SAQA-CT artist Cher Hurney was kind enough to arrange a meeting place for us at the Pine Orchard Yacht Club in Branford, Connecticut. Artists and their guests met in a sun-lit dining room, with a beautiful view of Long Island Sound.
The meeting started out with some announcements:
SAQA Benefit Auction – Please donate a finished 12” square quilt.
- Early Bird Deadline: April 1st.
- Final Deadline: July 1st
- Send quilts to Pat Gould – 12620 Towner Ave NE/ Albuquerque NM 87112
Film Screening “Who Does She Think She Is?” – Images Theatre in Williamstown, Massachusetts, will screen the movie on Monday April 5, 2010.
New Workshop at Guilford Art Center:
- Saturday, Apr. 10th, 12 - 3:30 pm
- ART BUSINESS & MARKETING WORKSHOP with LIRON SISSMAN
CALLS for ENTRIES
New England Quilt Museum (NEQM) – “No Holes Barred” Exhibition
Deadline November 1, 2010
Open to SAQA Members from the New England States (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI and VT)
For more information visit http://saqane2011news.blogspot.com/
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Roots, Mutations: Evolution – SAQA Artists in NY, NJ and CT
Deadline for submission is May 1, 2010
See CT Blog for a full list of requirements and submission process: http://saqact.blogspot.com/2010/03/call-for-entries-roots-mutations.html
No submission fee
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Windsor Arts Center WAC – SAQA CT Regional Fiber Art Show
Tentatively set for January 2011
Non-juried show, Open to SAQA artists in Connecticut and neighboring States
Theme: Personal & Cultural Identity – this could relate to family traditions, stories of assimilation or isolation, nationality, etc. The work should be a representation of the artists personal experience, rather than commentary on race, culture or ethnicity in general society.
Wall and installation/sculptural pieces are up for consideration
More information TBD
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We also talked about the Guilford Fiber Art Festival & our end-of-year meeting in December. Although it seems a long way off, it’s not too early to start thinking about SAQA-CT’s participation in the fiber art events. What would you like to see this year? How do you want to be involved? Ideas for Member Challenges, workshops, lectures or other events can be sent to Kate Themel, Diane Wright or Linda Zimmerman.
Then a delicious buffet lunch was served in the spacious dining room. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone over soup, sandwiches and salads. After the lunch break we continued with our “Show & Tells”. Even more inspiring than the sunny weather was the artwork shared by our CT members. The diversity and talent of our group always amazes me, and makes me want to get right back to my studio and get to work!
Every meeting is a little different, with some new members and some regulars, and some people just curious about art quilts. This Saturday we had some wonderful surprises.
A painter shared with us her first creation of fiber art – Jennifer O’Brien’s mother Jeanine, a pastel artist, came as her daughter’s guest. Not wanting to be left out of Show & Tell, she made a lovely landscape using scrap fabrics. Jennifer’s friend Sam brought an Escher-inspired quilt depicting the concept of metamorphosis.
We also met Selma Kente, who shared her experiences as a quilt shop owner in Istanbul and invited members to exhibit their work in an upcoming Fiber Art show there. Selma also showed us her handmade quilts and uniquely Turkish fiber art jewelry – tiny 3 dimensional flowers created with delicately laced thread.
The work by our regular CT members was outstanding as always. The quilts ranged in size from small framed pieces to large wall hangings, works in progress to finished, abstract to pictorial, personal, humorous, and whimsical.
I hope everyone found something to inspire them. Thanks again to Cher Hurney for arranging the accommodations & lunch for us. I’m looking forward to our next get-together! Take care everyone,
~Kate Themel
