This Month at The Art Quilt Gallery in NYC: Fiber Art Kimonos

SAQA CT artists Barbara Drillick, Nike Cutsumpas and Norma Schlager are exhibiting their artwork at Art Quilt Gallery in New York from now until August 31, 2013. 

The "Kimono Inspiration" show features 25 works the size and shape of a traditional kimono, created by members of Fiber Art Northeast (FANE). 

(Clockwise from top left: Kimono Foliage by N.Cutsumpas, Untitled by N.Mirman, Color Play by A.Shedletsky and Untitled by B.Sferra. Photos by Norma Schlager)

Please make a trip to New York to see this beautiful show if you can. You'll be inspired! 

While you're there you can do some shopping next door at The City Quilter or take a short walk to the Garment District and browse though dozens of fabric shops and specialty stores.

The Art Quilt Gallery - NYC
133 West 25th Street
between 6th and 7th Avenue
New York City, NY
(212) 807-9451

Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday, 11 to 6 pm
Sunday & Monday by appointment only
More information at http://www.artquiltgallerynyc.com

SAQA Benefit Auction Begins Sept 9 at 2pm EST

It's that time of year again!

The Benefit Auction is SAQA's largest fundraiser and biggest income source after membership dues. For the 2013 auction, 421 artworks have been donated by generous SAQA artists.

Check out these beautiful pieces, donated by SAQA-CT members:

For the first time, SAQA Benefit Auction quilts are on Pinterest.  The artist name and artwork title are incorporated into each image.  Please feel free to re-pin them to your own board!

How the Online Auction works:
The Auction is run in three sections (Section 1 - Pages 1a and 1b; Section 2 - Pages 2a and 2b; Section 3 - Pages 3a and 3b).
On the first day of each section's auction, the price for each piece in that section is $750. The next day (at 2:00 Eastern), the price drops to $550. The third day, it drops to $350, then $250, then $150, and finally $75.
The first section will begin September 9th at 2:00 PM Eastern.
The second section will begin September 16th at 2:00 PM Eastern.
The third section will begin September 23rd at 2:00 PM Eastern.

Find out more about Studio Art Quilt Associates at http://www.saqa.com

Call For Entries: Gallery 53 Announces its 1st Textile Show! (Meriden, CT)

The Arts and Crafts Association of Meriden has announced plans for its first fiber art show.  SAQA-CT artist Kate Themel has been invited act as judge.  Awards will be given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

The Textile Show will be exhibited at Gallery 53 in Meriden, CT from September 14 – 27, 2013.

Eligible work includes (but is not limited to): surface design, felting, quilting, knotting, weaving, knitting, fiber sculpture, basketry, quilts, handcrafted paper and needlework.

Receiving:
Hand Delivered Entries:
Aug 27- 30, 12 - 4 pm and Aug 31, 10-1pm
Mail in Entries: Please provide return postage.

All entries must be installation-ready, with appropriate hanging rods or mounting hardware included.  Maximum width 48".

Reception & Awards:
Saturday, September 14th, 1– 3 pm
Awards Ceremony: 2 pm
Judge: Kate Themel

ARTS & CRAFTS ASSN. OF MERIDEN
Gallery 53
53 Colony St, Meriden, CT 06451
(203) 235-5347 gallery53ct@gmail.com

Click here for entry form:
Gallery53_EntryForm2013

Photos from the Local Color Exhibition in Hartford, CT

This past Wednesday, SAQA-CT volunteers met at the Legislative Office Building to take down the "Local Color" exhibit.  Just like at the previous venue, we received many compliments and positive feedback about the work.

The exhibition was hung on two walls down a long hallway.  Hundreds of employees and visitors pass through this corridor every day.  As we were packing up the quilts, several people said they wished we could leave them up longer.

Venue captain Diane Cadrain checked and cataloged each piece of artwork before transferring them to curator Diane Wright.  Wright has generously offered to store the quilts at her home until the next show – opening Dec 8, 2013 at the Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich.

If you missed the chance to see it in Hartford, here are some photos taken during the exhibition (photos by Diane Wright):

 
Phyllis Small helps out during the show's installation.  On the wall, "Blowin' Glass by J.Marklin, "Weekend Walks with Sharon" by C.Eaton and "Red Fern" by B.Drillick

Volunteers adjust the height and spacing of the quilts.  Seen here: L.Zimmerman's "From One CT Artist to another", "Uno, Dos, Tres" by M.Weinberg, "Town Green" by D.Wright, "Once" by J.Driscoll.

"Seaside Garden of Beauties" by C.Ludington, "Jellyfish in July" by C.Vinick, "Blood Iris" by K.Themel, "Aerial View" by M.Lachman

The "Hartford Colt Dome" series, by D.Wright, G.Kotowski, B.Adams, L.Zimmerman, Y.Howard and R.Wolek. To the right of the Colt quilts, "Heating up the Hay" by C.Smith, "Tomorrow May Be Too Late" by R.Olson and "From One CT Artist to Another" by L.Zimmerman

 

From left: a piece by juror Fran Phillips, "Beach Houses" by M.Lawler and "Woodland Visitors" by B.McKie

"Lottie the Lobster" by C.Blais, "No Sheep" by D.Bein, "Science Center" by K.Themel, "Barnum" by D.Abbotts and the Colt series on far right

 
"Bundled Up" by K.Themel, "Cabbages and Kings" by N.Schlager, "The Path" by E.Warner and "Local Color of CT" by P.Ferguson

"Metropolis" by G.Kotowski, "Storm Tossed Memories" by R.Hannifin, "Happy Elephants" by M.Phillips and "Public Transportation" by C.Smith

"Reflection" by R.Spann, "Winter Marsh" by B.Adams, "Marsh with Cranes" by T.Hodge, "American Chad" by C.Blais and "Bubbles in my Garden" by T.Bronson

Thank you to all the artists and volunteers who have made our first Regional Exhibition such a success!

Mark your calendars: December 8, 2013 – January 14, 2014
Two shows for the price of one!  "SAQA-CT: Local Color" will join "Fiber Revolution: Diversity" at the Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich, CT.  Opening Reception Sunday, Dec 8, 2 – 4pm

Halpin, McKie and Themel in Fiber Revolution: Fragmentations, 919 Gallery Aug 18 – Sept 22 (South Windsor, CT)

This summer SAQA-CT artists Jutta Halpin, Kate Themel and Barbara McKie will exhibit their fiber art in "Fragmentations", a group exhibition by Fiber Revolution, at the 919 Gallery/ Unity of Greater Hartford. 



Fragmentations – August 18 – September 22, 2013
At the 919 Gallery, Unity of Greater Hartford
919 Ellington Road
South Windsor, CT 06074

More about the show:
Fragmentation is the act or process of dividing into parts. Often breaking things apart helps us to understand or see things more clearly. Sometimes looking at the parts makes us see the truth in the old phrase, “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Fragmentations does both.
In this collection of art quilts, you can see how each artist breaks apart the subject, examines it, takes a new perspective, or reinvents it. You can also see how the total exhibit presents an image where each work is itself a fragment that works with the others to create a whole.
Curated by Carolyn Lee Vehslage

Artwork by Diane Cadrain and Judy Ross to be Exhibited and Published in "Dare to Dance"

Dare to Dance: An Artist’s Interpretation of Joy

More than 55 artists, including SAQA CT artists Judy Ross and Diane Cadrain were asked to create an 18 x 30 inch art quilt interpreting the phrase "Dare to Dance". 

The project was spearheaded by Mary Kerr.  Selected quilts will be published in a book by Schiffer Publishing.

The "Dare to Dance" special exhibit will debut at The Lancaster Quilt Show in March 2014 and is tentatively scheduled for The Quilter’s Hall of Fame in Fall 2014.

Check Mary Kerr's website for additional information, venues and updates:  http://www.marywkerr.com/schedule.html

(image: "Shall We?" by D.Cadrain)

Mary Lachman Featured in Quilting Arts Magazine (Aug/Sept 2013 issue)

SAQA-CT artist Mary Lachman has developed an ingenious way to recycle and repurpose vintage crochet doilies into beautiful felted fiber art.  Her process is featured in the most recent issue of Quilting Arts Magazine.

The article "Felting Vintage Textiles: What's Old is New Again" contains step by step instructions along with color photos and helpful tips.

Quilting Arts is available on line through the Interweave Store:
http://www.interweavestore.com/quilting-arts-august-september-2013

Find out more about Mary Lachman's creative process on her blog:
http://marylachmanquilts.blogspot.com/

Congratulations, Mary!