Video interview/review of "Seasonal Palette" exhibit

Here is a wonderful video review of the "Seasonal Palette" exhibit.

From the video description:

Luana Rubin of eQuilter.com interviews Martha Sielman, executive director of SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) about their exhibit depicting the four seasons - Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. They also show in detail one of the process journals of the artists: Roslyn DeBoer's journal about her summer-inspired quilt. Also features quilts by these artists: Grace Errea, Carol Ann Waugh, Arle Sklar-Weinstein, Maya Chaimovich, Barbara J. Schneider, Jeannie P. Moore, Nancy Whittington, Diane Melms, Daren P. Redman, Marianne Williamson, Nancy Cook, Ruth A. Powers, Martha Wolfe, Linda Colsh and Kathleen Loomis. Be sure to check out our other SAQA and Houston Quilt Festival videos on eQuilter.com!

"Innovators & Legends" exhibit and workshops

Come Try Weaving for a Day

The Michigan Weavers Guild offers the opportunity to try your hand at weaving.  They will show you how easy it is to do with two easily transportable looms.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

10 AM to 2 PM

Peace Lutheran Church

17029 West 13 Mile Road

Southfield, MI

Questions?  Contact MWG President, Andrea Anderson at 248-848-9880

www.michiganweaversguild.org

Opportunities - Not for Members Only!

Dye Classes with Susie Krage

Susie Krage of Surface Design Association - Michigan will be offering several fabric dyeing classes this fall.  All clases are held at her Detroit studio in Indian Village.  If interested, contact Susie at skrage2 "at" att.net.*

Indigo Magic: 1 day

Using only indigo, produce fabrics that range from pale to rich deep blue. We will do some

fabric manipulation to achieve variations in color as well as pattern.

Experience level: All, including beginners.

Limit: 10

Cost: $95 includes all dye and chemicals

Offered:   October 25, 9:30-4:30

Beginning Dyeing: 1 day

Learn the basics of low water immersion dyeing (LWI) using fiber reactive dyes. Both

batching and microwave dyeing will be used. Besides basics, a color gradation and some

manipulation will be included.

Experience level: Beginners

Limit: 8

Cost: $95, includes all dyes and chemicals

Offered: September 13, and again October 4, 9:30-4:30

Dyeing II: 1 day

Working with fiber reactive dye, learn to make  a 2 color gradation, parfait with many colors,

fabric manipulation and over dyeing.

Experience level: Beginning dyeing or equivalent experience

Limit: 8

Cost: $95, includes all dyes and chemicals

Offered September 20, and again October 11, 9:30-4:30

Dyeing III: Working with Thickened Dye,  1 day

Using a variety of tools, learn to create improvisational pattern on fabric. Techniques

include but are not limited to mono-printing several ways, direct painting, squirting, 

drawing, stamping and mark making on fabric.

Level: all skill levels with basic dyeing  experience

Limit: 8

Cost: $95, includes all dyes and chemicals

Offered: September 27, and again,  November 18, 9:30-4:30

*You may be asking, why the "at" instead of the @ sign?  Just trying to make it harder for scammers to pick up Susie's email.  

Another SDA Michigan Workshop!

The Michigan Chapter of the Surface Design Association (SDA) has invited us to a workshop.  The original sign up date was August 31, but spaces are still available.  So if interested, contact Susie Krage - skrage2 "at" att.net - right away!  



Arashi Shibori Workshop with MX Dyes

Date:             Saturday, September 22, 2012

Time:             10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Location:       Susie Krage’s Studio – 1731 Seminole St, Detroit, 48214

Class Fee:      $50

Materials:     $10 materials fee (due to instructor at class to cover cost of handout, and use of dyes and auxiliaries)

Instructor:    Mary Valerie Richter

Pole Wrap or Arashi Shibori is a Japanese fabric dyeing technique that creates a pattern that resembles driving rain; the word Arashi means “storm” in Japanese. The patterning can appear architectural or organic depending on how the fabric is manipulated around the pole.  Beautiful colors and textural surprises are revealed as the poles are unwrapped.

This hands-on workshop will cover many pole-wrapping techniques.  We will use small cotton pieces of cloth (think fat quarters), and fiber reactive dyes in immersion baths.  Please note: This is not an opportunity to make personal yardage.  Supply list will be sent upon enrollment.

To sign up:  Contact Susie, who will provide payment instructions.

buy art & raise money for breast cancer research!

Mark your calendars for Tuesday August 28.

Why? Because of this:

  

Cloth Paper Scissors magazine invited several artists (including SAQA MI member Lynn Krawczyk) to make artwork to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

On Tuesday August 28 CPS is going to stock their etsy shop with 41 pieces of mini artwork (in 5" square and 8" square sizes) for you to snag. All proceeds will go to NBCF. You will also have a chance to pick up a special set of Peerless Watercolors in a special pink palette.

Total win-win gig - get cool art and help raise money for a fabulous cause!

* The CPS etsy shop will be empty until Tuesday August 28th. But if you visit before hand, you can sign up to be notified by email when they open so you don't miss your chance! :)

Faces of GM - Aniko Feher fiber art exhibit

 
Michigan fiber artist Aniko Feher, also an employee of General Motors, has an exhibit of her fiber art at the GM Technology Center. Her work is very personal and beautifully executed, the video below features her speaking about the pieces she created:

Nancy Crow workshop at Muskegon Museum of Art

The Muskegon Museum of Art is hosting an exciting fiber art exhibit called Innovators and Legends: Generations in Textiles and Fiber. The exhibit is organized by Geary Jones and the museum. In conjunction with the show that will be at the museum December 13, 2010- March 17, 2013 before traveling extensively around the country, the museum is hosting three fabulous fiber workshops in December - one of which is a Nancy Crow workshop.

 

Details for each one are listed below. Don't hesitate to register now if you are interested. To register, call 231-720-2571.

 

 

Innovators and Legends Workshops

Lines, Curves, Circles and Figure/Ground: Part I machine-piecing workshop

Instructor: Nancy Crow

5 days, December 10-14, 2012 – 9:00 am-noon, 2:00-5:00 pm

Level: Intermediate (sewing machine used)

Class Fee: $600

Location: Hilt Building Classroom (downtown Muskegon)

Extensive supply list sent upon registration.

Many small sewn-together compositions will be created.  All work will be done in direct machine piecing.  All fabric cutting will be done without rulers. Fabrics of choice will be a broad palette of hand-dyed or commercial solids and values.  Emphasis will be on geometric shapes and lines.

Students will be given timed exercises that explore classical design concerns such as color, value, proportion, shape, curves, circles, and line relationships.  Lots of seed ideas will be generated.

By mid-week, students will work in their sketchbooks, analyze their small studies, choose their best ones, and with further exercise, build on these ideas to generate new larger compositions.

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Drawing with Yarn: Tapestry Made Easy

Instructors: David Johnson (former head of fibers at the Oregon School of Arts and Crafts ), and Geary Jones ( a Pollock/Krasner International, and NEA award winning tapestry artist, and sculptor ).

5 days; December 10-14, 2012

Level: all levels

Class Fee: $350

Location: Muskegon Museum of Art Classroom

This is a tapestry, and rug-making class designed for beginners to advanced level weavers. We will explore a variety of weaving techniques (from slit-tapestry, eccentric weave, and a number of knotting, and interlocking techniques). Pattern, and color techniques, as well as blocking, and cleaning will also be addressed. This is both a fun, and relaxing class for just about anyone...

Each participant will be provided with a 3ft x 4 ft frame loop for use during the workshop for a $10 fee.

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Contemporary Cedar Bark Basketry

Instructor: Dawn Nichols Walden

3 days; December 12-14, 2012 – 9:00 am-noon, 1:30-5:00 pm

Level: all levels

Class Fee: $400

Location: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Classroom (downtown Muskegon)

This workshop is designed for large contemporary pieces, mold making techniques and construction methods.  Ideas for expanding with different materials as in plastics or recyclable material.

August / September blog banner - and how YOU could be featured!

Hello fellow MI - SAQA artists, Lynn here. I wanted to take a moment to point out that we have a new blog banner for the months of August and September.

Windows on the Water #4

24.75" x 26"

Desiree Vaughn

Suttons Bay, MI

 

As always, don't forget to visit the Blog Banner Gallery page to see the current banner image in its entirety as well as past images used. 

We love showing off how talented SAQA MI members are and we're looking for a MI member to feature for the months of October, November and December.

So, we're going to make this one super easy and ask you a personal question - what do you love about being an art quilter? Leave a comment on this blog post and we'll choose a random winner on September 1 to be the new face of the blog for the last few months of 2012.

Get commenting! :)

call for entries: Fiberart Interantional 2013

 

Fiberart International 2013 is an exhibition of contemporary fiber art presented by the Fiberarts Guild Of Pittsburgh, Inc. It's located at both the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the Society For Contemporary Craft.

DIGITAL IMAGE DEADLINE: August 31, 2012

ENTRY FEE: $35.00 (U.S. currency) for up to three entries

Two images per entry: one full view and one detail

AWARDS: Over $5000 in cash awards

Visit their website here for the prospectus and information about how to apply online.

michigan-artisans store

michigan-artisans.org

A new store featuring Michigan only artists has opened in Detroit's historic Eastern Market area.

From their website:

Welcome to Michigan Artisans!

Michigan Artisans is a collective of artists, designers and musicians all from the Great Lakes state. These artisans create unique, high quality products by hand, and original musical works. We offer you the peace of mind knowing where your products are coming from, and the quality of products used within them. We support local and small businesses and encourage you to do the same.   

What we do 

Our goals are simple: A website that focuses on artisans and musicians from our region, and offering the general public access to these vendors and musicians online and in person. We will help you coordinate shows with our vendors anywhere within our state. Shows can be a great way to get your holiday shopping done, or to raise money for your cause. We currently offer our vendors an online presence but hope to offer a physical store location to sell artists work and cds and LPs of our musicians.

About our Members 

All of our artists and musicians have to submit an application to be part of the Michigan Artisans. Applicants are juried, and if accepted then included on the website. Vendors can opt to be online only or be active participants in scheduled shows.

Its always exciting to see new endeavors in Michigan springing up that support the arts!

Please visit their website for more information if you are interested in joining them!

fiber show at Pentamere Winery

Hibiscus Isle

Kathy Schmidt

SAQA MI member Kathy Schmidt is having a solo show of her fiber art at Pentamere Winery.

The show will run from August 5 through Labor Day. The opening reception for her show is Sunday August 5th from 1-3pm. Everyone is invited to come out and view her wonderful work and enjoy some fabulous wine!

"Voices" fiber art show opening Fri July 20 at the BBAC

After the Rain

Sue Holdaway Heys

Voices is a fiber art invitational organized by Anne Hiemstra. The show features work from nine fiber artists showing work that expresses their individual artist voices.

From the Voices website:

For the visual artist, “voice” is a metaphor for the distinct and recognizable manner in which we communicate with the viewer.  The vocal artist uses pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, phrasing, and (usually) words to convey mood, emotion, and meaning; the visual artist uses line, color, shape, texture, value, and (sometimes) words to do the same.

Voice is more than style.

It includes both technique and content. It is rooted in our own personal space – our  experiences, understanding, and interpretations of life, and our choices of medium and techniques.  Finding one’s voice is not often easy, quick, or simple, but once found, it will tell truth to the viewer.

By presenting a body of work from each of several artists, “Voices” gives viewers the opportunity to “listen” to the work as a whole & explore how the artist’s voice informs each piece within the group.

The exhibit includes work from Jill Ault, Kathie Briggs, Barbara Bushey, Anne Hiemstra, Sue Holdaway Heys, Lynn Krawczyk, Carol Myers, Joan Potter Thomas and Desiree Vaughn.

 Autumn Eulogy

Desiree Vaughn

The show is being held from July 20 - August 24 at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center.

Gallery details:

Kantgias/De Salle Gallery

1516 South Cranbrook Road

Birmingham, Michigan   48009

(248) 644-0866

BBAC Hours: Mon-Thurs 9 AM-6 PM

Fri & Sat 9AM-5 PM

The opening reception for the exhibit is July 20th from 6pm-8pm.

We Hope to Plant Tomatoes Someday

Joan Potter Thomas

A website has been set up showing not only the work from the exhibit but also information about each artist. We hope you will join us at the opening reception!

congratulations Kay Lister!

SAQA MI member Kay Lister has been awarded best in show for her work, "Cat Fancy", in the Lawrence Street Gallery's current exhibit. Congratulations Kay!

Cat Fancy

30" x 42"

Kay Lister

Garden Creatures
24" x 24"

Kay Lister

SAQA national survey - inquring minds want to know!

Hello fellow artists, Lynn here again. I just wanted to take a second of your time to ask you if you've done the SAQA national survey yet? (Not the Michigan one I emailed you all about, this is the big survey.)

The SAQA Board set up an extensive survey wanting to know what you like - what do you think is working? What would you like to see improved? What big ideas do you have that you'd love to see them add to the organization?

I get it, its easy to say "I'll do this later" and then just sort of let it slip between the cracks. But here's the thing - they really mean it when they say they want to know what you think. They want to make SAQA as good as it can be - which means serving the needs of all of us.

The survey takes a few minutes but when I was going through it, I realized there are a lot of things in SAQA that I don't take good advantage of. And that there are things that I'd like to see changed or added. It felt good to give my opinion and to know that they will read it and take it into consideration.

So please, take a few minutes and do the survey. Help make SAQA be the best it can be!

Go take the survey now! :)

SAQA / SDA picnic - an awesome afternoon!

Hello fabulous SAQA MI artists, Lynn here. I thought I'd give you a report on how the joint SAQA / SDA picnic last week went. In short, we had an awesome time! How could we not, really? Great food, great artists and a really pleasant beautiful location. :)

Susie, the MI rep for the Surface Design Association,  hosted the gathering in her backyard. Part of the meeting was dedicated to seeing each other's work, here are some views of what each member brought:

Clockwise: Carole Harris shows her latest quilt top in progress; Terri Voight models beautiful felted vest (it is very light and has great drape); Carol Tamasiunas brought an art quilt that was inspired by Georgia O'Keefe, she painted the fabric for the piece; Ann Jacob shows her discharge dyed quilt and talks about the environmental issues that inspired it.

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Clockwise: Sandy Gellish shows her art quilt featuring a beautiful landscape; Mary Andrews holds up her art quilt full of incredible hand stitching and color; Jeanne brought one of her sheer wraps on which she has skillfully felted wool onto; Kate Lebowsky talks about a new series of plushie art (that she has coined Huggable Art) that she is creating based on fairytales (these are from the Three Little Pigs tale).

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On the left: Susie Krage holds up a new piece featuring fabric that was created from her photos of Detroit. On the right: Marilyn Prucka's piece is inspired by rivers and features fabric that has been discharged.

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Clockwise: Kay Lister shows off an art quilt that features dyed fabric and screen printing; Patrice Smith's art quilt was created using fabric that has deconstructed screen printing on it; Anne Hiemstra shows an art quilt that was free form pieced and designed.

And since I was behind the camera, I didn't get a shot of me showing off the work that I brought but here is a view of it on its own:

Its the 18th piece in my current series, Remnant Collages, and features hand printed fabric that has been collaged onto canvas.

The afternoon was very pleasant and it was such a great time to get to know everyone! Many thanks to Susie for hosting the gathering and we hope to see you at a future event!

new blog banner for June

I'm afraid I'm a bit late updating the blog banner for June - and its a wonderful one! I think it adds such a wonderful summer feel to the blog, don't you? :)

Here is a full view of it:

The Blue Pitcher

12" x 12"

Mary Vinovskis

Ann Arbor, MI

From Mary:  This "The Blue Pitcher" (12" x 12").  Here I was trying for a painterly effect. The inspiration was a photo I took.  I was able to use the small trimmings from a different fusing project to create "paint strokes" on the pieces of fruit.

 

Don't forget that you can see all the blog banner photos in their entirety as well as information about the artist and piece on the blog's Blog Banner Gallery page. Enjoy! :)

a survey - please let us know your thoughts! :)

Hi gang, Lynn here. I just finished sending out an email to each of you individually. I know I can send one through the SAQA site but its my biggest hope to connect with everyone and see what it is you'd like to do as a SAQA MI member.

So you'll see an email from me and I hope you won't mind that I'm invading your inbox. :)

I've set up two surveys through Survey Monkey (a free polling service) to find out what you'd like to do. Its in two parts because I can only put ten questions on one survey and I had more then that - but don't worry! It won't take long to answer at all!

The links are in the email I sent out to each of you but here they are again for your convenience:

SAQA MI survey part 1

SAQA MI survey part 2

And to thank you for taking the time to fill out the surveys, we're holding a very awesome drawing - a free yard of hand dyed fabric from Cathy Arnett's shop, Funky C Fiber Spree! Cathy is an awesome dyer, here is a sample of her work:

Lovely, right? You'll get to choose which ever one from her shop strikes your fancy if you're the winner. The surveys are anonymous so all you have to do after you take it is send an email to saqamichigan@gmail.com saying you did it and you'll be entered in the drawing.

You have until July 31 to take the surveys and the winner of the fabric will be announced here on the blog on August 4.

I sincerely hope that there are ideas on the surveys that appeal to you and if there is something we haven't thought of, by all means let us know!

Thanks! :)

Lynn

you're invited! a SAQA/SDA picnic! :)

Hello lovely artists - Lynn here. I've got some really exciting news!

I have the great fortune of being friends with the Michigan rep for the Surface Design Association. We were talking recently about how we thought the two groups would enjoy meeting each other so we're inviting all of you to attend a picnic to get to know other SAQA members from the area as well as SDA members too.

Susie, the SDA rep, is graciously opening her beautiful home in historic Indian Village in Detroit for the event. Here are the details:

What: Meet and Greet SAQA / SDA picnic

Where: Susie's home
             1731 Seminole St.
             Detroit, MI 48124

When: Sunday June 24 beginning at 2pm

What to bring: Please bring a dish to pass, your favorite beverage and a piece of your artwork to show off your wonderful talents! :)

RSVP: To Lynn at FibraArtysta@earthlink.net

I have room in my car to carpool if a few people are interested in doing that. Just let me know in your RSVP, only three spots.

Please feel free to bring non-SAQA members to check out the groups, we're always looking to welcome new artists into the organization and this would be a wonderful opportunity to introduce them to what we do.

Very excited about this gathering and I do hope that you will attend!!! :)

Lynn

call for entries: Thoughts with Thread exhibit

The Northville Art House in Northville, MI is seeking entries for an upcoming juried exhibit, Thoughts with Thread.

From the entry form:

The Northville Art House seeks fiber art entries for its August 2012 exhibit, Thoughts with Thread, examples of fiber art include quilts, weaving, needlework, cloth/fiber dolls or figurative work, wall hangings, fashion, etc.

Entries are due June 29th (receive by date).

Visit their Exhibits page for the entry form (scroll down to the bottom).