Meeting Notes: March 22 at Guilford Art Center (Guilford, CT)

Notes courtesy of SAQA-CT Rep Catherine Whall Smith 

SAQACT Regional Meeting
March 22, 2014
The Guilford Art Center
411 Church Street
Guilford, CT

First item of business: Please welcome our new members Marcia Kilpatrick and Mary Macilvain! 

Meeting opened at 10:00 AM with 40 members and 10 guests in attendance.  Barb Adams shared her secret recruiting technique – stand in the check-out line of Joanne’s Fabric Store and engage the person next to you with SAQA membership stories – it worked!!!

UPDATE on Windham Textile and History Museum (WTHM)

Our next Regional Meeting will be Saturday, May 24th 2014 at the Windham Textile and History Museum from 10:00 a.m. 2:00.
411 Main Street
Willimantic, CT 06226 

At 1:30 on March 24, we have been invited to join the public at the Opening Reception of "Inspiration Quilts: Then & Now".  This is the  WTHM 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION which also coincides with SAQA’s 25th Anniversary.

The exhibition includes fiber art by SAQA members: Rita Hannafin, Pat Ferguson, Diane Wright, Barbara McKie, Kate Themel, Norma Schlager, Catherine Whall Smith and Melanie Johnston.  Other invited artists include Hope Barton, Alice Means, Donna Mclaughlin and Barbara Barber.  Each modern fiber artist was inspired by one of the antique quilts in the museum’s collection.

The museum will also display a special anniversary quilt which includes thread-themed blocks by 19 participants: Anna Tufankjian, Antonia S. Torres, Barbara McKie, Carol Vinick, Catherine Whall Smith, Clara Nartey, Diane Wright, Elizabeth Warner, Judy Ross, Kate Themel, Linda Huppelsberg, Mary F. Lachman, Rita Hannafin, Rosalind Spann, Trish Hodge and Virginia Millington.  The blocks were assembled by Catherine Smith and Michele Palmer and quilted by Pat Ferguson.  The finished quilt will become part of WTHM's permanent collection.

Jennifer O’Brien submitted a cross stitch sample of CT which will be part of the display booklet for the show.  The book explains how/why these quilters made the spool block that they submitted.

One more way for our members to participate in the WTHM Show: The Windham Textile & History Museum's - 25th Anniversary post card challenge. See "WTHM Postcard Challenge" tab on this blog for more information.

"LOCAL COLOR" Quilts were returned to the artists

Diane and David Wright collaborated to produce a DVD as a special gift for each “Local Color” participant. The DVD includes images of the quilts at different venues, set to music.

Barb Adams presented Diane and Kate with beautiful colorful scarfs as a token of our members thank-you for all their hard work and dedication in getting our first show off the ground.  There will be another juried show for our CT members tentatively scheduled for 2016.  “Local Color” will kept as the brand name, with subtitles to distinguish future shows.  For example "Local Color: Currents".  Themes and titles are still being discussed.  Feel free to share your suggestions. 

Barb Adams introduced our panel

Jane Davila, Kate Themel, and Mickey Lawler who shared their personal stories and their “Art Journey” as well as tips on pricing your Art.

Members Show and Tell

DELICIOUS Lunch at Noon and vendor set-up

Vendor Tables Open

THANK YOU TO CAROL EATON, JENNIFER O’BRIEN, DIANE WRIGHT, and KENDALL STORM who originally VOLUNTEERED to “brainstorm” ideas on adding opportunities for our members to share their wares and support local art centers e.g. The Guilford Art Center.

Thank you to our Vendors: Rita Hannafin /Cathy Smith, Carol R Eaton, Kate Themel, Jane Davila, CT Fiber Arts Collective, Mickey Lawler, Sisters in Cloth, Barbara Dierolf (who was unable to set up but made a table donation anyways) and anyone who donated fabric and notions to the SAQA Donation Table.

Due to this event SAQACT will be adding $246 to our regional account – yeah!

The meeting wrapped up at 2:00 PM

REMINDERS:  PRO Chemical & Dye workshops  - visit www.prochemical.com for more information on up-coming March through October 1014 Artist workshops

Barbara McKie to be Featured Artist, The Art Quilt Gallery NYC

Congratulations to SAQA-CT artist Barbara McKie, who will be the featured artist at The Art Quilt Gallery this summer.

As the featured artist, Barb will display her unique quilts in a solo exhibition from July 8 – August 15, 2014.

The Opening Reception will be July 7 from 6 – 7:30 PM

The Art Quilt Gallery is located at 133 West 25th Street, between 6th and 7th Ave.

Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday, 11 to 6 pm
Sunday & Monday by appointment only
Please note that there is no art on display between show dates.
212-807-9451
info@artquiltgallerynyc.com

For more information, visit their website: http://www.artquiltgallerynyc.com

The Art Quilt Gallery NYC is focused on a single art form: quilts, whose  aesthetic range, creative spirit, execution, and sheer beauty make this a compelling art, yet one that is rarely displayed in New York.  We believe our patrons will be impressed with the range and quality of work.  Opened on April 5, 2011, The Art Quilt Gallery NYC features the best quilts from around the world.

Clara Nartey in CT Women's Artists Show (East Hartford, CT)

Congratulations, SAQA-CT artist Clara Nartey! Clara's fiber artwork "Shadows" was juried into 85th Annual CT Women Artists (CWA) Members' Show.

The exhibition is from March 1 – 28, 2014
Hartford Fine Art and Framing
80 Pitkin Street
East Hartford, CT

image: Shadows by C.Nartey

The Connecticut Women Artists organization was founded 85 years ago in 1929 when thirteen women artists exhibited at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford. Since exhibition opportunities were rare for women at that time, these women started a society of female artists.

One of this country’s oldest continuing art organizations for women, CWA now has over 200 elected members.

 

For more information, visit the CWA website:
http://www.ctwomenartists.org/

Phillips and Weinberg Juried into Greenwich Art Society's Annual Exhibition (Greenwich, CT)

Congratulations to SAQA-CT artists Mayann Weinberg and Margaret Phillips, whose fiber artwork was juried into the Greenwich Art Society's 97th Annual Juried Exhibition!

  image: Pink Annie by M.Phillips

image: La Mascara by M.Weinberg

This mixed media exhibit was judged by Cara Manes, Assistant Curator and Collection Specialist in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.

GREENWICH ART SOCIETY JURIED EXHIBITION
97th ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION
February 28 – March 28, 2014

The Bendheim Gallery of the Greenwich Arts Center
299 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich CT 06830
203-629-1533

Viewing hours:
Weekdays 10am - 5pm
Thursdays until 7pm
Weekends 12-4pm

For more information visit the Greenwich Art Society's website: www.greenwichartsociety.org

CT Fiber Arts Collective Presents "Spring Thaw" (Bloomfield, CT)

The Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective (CFAC)'s current exhibition is titled, “Spring Thaw” and is being hosted by the Duncaster Retirement Center at 40 Loeffler Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002.

The show opened on March 2nd, and included an artist talk by members of CFAC.

image: Roses and Old Lace by M.Lachman

Mary Lachman and Toni Torres were among several CFAC artists who attended the Opening Reception on March 2nd

image: Vintage Garden by K.Loprete

image: Fishing Season by R.Spann

 
Rosalind Spann and Carol Vinick talk about the artwork during the Opening

In addition to wall art providing a much needed splash of spring the collective revealed their “Grey Matter” challenge pieces. Each member received a small packet of grey fabrics and was asked to use at least 2 of the fabrics in a small open-themed art quilt. Please stop by through the month of March to view the exhibition.

To learn more about Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective, visit their blog: http://ctfac.blogspot.com/

Important Announcement for LOCAL COLOR Artists

Dear Local Color participants,

It's hard to believe our first Regional Exhibition is coming to a close!

Your artwork will be available for you to pick up at the SAQA-CT regional meeting on Saturday, March 22 from 10am - 2pm at the Guilford Art Center.

Guilford Art Center
411 Church Street
Guilford, CT 06437
(203) 453-5947
http://guilfordartcenter.org/

IF you are unable to attend the meeting to retrieve your work, you must alert Diane Wright and make alternate arrangements.

Your work may be shipped to you if you have provided a sturdy container for mailing. To have your artwork shipped, please send Diane a prepaid shipping label.

If someone else will pick up your artwork on the 22nd, let Diane Wright or Kate Themel know who will sign for it (BEFORE March 21). Artwork will NOT be released without the artist's express permission.

Our traveling exhibit has been a huge success thanks to the beautiful artwork and to the many volunteer hours from jurors, captains, PR contacts, hanging crews…oh, the list goes on and on.

Thank you ALL!!