The Tarp Series at the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery
I am honored and pleased to be exhibiting my newest body of work, the Tarp Series, in the University of Nebraska’s Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery, December 17, 2018 – February…
Two screens over monoprinted, handpainted fabrics. Fiber reactive dyes. Created by Astrid Hilger Bennett
Screenprinting and the dance of improvisation
Recently, I was invited to contribute images to a updated revision of Jane Dunnewold's book, Improvisational Screenprinting, currently underway. Jane is a well known teacher and artist who has found ways…
Teaching: Anilinas Montblanc, Santiago
Recently, I was honored to be invited to teach a two day workshop at Anilinas Montblanc, the almost 70 year old Chilean Dye Company that supplies not only industry but…
35 years of textile samples, part 5: weaving, intaglio & miscellaneous
And how about all of those other areas of experimentation? I was once a weaver and a spinner, and I first learned to print and dye textiles because as a…
35 years of textile samples, part 1: early screen prints
The day began with a search for a larger container to store fabric teaching samples. It ended with a journey through 35 years of creating fabrics. I had already edited…
ICON Gallery Exhibit, plus a night in Fairfield
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…
Bumping into The Fabric Workshop in Philadelphia
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…
Chicago road trip: Lillstreet Art Center + SOFA
Here's an introduction to the textiles studios at Lillstreet Art Center, which is now located on Ravenswood Avenue in a former 3-story "gear shop." It's a lot like a re-purposed…
Iowa SDA-SAQA-IA Artquilters Meeting
Iowa is a big state with a small population, smaller than the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Our Surface Design Association (SDA) and Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) are small enough…
Necessities Vests!
My friend Connie Roberts is a professional artist who makes carved wooden whistle sculptures. She and I have collaborated for some time on thematic vests containing appropriate whistles. Our most…