist into different mini-galleries. By the way, Carol Coohey, BJ Parady and Astrid Hilger Bennett, are all members of the Surface Design Association, and all four of us, including Judy Zoelzer Levine, are members of SAQA. For a more detailed look at images in this post, be sure to click on the image and watch it expand.

Gallery view, Contemporary Art Quilts, ICON Gallery

Looking towards the gallery with Judy Zoelzer Levine's Body of Evidence, Contemporary Art Quilts, ICON Gallery

more from Judy Zoelzer Levine's Body of Evidence, ICON Art Gallery

left to right: BJ Parady, Carol Coohey, Astrid Hilger Bennett & Director Bill Teeple in front of a work by Coohey, ICON Art Gallery

Carol Coohey's arresting images of art quilts, ICON Gallery.

Carol Coohey is a newer, talented fiber artist living in Coralville, Iowa,  who has recently really found her own voice. This collection of work, entitled Voices, is powerful and was developed using many surface design techniques inclduing drawing, discharge, screenprinting and painting before quilting. Carol explains, “My most recent work focuses on the rights of girls and women, especially in the Middle East.  To make my collage paintings, I use un-gessoed cloth as the foundation.  I draw, paint and print on cloth with dye, discharge paste, ink and acrylic paint.   I spend half my time teaching and conducting research on violence at a university and half of my time creating art.  The themes in my research often carry over into my artwork.  Earlier in my career, I worked as a graphic artist and an art therapist.  

The impetus for this series began when I saw on TV Nedā Āġā Soltān shot and killed during the protests that followed the 2009 Iranian elections.  In Persian, Nedā (ندا) means “voice.”  Hence, the name of my series.  In the Voices Series, I focus on how policy and culture affect the lives of women and girls living in the Middle East.  I explore universal themes, such as the right to an education and the influence of culture on girl’s and women’s decision-making. Stylistically, I’ve drawn on graffiti street art which has become a form of political protest in the Middle East during recent years.”

Illinois artist BJ Parady works primarily on silk and recyled fabrics, creating smaller pieces where marks made by stitching are important. She interprets Midwestern landscape. “My art reflects the microcosm in which I live—where the tall grass prairie used to be. I am inspired daily by the big skies, the reflection of light on water, the remaining remnants of native plants. I have come to embrace the idea of abstraction—capturing the essence of a moment rather than a literal depiction of a scene that could just as easily be photographed.”

Judy Zoelzer Levine’s Body of Evidence series is composed of 25 art quilts interpreting the female human form. A Wisconsin artist, Levine created these works over a span of many years.

Astrid Hilger Bennett approaches her pieces as she would a piece of music, using painting, monoprinting, screenprinting and other techniques to make largescale, abstract wall art. For more information on  her work, please check out the gallery and other pages on this website.

the contemplative view: Autumn Narrative (right) and other artquilts by Astrid Hilger Bennett at ICON Art Gallery

ICON Gallery is an acronym for Iowa Contemporary Art and is the brainchild of Bill Teeple, a devoted artist, arts advocate and educator who teaches 9 classes a week in the center, which also houses a small sales area of artists’ supplies. With only 10,000 residents, Fairfield seems an unlikely setting for a gallery that would easily fit into any urban environment. However, Fairfield is a magnet for cultural aficionados, in part from the presence of Maharishi University, which attracts students and residents from around the world interested in Auyervedic principles. In fact, when we drove up to attend the opening reception, we were greeted with tents selling brats, beer, hotdogs and pop, not what I was expecting! Oktoberfest on First Fridays, a draw for county residents of persuasions. The festival included a parade of draft horses all duded up, plus a polka band on a flatbed truck. I will post about this separately. The exhibit and exhibitors at ICON are not associated with Maharishi University.

Tim Harding’s Exhibit at the Nash Gallery

In June, I had the opportunity to attend Confluence, the biennial International Conference of the Surface Design Association. As an SDA Board member, I knew that my tasks at the Conference went beyond mere participation, —I am in charge of all the “state” or Area Representatives — but I had a wonderful time. What I’ve always appreciated about the SDA Conferences is that they provide not only a forum for networking and sharing of technical information, but they are also a rich snapshot of what’s currently interesting in fiber art. Not all fiber art gets covered, of course, but participants on all levels of expertise return home with food for thought on many levels.

one third of the Members’ Show, Merge & Flow, sandwiched between other stellar exhibits at the Nash Gallery

 Add to that, participants have the opportunity to see more than thirty exhibitions of contemporary fiber art, which alone would make the conference worth attending. Other events included a stellar fashion show of members’ work, dynamic speakers and demonstrations, a members’ trunk show, a vendor fair, regional members’ meetings, and special interest gatherings, for example, for educators or batik artists. The beginning of the light rail expansion  directly in front of the hotel caused some traffic complications in being able to see all the exhibitions, but most participants did go with the “merge and flow” and used the time to get to know one another.

members’ meet & greet started our day of Gallery hopping

Now in its 36th year, SDA came to pass in the time when local and national craft organizations were encouraged to add the work “design” or “designer” to their names in order to distinguish the kinds of work their artists did from folk and hobby craft. The Surface Design Association was born. Despite its longevity and history, the phrase “surface design” still causes some confusion. Here’s how it is defined on SDA’s new website:

And here’s something about the organization:
The Surface Design Association is an international community engaged in the creative exploration of fiber & fabric. Our mission is to promote awareness & appreciation of the textile arts. Through member-supported publications, exhibitions & conferences, we inspire creativity, encourage innovation, & advocate excellence.

Confluence is co-sponsored by the Textile Center of Minnesota. Director Margaret Miller tells us that the Center is comprised of 900 members in 35 member organizations. Now located in what was once a car dealership, the Center contains meeting rooms, gallery areas, a sales shop, a 23,000 volume library, and a well-equipped dye kitchen.

What follows is literally a snapshot my own personal view on the conference. It is not complete, but it reflects my experience and available photos. The exhibits appear in the next post. Bodies of Water Fashion Show, Trunk Show, workshop photos and member pictures appear here. What’s missing? All of the provocative speakers, like India Flint, Pat Hickman, Barbara Lee Smith, Stephen Fraser, Faythe Levine, Natalie Chanin and Jane Dunnewold, plus a wide array of panels and demos. And, all that camaradie, hard to capture. You just had to be there…

Awards Judges Leesa Hubbell and Lynne Pollard examine Penny Collins’ Gown for Great Pacific Garbage Patch Ball, made of recycled plastic bags and winner of the SDA Award of Excellence

examining the Fashion Show entries

 

talking with Fashion Show Coordinator Anna Lee

 

Chunghie Lee’s Pojagi-making demonstration

 

At the DIY fair: altering a T-shirt, fundraiser for the Textile Center of MN (above), TCM lacemaking demo, plus impromptu “fashion show parade” by 17 year-old fashion designer, shown in black suit & glasses (below)

 

Trunk show & Vendors’ Fair, above and below

Faythe Levine discusses Handmade Nation, which was also shown

 

international conferees viewing a beaded piece while waiting for Conference buses

one conferee on her way to the Fashion Show finishes the crocheted embellishment on her altered SDA T-shirt

SDA President Candace Edgerly with new American Crafts Council Executive Director Chris Admundsen. The ACC recently moved to Minneapolis from New York City,

Iowa City’s celebrated Iowa Arts Festival took place June 3-5, inaugurated by a Gallery Walk at 17 downtown locations including Iowa Artisans Gallery, the gallery that I am associated with. On my rounds to check out artists at the art fair the next day, I discovered a tent with a knitting installation in progress. The red knitted labyrinth resembled a large unruly octopus and represents the work of many knitters over time. Curious, I asked artist and founder Anni Holm to tell me more about her project.

Anni, who lives in Chicago but is a native of Denmark, and fellow knitter Nyok-Mei Wong of Malaysia, started this knitting installation/performance art piece in 2006. Entitled “The NetWorking Project,” it involves members of the public stopping by to knit from one of the many ends. No experience is necessary.  From her promotional materials, Anni tells us, “The NetWorking project is an attempt to physically demonstrate how a network is constructed and constantly changing. The viewers are invited to sit down and knit with the artist, and through dialogue develop their own networks beyond the boundaries of the piece.” To see more images from other locations, visit The NetWorking Project’s website.

Anni Holm is pictured above, at left. She told Festival organizers that about 100 knitters participated in the project over two days, not bad for a first time appearance.

In mid-February, I attended the Buyers’ Market of American Craft as a buyer for Iowa Artisans Gallery.  As we prepared to leave, we discovered our flight was canceled and rescheduled for late in the day. What to do in this lovely city? Our answer was to meander, walking the streets in ways we’d been unable to do prior to this point. Next thing I knew, I was literally bumping into The Fabric Workshop and Museum, a stone’s throw away from the Convention Center, where I’d attended the show for 15 years.

The Fabric Workshop! I’ve been reading about this venerable institution for more than twenty years. Articles have always pinpointed the Workshop’s focus on screen printing, and I’ve been an enthusiastic screen printer for years. Naturally, I’ve always wanted to visit.

The Fabric Workshop was founded by Marian Stroud in 1977, both as a place to train apprentices in the field of textile design and to work with mature artists interested in fabric and unconventional materials. A Decade of Fabric and Art  celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Center. This publication points out the 1960s connections of major artists like Alexander Calder, with the making of fiber art pieces, tapestries in Calder’s case. This precedent led Stroud to invite artists like Louise Nevelson, Robert Morris, Robert Kushner, Jun Kaneko and Ned Smyth into the Workshop early on. 150 artists in all were served during the first decade.

As a screen printer, I gasped with pleasure at the long tables and deep space of this printing studio.

The Fabric Workshop refined its mission in 1996, adding Museum to its name. Artists are still offered the chance to work as Artists-in-Residence with unconventional materials, not all of them fabric or textile-related. The screen printing areas serve at-risk youth in Philadelphia schools, as well as high school-, college- and postgraduate-level apprenticeships. Current artists in residence at the Workshop are profiled on the website.  The Workshop is housed on several floors of a building, with exhibition halls, screen printing production studios, administrative offices, and conservation facilities for its 5500 objects made by 400 participating artists. It also houses a museum shop where screen printed items are sold in addition to books and other goodies.

During my visit, I viewed New American Voices II, an exhibition of contemporary sculpture, installation and wall works by Robert Pruitt, Jim Drain, Jiha Moon and Bill Smith. Vastly different in concept and execution, these works will challenge anyone looking for a more traditional approach to fiber art. I was especially drawn to the work of Robert Pruitt. His website does not do his contemporary work justice, so I won’t cite it here. I am not able to share images of those exhibits with you.

By becoming a contemporary art center, the Fabric Workshop has invested in its future by insuring two grant-funding streams: contemporary art, plus under-served populations. I hope that it continues to capitalize on its roots in fiber art in its appeal to artists, providing them a truly unique opportunity to make works not otherwise easily made. If you’re in Philadelphia, don’t do what I did and wait 15 years to visit this inspiring and provocative place.

interesting way of preserving samples

a wall display shows images from early years

Screen, test piece and drop cloth

The Fabric Workshop & Museum is located at 1214 Arch St in Philadelphia

 

My $12 purchase, a bag with two interesting sides, a difficult choice with so many patterns to pick from

 

My new years’ gift to myself: do the one studio thing I had the greatest need and drive for, starting to draw on a more regular basis. Along came The Sketchbook Project (see my October 18 post on drawing) with just enough deadline and incentive to make me finally commit. The result is not brilliant, but it’s done, and it’s opened my inner eye.

Here’s what I wrote about my experience:
Most artists I know wish they would draw more. I started drawing in college and for two years, it was all I wanted to do. Then I took up printmaking (markmaking!) and eventually, textiles.

In my textile work, I do a lot of printing and monoprinting- I love color and music and spontaneous expression. Drawing is the act of listening to the world around you, of being an observer as opposed to a participant. Damn it, it requires a lot of patience and concentration. It is meditative.

So, now that I have time to be more of an observer, it is time to draw again, to relearn, to connect hand, eye and head. I also wanted to learn to use sumi ink wash techniques; the world is not all black and white- there’s lots of grey. The sketchbook project gave me the kick in the pants to get this rolling. Being intimidated by the first page, I decided to start in the middle. I also did my drawing in 3 separate sketchbooks each session, to loosen me up and let me try varying papers and approaches. Sometimes I included those other drawings in the Official Sketchbook.

 

 

  

 

 

For my current explorations, I discovered linocut tools, which any adult or almost-adult with good hand-eye coordination will find easy to use. The surface of the potato is easy to carve and happily accepts fabric paints applied with a brayer or brush. (I use ProFab fabric paints from ProChemical & Dye. These paints can be applied over fabric with existing patterns, or with your own custom-dyed and -printed fabrics.)

 

I found the whole process to be delightful. Note: my designs are fairly crude. I’m sure that a skillful, patient approach could result in finer lines. Sides of the potatoes can be cut to designated shapes. Don’t forget: this is a one-shot deal, one potato, one printing session. Then watch them shrivel into interesting sculptural objects, finally disposed of in a compost pile.

 

 

 

Today, James McMullan’s contribution centers on drawing the figure- understanding the relationship with face and hands, among other things. His contributions are today’s #11 in the series: “Strategies to Get  You There” , which follows an earlier one, #10 The Chain of Energy.