Noriko Endo’s “Impressionist Quilts” at Art Quilt Gallery NYC until August 6, 2011

Don’t miss your chance to see these stunning landscapes, on display in the Chelsea District in New York City.

“As an artist, Noriko Endo never takes a false step,” said renowned American quilter Paula Nadelstern.  “Each composition, seamed from an abundance of detail and nuance, reveals new complexities, seducing the viewer to stay a long time and witness her miraculous, sleight of hand dexterity which turns minute slivers of fabric into masterful color compositions.” 

“Impressionist Quilts,” will run from June 16 through August 6, 2011 at The Art Quilt Gallery NYC. 

(image: “Autumn Splendor” 2010)

What inspires Ms. Endo to create her confetti naturescapes?: 

I love to walk in the woods.  I look for a place chased by the light, where pretty pink flowers are blooming, small mushrooms are smiling, and wild birds are calling their partners.  I feel nature keeps some of her secrets hidden.  I can find inspiration everywhere and then narrow down the ideas to the most compelling.

Gallery hours:

Tuesday to Saturday, 11 to 6 pm

Sunday & Monday by appointment only

Gallery web site: 

www.artquiltgallerynyc.com

For more information, contact:

Dale Riehl

The ArtQuilt Gallery•NYC

133 West 25th Street

New York, NY 10001

212-807-9451

dale@artquiltgallerynyc.com

SAQA Members: Call for Entries “Seasonal Palette” Opens August 1st

Seasonal Palette

Open to all SAQA members
Location:
Premier at the International Quilt Festival: Houston, November 1-4, 2012
International Quilt Festival/Cincinnati, April 2013
International Quilt Festival/Long Beach, July 2013
Additional venues may be added

This exhibit will showcase a series of 32 art quilts hung side by side, depicting the seasons of the year. Selected artists will be asked to create an art quilt 78" long and 32" wide for this exhibit. Artists will be asked to document their creative process, including inspiration, photo images, sketches, diagrams, journal entries, fabric swatches and the like. These will be displayed in booklet format along with the work.

Managing Curators Vicki Mangum vcmquilts@aol.com and Kathleen McCabe kathmccabe@gmail.com will select the artists.

The full prospectus is available in pdf format. 
Entry is by digital images only, using SAQA’s online system. Preview the entry form atsaqacallforentries6.com

August 1, 2011       Online entry opens
August 31, 2011     Online Entry Final Day - Deadline at 11:59 pm EST

New Features on SAQA-CT Blog

New features have been added to this blog, keeping you informed about opportunities to see and exhibit Art Quilts in Connecticut and around the New England/Metro NY area.

At the top of the page you’ll notice 3 tabs.  (“Home” brings you here, to the latest blog postings.)  Click on “Calendar” to see a calendar of quilting and fiber art events in CT and New England.  “Calls for Entries” is a running list of fiber-friendly art shows & exhibitions in the New England/NY area which you may be eligible to enter.

Feel free to use the comments section to submit an addition to the list, provided it is quilting/fiber art related and located in the Northeastern USA.  Make sure to include the title of the event, location, relevant start/end dates, times and contact information.  Let’s keep each other up to date so we can support our fellow artists and take advantage of all Connecticut has to offer! 

Notes from SAQA-CT Regional Meeting (Guilford, CT)

Saturday, July 23rd marked the 3rd SAQA-CT Regional Meeting this year.  Organized by CT Rep Diane Wright, we met at 10AM at the Guilford Art Center’s Mill Gallery in Guilford, CT.   This month we’d also like to welcome our newest CT members: Timi Bronson, Mary Lyn Page and Marilyn Davidson.  Welcome to SAQA!!

About 30 members and their guests gathered around to hear fiber artist Liz Alpert Fay talk about her background in fine art and quilting which developed into a passion for contemporary hooked art.  Liz took us on a tour of the Guilford Art Center’s current exhibition “on Higher Ground”, which features hooked artwork by Fay and 3 other artists - Leslie Giuliani, Tracy Jamar and Constance Old.

During breaks, we admired the hooked art as well as the SAQA Trunk Show on display in the Mill Gallery.

Later Barb McKie presented her 3 year study on fabrics and fusible materials that have been exposed to direct sunlight.  Members filled out surveys, evaluating the differences in color and softness of different fabrics.

SAQA business focused mainly on the potential for a CT regional exhibition of fiber art.  Since this is just the idea phase, no specifics have been decided yet.  The actual exhibition may take place one or two years from now.  Those in attendance came up with some great ideas and suggestions on moving forward.  It seemed like most people would prefer the exhibition to feature only CT members (and dual members who include CT).  The hope is that we can get enough participation in-State to assure a high quality collection of work.

There are quite a few issues to resolve, but CT members are energetic and creative!  Several people have already stepped forward to act as Chairpersons, to gather information on potential venues and develop an exhibition plan.  We will continue the discussion at future meetings, keeping everyone in the loop as the plan takes shape.

A delicious lunch was provided by “La Cuisine” in nearby Branford, CT.  Thank you Barb Adams for arranging that!

After lunch we had “Show & Tell”; almost every person who came brought along some work to share.  The meeting adjourned at 2PM.  Diane provided maps so members could head to other fiber-related attractions in the Guildford area.

Thank you EVERYONE who worked to organize this wonderful event and to all the members & friends who participated!  We’re hoping to schedule the next regional meeting for September/October 2011, and would like members to share suggestions on where to meet.  Please send your ideas and suggestions to your CT Reps, Diane Wright or Kate Themel.

A review and photos from the SAQA-CT meeting can also be found on Diane Wright’s blog:  http://dianewrightquilts.blogspot.com/2011/07/saqact-summer-meeting.html

Greater Hartford Quilt Guild Show, Aug 6-7, 2011 (East Windsor, CT)

Don’t miss the 2011 Greater Hartford Quilt Guild Show

This year's Quilt Show Challenge: “Chapter & Verse”
Each Chapter will choose a quilt-related saying or a “rule” of quilting and interpret it through quilts.  Some examples include:

• Glastonbury Piecemakers- "When life hands you scraps, make a quilt"
• Heritage Quilters- "When I bought this fabric, what was I thinking?"
• Apple Valley Quilters- "We don't exaggerate, we embellish!"
• West Hartford Quilters- "I'm a Quilter and my house is in pieces".
• Vernon Nutmeg Quilters- "I cannot count my day complete, 'til needle, thread and fabric meet".

The GHQG Show will take place at the Clarion Inn, 161 Bridge Street in East Windsor, CT.

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday
Admission: $8 (under 12 free)

 

Teachers

• Karen Eckmeier
• Elin Waterston
• Pat Ferguson
• Cathy Racine

Classes

• Happy Villages
• Drawing for Quilters
• Zentangles
• Decorative Thread
• Layered Waves
• Fabric Collage
• Free Seminar
• Register for a Class - Online
• Register for a Class – Mail

Vendors

• Batik Tambal
• Christian Lane Quiltery
• Close to Home
• Lisa's Clover Hill Quilts
• Quilters Treasure
• Quilting by the Yard
• Sew Inspired Quilt Shop
• Six Gables Designs
• The Yankee Quilter
• We Got the Buttons

For More Information: http://www.hartfordquiltshow.com/

Mystic Arts Center (Mystic, CT): Call For Entries “Form and Fantasy” – Deadline August 19

Mystic Arts Center presents:

FORM & FANTASY: A CONTEMPORARY TWIST ON FIBER ART

September 30 – November 12, 2011

Opening Reception: Thursday, October 6, 2011 5:30 – 7:00 PM

Call For Entries

Form & Fantasy – A Contemporary Twist on Fiber Art is a juried exhibition open to all fiber
artists.

For purposes of this exhibit, Fiber Art is defined as a fine art using traditional natural
fibers made from plants or animals such as fabric, yarn and hemp, as well as non-traditional
synthetic and recycled materials. The essence of the piece(s) submitted should utilize some
type of fiber and be works of art that communicate a message, emotion or meaning that goes
beyond the literal meaning of the materials.

During this exhibit we plan to include other events such as guest speakers and workshops that
will serve to expand understanding and promote the appreciation for this art form.

The Mystic Arts Center is located in historic downtown Mystic, Connecticut. The mission of the
Arts Center is to foster the creation, understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the visual
arts through exhibitions and educational programs and this particular show will take place in
their beautiful Davis Gallery.

Deadline for Entries: August 19, 2011

Click here for full prospectus: http://www.mysticarts.org/PDF/2011FiberArtProspectus.pdf

For more information about Mystic Arts Center, visit: www.mysticarts.org

Mystic Art Center
9 Water Street
Mystic, CT 06355
860-536-7601

Gallery Hours:
11am to 5pm daily

“On Higher Ground” and SAQA Trunk Show Highlighted in the Guilford Courier Newspaper

Colorful images of quilts and contemporary hooked artwork by Liz Alpert Fay, Ruan Robertson, Loris Bogue, and Constance Old are featured in the current issue of The Guilford Courier.  The artists are part of two shows going on right now at the Guilford Art Center’s Mill Gallery.

“On Higher Ground” presents work by four artists who create contemporary hooked art: Liz Alpert Fay, Leslie Giuliani, Tracy Jamar, and Constance Old. These four artists, all affiliated with Newtown Hooked Art Shows, exemplify a 21st-century approach to working within the highly traditional medium of rug hooking.

Running concurrently with the hooked rug show is SAQA’s 2011/2012 Trunk Show “This is a Quilt!”  An excerpt from the Courier article reads “The plethora of quilts in the trunk show represent a huge variety of style, technique, and compositional approaches to the medium.”

The trunk show is comprised of thirty 8x8 quilts in 12x12 white matte frames.  These unique and colorful designs are displayed around the room, along with the hooked artwork.  The result is a wonderful interaction of fiber media.

Both exhibitions will be on display at the Mill Gallery until August 8, 2011

If you don’t get the Courier newspaper, you may read the online version here:  http://www.theday.com/article/20110706/ENT16/307079778/-1/zip06details&town=Guilford&template=zip06art

Our Next SAQA-CT Regional Meeting: Saturday July 23rd at Guilford Art Center

Attention SAQA Members and Friends:  You are Invited to our upcoming SAQA-CT Regional Meeting!

Saturday July 23, 2011

Guilford Art Center in Guilford, CT

10AM – 2PM

Guilford Art Center – Mill Gallery

411 Church Street

Guilford, CT 06437

(203) 453-5947

http://www.guilfordartcenter.org/

(Images left to right: Trunk Show pieces by Catherine Smith and Margaret Phillips, Detail of “Tree Shadow” by Liz Alpert Fay)

Highlights Include:

• Meet & Greet
• Show & Tell
• SAQA 2011 Trunk show “This is a Quilt!”
• Current Exhibition at GAC’s Mill Gallery: "On Higher Ground" presents work by four artists who create contemporary hooked art: Liz Alpert Fay, Leslie Giuliani, Tracy Jamar and Constance Old.
• Artist Talk by Liz Alpert Fay
• Catered Lunch @ $8–10 per person
• Nearby Exhibits (Maps will be available):
  • Sisters in Cloth present “Double Take: Photo & Fiber” at the Guilford Free Library
  • All American Fine Craft at Evergreen Gallery
  • M!X design store – Innovative designs and gifts
  • BSK Glass Gallery – Original glass works by Barbara Shulman-Kirwin
  • Fine Art at The Greene Art Gallery 

Hope you can make it! 

Please RSVP by July 21st so we can get an accurate head count for lunch. 

Thanks and hope to see you soon,

~Kate and Diane, your SAQA-CT Reps

SAQA 2011 Benefit Auction – Preview

The quilts are in!  July 2, 2011 marked the deadline for sending donations into SAQA’s 2011 Benefit Auction.  Our members came through with over 300 unique and beautiful quilts! 

 

Featured here are 8 quilts by SAQA-Connecticut members (shown left to right): Gail Kotowski, Norma Schlager, Diane Wright, Betty Warner, Debbie Bein, Karen Loprete, Catherine Whall Smith, Kate Themel and Ruth Anne Olson.    You can view all the available quilts on SAQA’s main website: http://www.saqa.com/saqa-u.php?ID=1791 or check out the running slide show on this blog (upper right).

The funds raised through the Auction are critical to supporting SAQA's exhibitions, catalogs and outreach programs.  All of 2010's auction quilts will remain on our website for viewing only, until the 2011 auction is underway.

This year's Auction will begin on Monday, September 12th at 2:00 pm Eastern and conclude on Sunday, October 2 at 2:00 pm Eastern. Price points will again be: $750, $550, $350, $250, $150 and $75.
Click here for more details on How the Auction Works

Take a look and choose your favorites!

Sisters in Cloth Exhibit “Double Take: Photo & Fiber” at Guilford Library (Guilford, CT)

Sisters in Cloth, a group of Connecticut fiber artists, are pleased to announce the opening of their mixed media exhibition “Double Take: Photo & Fiber” at the Guilford Free Library. 

This show, which was recently exhibited at the Gallery at Haskins Laboratory in New Haven, includes original photographs by DeLucco-Alpert paired with art quilts by Sisters in Cloth members. 

Members were challenged to interpret a photograph into fabric.  Each artist created two art quilts: an 18"x24" full view and an 8" detail.  The art quilts are matted and framed to hang along side the photos that inspired them, creating a wonderfully cohesive visual display.

Read a review of the July 7th Opening Reception on Diane Wright’s blog: http://dianewrightquilts.blogspot.com/2011/07/double-take-photo-and-fiberreinstalled.html

The show will be on display at the Guilford Library until July 30, 2011. 

Attention SAQA Members: If you are coming to our CT Regional Meeting at the Guilford Art Center on July 23rd, please set aside some time to visit the nearby Guilford Library to see this beautiful exhibit.

Participating artists include: Barbara C Adams, Janine Anderson-Bays, Debra Bento, Rosemary DeLucco-Alpert, Vivika DeNegre, Yvette Howard, Evelyn Judson, Gail Kotowski, Carol Ludington, Ruth Anne Olson, Linda Sexton-Patrick, Marie Shepherd, Robin Wolek, Martha Wolfe, Diane Wright and Linda Zimmerman.

The Guilford Free Library is located at 67 Park Street, Guilford CT 06437.  Call 203-453-8282 or visit www.guilfordfreelibrary.org for hours and directions.  

Vivika DeNegre Announces New Blog and Invitation to Join “The Prayer Flag Project”

   

A message from SAQA-CT artist Vivika DeNegre":

I am pleased to announce the formation of a new blog and online presence to document "The Prayer Flag Project" which was introduced on the SAQA group message board a few weeks ago.  As of July 1, more than 40 artists from four different countries have contacted me to be a part of this online exhibition of prayer flags, and I have begun to post the results to the new blog theprayerflagproject.blogspot.com. 

The ultimate goal of the project is to engage the public while promoting the spread of Peace, Happiness, Good Will, and kindness though art in our collective communities.

Today's post is from the prolific Jane LaFazio, whose first flag was a prayer for fellow fiber artist Melly Testa as she underwent surgery for breast cancer.  You will recognize the beautiful artistry and touching stories and prayers from many of the artists who have pledged participation.   I plan to post new flags as they are submitted, and have artwork from 10 additional artists whose flags will be posted over the next two weeks. 

I have attached 3 photos (some of my flags, Jane LaFazio's, and Nina Lisa Moen's)

Please visit the site and join your flags to ours.  On the blog you will find easy instructions of how to join, information about submission, a mini tutorial, and a growing list of participants whose flags have been posted.  Please join us in this spiritual and artistic journey.  I look forward to hearing from many more SAQA members.

Pray on,

Vivika Hansen DeNegre