Martha Sielman at the Bristol Public Library

Martha Sielman will present "Masters: Art Quilts"
Thursday evening July 30th, 6:30 - 7:30pm at the Bristol Public Library, Meeting Room 1
Enjoy a PowerPoint slide show featuring the work of 40 master artists, including information about their techniques. The lecture is free and registration is not required, so please arrive in time to get the best seats!

Quiltscapes at the Whistler

Artwork by Diane Wright and Barbara McKie will be on display at The Whistler House Museum of Art from August 5th - 29th.
Quiltscapes at the Whistler is a quilt exhibition inspired by the landscape genre, including living flora and fauna, lighting and weather conditions, and human elements, such as a city or built environment.
There is so much to see and do, why not make a weekend of it? Don't miss these events at The Whistler:
Gallery Night - Thursday August 6th, 5:30 - 8:30pm
High Tea & Art: Quilts in Bloom - Friday August 7th, 12:00 - 2:00pm
Artist Reception - Saturday August 8th, 2:00 - 4:00pm

"Reflections" by Diane Wright






"One Good Tern Deserves Another" and "Blue-footed Boobie of the Galapagos", both by Barb McKie

Classes and Workshops by SAQA-CT Members

Betty Warner will be leading an Art Materials at Play demo and workshop on the 1st Saturday and 3rd Thursday of each month at Sew Inspired Quilt Shop and Studio, Simsbury CT.
Pre-registration is necessary so contact Sew Inspired for more info.
Topics include Fabric Paints and Inks, Monoprinting, Working with Lutrador, Paint Sticks, Foil, and Angelina Fibers. Next session: August 1st and 20th "Working with Lutrador"

Liz Alpert Fay offers "Punch Needle Design and Techniques" at the Cross Village Rug Works in Cross Village, Michigan August 1st and 2nd
For more information, visit: www.crossvillagerugworks.com

Last chance this summer!
Experience a variety of printmaking techniques with Jane Davila
Techniques to be covered include block printing, nature printing, thermofax, screen printing, monoprinting, collagraphy and pochoir.
August 14th & 15th, 10am-4pm each day in Ridgefield CT. Lunch and many supplies, tools and equipment are included in the $275 workshop fee.
Contact Jane for more information.

Mickey Lawler invites you to try fabric painting with CRAZY QUILTERS (lecture and paint workshop) in Falmouth, MA
Aug. 20th and 21st Contact: Lynn DiRusso for more information, Email: maplestar77@msn.com

Explore "Art Quilt Techniques" with Kate Themel at ArtsPlace in Cheshire, CT. For fiber artists and quilters hoping to broaden their horizons and develop fine art skills.
Wednesdays 9:30am - 12:00pm from September 16th - October 28th
Call to register (203) 272-ARTS / (203) 272-2787
Look for the new 2009 Fall Schedule coming soon: ArtsPlace Website

SAQA CT Members: If you are teaching a class in August or September and wish to be included here, Add a comment with your class/workshop information or email Kate Themel with the details.

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LOOKING FOR TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES?
Tabor Arts Center in Branford, CT is looking for teachers as part of their "Visiting Artists" program:
Job Title: Visiting Artists. New rotations beginning September 2009
Responsibilities: Develop and instruct innovative 10-12-week fine-arts classes for students in grades K-4 or 5-8. Tabor Community Arts Center operates a high quality and innovative After School Arts Program where previous classes have included Bookmaking, Sculpture, Cartooning Creative Writing, Found-Object Art, Poetry, and more. We hire 14-16 Visiting Artists per year.
Skills: Candidates must have previous experience working with children and a minimum of a Bachelors degree, MA or MFA preferred.
Please e-mail resume to: tabor_arts@yahoo.com Or send to: Tabor Community Arts Center, 45 Tabor Drive, Branford, CT 06405


Improve your resumé:
A FREE hands-on resumé workshop will be offered on Thursday, July 30, from 5:30-6:30pm in the Computer Lab of the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.
Participants MUST BRING a detailed work and education history so that a resumé can be prepared.
The class will discuss how to select the best résumé style for the job and the applicant, and how to organize background information in an attractive format for potential employers. Participants will have the opportunity to reserve a computer to complete the résumé on their own after the workshop. The instructor will be available to answer questions.
Register at www.resume.eventbrite.com or call the library at 203-946-7431.

Spotlight on Members' Work

Our blog now features a running slide show with examples of our members' quilted artwork.
Call for entries: SAQA-CT members, submit a photo of one of your art quilts to be a part of this lovely slide show.

Non-members, find out how you can join this talented and diverse group of artists working in Connecticut, and be part of a larger organization dedicated to promoting you and your work in fiber arts. Go to http://www.saqa.com for more information.

Support the Arts this Weekend

Here are a few fun ideas if you'd like to support your fellow Nutmeg artists and see beautiful works of fine art and fine crafts:
Guilford:

• Craft EXPO starts today and runs until Saturday, July 18th at the Guilford Art Center
  
• Art Supplies & Jewelry tag sale hosted by Sisters in Cloth will be right next door to the Guilford Art Center, Saturday July 18th 8am-1pm
  

Westport:

• The Fine Arts Festival is open Saturday 9am-6pm and Sunday 10am-5pm

New Haven:

• Tonight at the Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery, 5pm-7pm: An Opening Reception for "Hang Ups", 6th annual Members' Show. Artwork in a variety of media will be on display. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.
  

• The Creative Arts Workshop Student Show features artwork in fiber, jewelry, photography, printmaking and more. (Go today or tomorrow), the gallery is open weekdays from 9:30am-5:30pm

• Sunday July 19th 3-5pm: Opening Reception for William Kent's "Relevant Irreverence", a collection of prints and sculpture spanning the artist's 40+ years of studio work.

Willimantic:

• "Celebration Quilts" are on display at the Windham Textile & History Museum. Open from 10am-4pm Friday through Sunday
  

• Pat Ferguson will be giving a lecture on "How to Care for your Quilts", also at the Windham Textile & History Museum, Sunday 4pm

Milford:

• Firehouse Art Gallery presents "Cutting Edge Art". The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday, 12pm-5pm

Check out the Calendar of Events for more details on any of these events. And feel free to leave a comment if you know of other places to see fine art and especially fiber art.
Have a great weekend!

Tag Sale: Jewelry and Art Supplies for Sale this Weekend

The famous Sisters In Cloth are hosting a tag sale this weekend in Guilford, CT
Check out the selection of jewelry and art supplies!
When:
Saturday, July 18th from 8:00am - 1:00pm
Where:

397 Church St

Guilford, CT

(Rt 77 directly next to the Guilford Art Center and across the street from the Guilford Police Station)

Don't forget to check out CRAFT EXPO, also at the Guilford Art Center July 16th-18th

Creative Block? Consider taking an art class

Every artist experiences that "creative slump" once in a while. Maybe you've looked at the same stack of fabric for so long it's about as inspiring as your old laundry. How do you break out of it? One way is to remember that visual art is governed by basic elements, and those elements are the same for any medium whether it's fiber, charcoal, paint or photography.

If you want to improve your work as a fiber artist, keep in mind that you are not limited to quilting and fabric-making classes.
What's more, taking a traditional art class can help you develop skills outside the studio.

Two reporters from The Boston Globe explored the benefits of art classes in public schools. The following article presents a comprehensive look at the benefits of art classes. And although the article is a few years old, it is relevant today for students as well as adults.

Art for our sake: School arts classes matter more than ever - but not for the reasons you think
By Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland/The Boston Globe/ September 2, 2007

Excerpt:
"In our analysis, we identified eight 'studio habits of mind' that arts classes taught, including the development of artistic craft. Each of these stood out from testable skills taught elsewhere in school.One of these habits was persistence: Students worked on projects over sustained periods of time and were expected to find meaningful problems and persevere through frustration. Another was expression: Students were urged to move beyond technical skill to create works rich in emotion, atmosphere, and their own personal voice or vision."

"Observational drawing requires breaking away from stereotypes and seeing accurately and directly....Seeing clearly by looking past one's preconceptions is central to a variety of professions, from medicine to law."

For the full article go to:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/09/02/art_for_our_sake/

You can find basic art classes like drawing, painting and pottery all over Connecticut. Some of them are offered at a very low cost or may be free with certain memberships or museum passes. But even at full price, consider classes as an investment in yourself as an artist. Scroll down the right-side menu of this page under "Art Instruction in CT" for some ideas to get started.

Opportunity for Artists: "Art in Good Taste"

Cheshire Land Trust - Call for Entries:

The Cheshire Land Trust is celebrating their 40^th Anniversary with an Art and Wine Festival at the historic Ives Farm.

Staged in the open fields of Ives Farm, against the backdrop of the setting sun, Cheshire Land Trust will feature an Art Exhibit and Sale, showcasing many very talented local artists and artisans. Artworks and crafts will be on display under the shelter of the working greenhouses. And the farm itself, with its planted crop fields, historic barns, antique farming tools, and hiking trails will be open for all to enjoy.

There will also be a Wine Tasting, with fine wines offered by regional distributors, each paired with a variety of foods ideally suited to accompany the wines. Along with the art, the wine and the delicious food, delightful musical entertainment will be provided, with local musicians adding just the perfect ambiance to create a memorable summer evening.

The call for entries is going out to "All artists age 18 or older working in drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, pottery and sculpture". Deadline for registration is July 31st.
Artists may rent a 10x10 booth for $30 without a table or $45 with a table. There is a 20% commission on work sold during this event. However, the commission fee may be waived if you choose to donate an original piece of art to the Cheshire Land Trust silent auction.
Spaces are limited, so contact Janice Yusza for more info (203) 272-9491 or click here to send an email to Janice Yusza

The event will be held August 29^th, from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Tickets will be available at $40 or $75 for two. To make reservations please call 203-272-9491.

This Month in CT

Here are some of the things our SAQA CT members are up to this month:

Jane Davila is offering a workshop in printmaking techniques in Ridgefield CT on July 17th and 18th from 10am - 4pm; Techniques include block printing, nature printing, thermofax printing, screen printing, monoprinting, collagraphy and pochoir printing.
For more info visit http://www.janedavila.com

July 16th, 17th and 18th: Craft Expo at the Guilford Arts Center
Fiber Art and Wearable Fiber Art will be on display along with art of all media. For more info visit: Guilford Arts Center



July 19th: Pat Ferguson will lecture on the care and maintenance of quilts at the Windham Textile & Historical Museum in Willimantic, CT
4:00pm





July 30th: Martha Sielman will lecture on Masters: Art Quilts at the Bristol Public Library, 6:30pm








Liz Alpert Fay will be showing her work at the Barron Art Center in Woodbrige, New Jersey July 10th - August 6th
Barron Art Center
582 Rahway Ave
Woodbridge, NJ 07095

All Month: Abstract Geometry - an online exhibition curated by Clairan Ferrono
features SAQA CT member Norma Schlager's artwork "Configurations IV: Sunset City"
See it at SAQA's main website, Gallery

Prior online exhibitions on SAQA's website included Three, featuring Pat Ferguson's "Footprints at Watch Hill", A Study in Contrasts and Illumination.

All Month: "CELEBRATION QUILTS": over thirty quilts that celebrate special events, people, and places, from traditional wedding quilts to a series of art quilts honoring the Boston Red Sox. See it at the Windham Textile & Historical Museum







All Month:
Karen Loprete's unique and colorful creations are on display at Spector Furniture - 385 Main Street, Ansonia, CT from now through September