In 2013 I was honored to have my textile work, Silk Mill #3, win the purchase award at the Art of the State exhibit at the Pennsylvania State Museum, and become part of the permanent fine art collection. I've just received word that the Museum will be exhibiting it again as part of the upcoming Purchase Award Collection exhibit.
Silk Mill #3, detail 1
From the Press Release:
The Art of the State Purchase Award Collection, 1969-2017
On exhibit October 20, 2017 – February 18, 2018
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the annual juried exhibition Art of the State, The State Museum of Pennsylvania is showcasing featured works that were purchased by the museum and added to its permanent collections over five decades.
As part of each year’s show, a guest judge or State Museum official designates one or more works of art to be purchased for the museum’s permanent collections. Since the works featured in Art of the State have already been vetted through several layers of the jurying process, Purchase Awards represent an elite group of Pennsylvania artists.
The Purchase Award exhibit will open during Harrisburg’s monthly 3rd in the Burg celebration on Friday, October 20, 5:30 – 7:30 pm – a free event hosted by the Friends of the State Museum.
Art of the State is presented annually by The State Museum of Pennsylvania and Jump Street.
Silk Mill #3, detail 2
I plan on attending the reception on 10/20, and hope to see some of my local friends there. I am especially excited to see all the other works displayed--fine craft at its finest!
Silk Mill #3, detail 3
You can read about this art quilt and the other two in the series, in reverse chronological order, by clicking on the Silk Mill tab in the top header, or click here.
I'm pleased to announce that Silk Mill #1 has been accepted for the 38th Annual Contemporary Craft Exhibit at the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum in Mesa, AZ. The juror is Stefanie Kirkland. The exhibit runs February 10 through April 23, 2017
This was the first in a set of three works I made about the former Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill in Columbia, PA. The building had an interesting history, and was used as a garment factory into the 1970's, but then fell into disarray. I took pictures of the magnificent ruin just before it was re-purposed into the Turkey Hill Experience, a tourist site. You can track back and read all about the series by clicking here.
Silk Mill #1 features screen prints on cotton, digital images on silk, artist-painted and commercial silk and cotton fabrics, and is heavily machine stitched.
I'm excited to share that two of my art quilts have been accepted for SPUN, an innovative all fiber exhibit at the NEST Arts Factory in Bridgeport, CT. Both Skunk and Garlic Mustard, above, and Silk Mill #1, below, will be included.
Silk Mill #1
The juror is Dr Linda Wolk-Simon, director and chief curator, University Galleries, Fairfield University. The show opens on 9/10/16 and runs through 10/3/16.
Skunk and Garlic Mustard, detail
Skunk and Garlic Mustard is part of my ongoing Flora and Fauna series. It features cyanotypes on cotton, a heliographic print on silk, artist-painted and commercial silk and cotton fabrics, vintage embroidery,and machine stitching.
Silk Mill #1, detail
Silk Mill #1 is part of my series The Structures. It's based on the historic Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill, circa 1899, in Columbia, PA. It was abandoned in the 1970's, and had become a magnificent ruin, The images are from photographs I took at the beginning stages of a renovation that has turned a portion of the building into a tourist attraction. It features screen prints on cotton, digital images on silk, artist-painted and commercial silk and cotton fabrics, and machine stitching.
I am very pleased to announce that my Silk Mill #2 has been accepted into Materials:Hard & Soft.
From the website: This annual competition and exhibition of contemporary crafts was started in 1987 and is now in it’s 28th year. Recognized nationally,Materials: Hard & Soft attracts hundreds of entries from every state in the union. Nationally recognized jurors select the show from slides and then award $5000 in prize money. The juror has always selected the winning pieces on-site. A catalog is printed. This year’s juror is Ana M. Lopez. I am always particularly happy when my work is accepted for a fine craft exhibit, as I feel it is a good fit for the work that I do. The exhibit runs from February 6 through April 2, 2015, at the Greater Denton Arts Council in Denton, TX. This work is based on a photograph I took of the dilapidated Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill, in Columbia, PA, just before a renovation project transformed a portion of it into the Turkey Hill Experience. I was rather overwhelmed with the beauty of the architecture, and the way the light poured through the broken windows. I made three quilts, to date, based on my photos. Silk Mill #1 is currently touring with the Tactile Architecture Exhibit of the International Quilt Festival. Silk Mill #3 was purchased by the State Museum of Pennsylvania and is now part of their permanent fine art collection. You can track them all back as works in progress, and see my photos of the silk mill, by clicking on the Silk Mill tab in the header, or by clicking here. As always, thanks for reading and commenting.
I am happy to announce that Silk Mill #1 has been accepted for the special exhibit Tactile Architecture 2014. The exhibit will premier at the International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston, TX, in the fall. From there it will travel to other Quilts, Inc. festivals before being returned in August of 2015.
There were only 33 quilts chosen from an international field of entries, so I am very pleased to have my work included this year. I have had several of my Watt & Shand art quilts in previous Tactile Architecture shows, and have always been impressed with the exhibit and the sponsoring organization.
To read more about the Silk Mill series, you can track it back on the blog by clicking on the “Silk Mill” tab at the top, or going here.
The current March 2014 issue of American Quilter Magazine, published by the American Quilter’s Society, features two articles about me and my work. The first, “The Hand of the Maker” by Marjorie L. Russell, is a profile piece about my life and career as a studio art quilter, lecturer and juror. Marjorie was wonderful to work with, and I am very appreciative of her interview and writing skills. The lead illustration is a portion of my recently completed Jack in the Pulpit, and there are seven quilts illustrated overall in the issue.
I am the author of the second article, “Cognitive Textile Artist Process”, and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Editor-in-Chief Michele Duffy for giving me the assignment. It was something new in my experience; Michele asked me to focus on my thought process as I go about creating a new original work of art. The goal was to break the cognitive process down into steps that other artists and aspiring artists could find useful, regardless of their subject matter or preferred techniques. I actually think about the process quite a bit as I work, so it was an interesting challenge to put it down in an tangible form. I think it’s a relevant and helpful article, and I hope that many of you will get a copy, read it, and see how it can apply to furthering your own artist practice.
I used Vole and Viburnum as my specific example for the article. I will continue to highlight the technical processes involved with it in my next several blog posts before its big reveal. Stay tuned! And thanks to one and all for your support and encouragement.
We had a great opening reception for “Sue Reno - Recent Fiber Works” and “Karen Paust - Edge of the Meadow” at the PA Arts Experience Gallery this past Friday evening. Here I am striking a pose with my newly completed In Dreams I Saw the Colors Change, left, and In Dreams I Climbed the Cliffs.
The Gallery is on the ground floor of the beautifully restored historic Marketview Arts Building in downtown York, PA.
It has good display spaces and excellent lighting, and I am very pleased with how well my work looks hanging there. Above is Ginger, left, and Silk Mill #1, right. Ginger is just glowing on this wall, thanks to all the Mysore silks I used in it--I received a lot of compliments and questions about it.
I was fortunate in being scheduled for the same month as the talented Karen Paust. Her intricate nature themed beadworks and woodland paintings were a pleasure to examine, and we received many comments on the synergy between our bodies of work. Above is Bleeding Heart and a display of Karen’s work.
Here is Karen, on the left, next to her incredible beadwork neckpiece on the dress form, and myself, posing in front of my Plume Poppy. We did not plan to coordinate our outfits! Plume Poppy looks pretty magnificent in this space--it’s a large work, and needs room to be seen at full advantage.
And here is my Columbine, with another of Karen’s neckpieces.
I hope you enjoyed this sampling of the exhibit. It will be up through December 3--hours are here. I am giving an Artist’s Talk this Saturday, November 9th at 11:00 a.m. If you are in the area I hope you consider stopping by. You can go to Central Market afterwards:
I would like to extend an invitation to visit the Pennsylvania Arts Experience Gallery, 37 West Philadelphia St., York, PA, for the November exhibit. I will be exhibiting Recent Works, including some new pieces shown for the first time, and Karen Paust will be showing “Edge of the Meadow”.
The opening reception is this coming Friday, November 1st, from 5:30 - 9:00 p.m., in conjunction with York’s First Fridays event. If you can’t make it then, perhaps you can come for my Artist Talk on Saturday, November 9th at 11:00 a.m.
The Pennsylvania Arts Experience is a non-profit arts organization promoting the arts along the scenic river valleys of southeastern Pennsylvania, committed to establishing an internationally recognized arts destination. I’ve been a member since its inception years ago, and am very pleased to be exhibiting in our beautiful gallery space in the renovated historic Marketview Arts Building.
As part of their coverage of the New Legacies - Contemporary Art Quilts exhibit earlier this year in Ft. Collins, CO, my Silk Mill #1 is shown in the current November/December edition of Machine Quilting Unlimited Magazine. (The image at the top of the page is “Forest Treasures” by Kathleen Malvern.) You can read more about this quilt, and the other two quilts in the series, by clicking on the Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill tab in the sidebar, or clicking here.
It’s always a pleasure and an honor to have my work featured in MQU. It’s a great blend of inspiration and practical knowledge, and one of my favorite magazines. This issue is available online here.
One of the perks of the artist’s life is meeting other artists. I volunteer a bit of my time and talents for the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, an excellent organization, and I’m convinced that I get as much or more out of the relationship than I give. Through the Guild I’ve come to know Wendy Edsall-Kerwin, a jewelry and metals artist. She is doing a series of interviews with artists who were included in this year’s Art of the State Exhibition at the State Museum in Harrisburg, PA, USA, and she has done me the honor of a feature on her blog today. You can read all about it here, or follow the short link: http://wp.me/pdz32-1Dw
Wendy’s entry in the exhibit is her bronze, nickel and brass riveted bowl, Ebb and Flow, part of her Super Bowl Series.
Also be sure to check out the wonderful jewelry at Wendy’s Etsy shop
I am very happy to report that I have won the prestigious Purchase Award at Art of the State 2013, at the Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg, PA. My Silk Mill #3 is now part of the permanent fine art collection of the Museum. It is quite a significant honor, and you can see in the picture from opening night just how happy I am to receive it!
The organizers hold an awards ceremony just before the opening of the exhibit in the museum auditorium. Here is the List of Winners. The purchase award was announced by Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett, who is a supporter of the museum and of the arts. You can watch a YouTube video of her presentation here:
The award was selected by the First Lady, Museum Director David Dunn, and PMHC Executive Director James Vaughn. Their procedure was to tour the exhibit once it was installed, then each wrote down their top three potential picks. Remarkably, they unanimously chose Silk Mill #3 as their top pick.
The Museum was packed on opening night. I spent most of the evening standing by my work and talking with people. It was very exciting and a bit surreal. I greatly appreciated all the good wishes and congratulations that flowed my way, and it was fun to explain a bit about my process and my subject matter to those who had questions. And about that process--I am so glad that I am such a careful craftswoman, and always take great care to use only the best materials and practices in my work. Had I know in advance that this quilt was going to be a museum piece, I would not have changed a thing.
I did take some time to tour about and admire and enjoy the work on view. This is an extremely competitive show--this year about 7% of the work submitted was accepted, and I can attest to its diversity and quality. It’s an excellent show and well worth a visit if you find yourself in the area. You can view it online in this Flickr album. The Museum also has a Facebook Page.
I hope you can join me on Friday, July 19th, at 6:30 p.m., when The State Museum will host a casual insider’s tour of “Art of the State” with myself and State Museum Director David Dunn. The program is free and open to the public as part of “3rd in the Burg”, a monthly celebration of Harrisburg’s art and entertainment.
A few more good links--here’s my friend Wendy Edsall-Kerwin’s blog post about the Art of the State 2013 Opening, including her fabulous Ebb and Flow bowl. And the Lancaster Sunday News had a nice article about the award and the exhibit.
The prizes for this exhibit are not announced until the awards ceremony on opening night, but they do phone up the award winners to let them know so they can make plans to attend. I was on vacation in Minnesota, on a hiking trail with sketchy cell service at Gooseberry Falls State Park, when I got a voicemail with the news. This was my view as I learned of my good fortune:
To read more about Silk Mill #3, the other quilts in the series, and the building they are based on, click the Silk Mill tab at the top or follow this link.
And now, after all that excitement, it’s back to work in the studio for me! This is my mantra: do the work, do the work, do the work. It all flows from there.
Two of my recent works, both from my ongoing Structures series of architectural art quilts, have been accepted into the New Legacies Contemporary Art Quilts exhibit. Both Silk Mill #1 and Silk Milk #2 will be traveling to the Lincoln Center Gallery in Ft. Collins, CO for the exhibit, which runs from July 9th through August 31st, 2013
From the prospectus: “Art quilts accepted for exhibition will exemplify innovation in quilting and surface design techniques as well as excellence in artistic composition and craftsmanship. The goal of the exhibition is to recognize the world's finest contemporary quilt artists and to advance the art form.”
It sounds wonderful! I am honored to be included.
These works are based on photos I took of the abandoned Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill, in Columbia, PA, shortly before it was renovated and a portion of it was developed into a tourist destination for the Turkey Hill Dairy. I was enthralled by the way the light shone through the missing windows, and the way trees and plants took advantage of the missing portions of the roof. Despite the beauty in its decrepitude, I am delighted it has been saved.
After its stint as a silk mill, the building served as a garment factory. Recently when I was lecturing to a quilt guild and was showing these works, I met a delightful woman who grew up in Columbia. She remembered buying children’s snowsuits at a discount from a relative who worked in the factory shortly before it shut down in the 70’s. I love it when my work makes connections!
To see more images and read about the works in progress, click on the Silk Mill tab at the top.
I’m thrilled and honored to announce that my latest work, Silk Mill #3, has been accepted into “Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2013”. This prestigious exhibit will open June 23, 2013 at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, and run through September 8th.
There were 137 works chosen from a field of 1,934, putting the acceptance rate at about 7%. This is an all-media exhibit; the juror for Sculpture and Three Dimensional Craft was Wendelyn W. Anderson.
Silk Mill #3, Detail
I’ve been fortunate enough to have work in this venue in previous years; it’s a really wonderful and elegant setting, and they throw a great opening reception/awards ceremony. I’m looking forward to it, and to seeing all the other guaranteed-to-be-excellent work on display. Perhaps I’ll see you there!
To learn more about Silk Mill #3, and the others in the series, see yesterday's post, or click the Silk Mill tab at the top.
I’m excited to reveal my latest work, Silk Mill #3. It is based on an photographic image I took of the historic Ashley and Bailey silk mill, circa 1899, in Columbia, PA. The building was abandoned in the 1970’s and fell into disrepair. It has recently undergone renovation, and a portion of it has been repurposed as the Turkey Hill Experience, an tourist attraction run by the popular local dairy company.
I took a lot of pictures of it just before the renovation began. I am fascinated by historic buildings with strong architectural lines that have become open to the elements. (See my Watt & Shand series of art quilts, also in my Structures Gallery and here on my blog.) This structure had broken and missing windows, with the sun shining through them, and a portion of the roof missing. There were plants growing on it and in it. But its basic integrity warranted its preservation and re-use.
This work measures 53” h x 60”w. The central images are from altered photos, made into thermofax screens, and screened onto hand painted fabrics. The patchwork is a mix of commercial and hand painted silk, cotton and wool fabrics. The inner border is the same photo, which I had commercially printed onto silk yardage. I am particularly happy with the way I was able to move the color fields across the work.
To see more about the works in this series and their evolution, along with the source photos, click on the Silk Mill tab at the top, or go here. All the photos here and on my website can be enlarged by clicking.
I hope you enjoy viewing this as much as I enjoyed making it, and as always, thanks for reading and commenting.
The design work and construction is my absolute favorite part of the artquilt-making process. When I can, I like to set aside an entire day without distractions or other obligations, and really get into the flow of creating something out of nothing. For Silk Mill #3 I had such a day. I also had ready my six screen printed panels, which had undergone a preliminary round of stitching. I had some digitally custom printed silk yardage with imagery from the same source photo. I had my pieced strips in three different colorways, ready to cut down and re-assemble. It was time to start pinning it up on the design wall and let it evolve.
I find that if I am honest and open and clear minded as I do the first arrangement of elements, it’s usually a keeper. From there it needs minor tweaking as I build it out. I started by stitching patchwork onto each panel, then pieced the panels together. I sewed, pressed, and trimmed, but I didn’t measure much. At this stage measuring is an intrusive interface in the visual flow. Once the center portion was completed, I worked on fabricating and fitting the borders onto it. It was a very good day, and I was really pleased with how I was able to manage the flow of colors and the movement across the piece.
Coming soon: the reveal!
To read more about the Silk Mill Series, click the tab at the top to track it back and see the original photos of the building, or go here. Silk Mill #1 and Silk Mill #2 are on my website, as part of my series The Structures.
Having printed the imagery I needed, I turned my attention to the color palette. I wanted to pull out the brick tones of the building, along with sky, earth, and vegetation hues. This is one of my favorite parts of the process. There are infinite possibilities at this point, and I enjoy the discipline of narrowing them down. And many of my fabrics are like old friends, having been used in previous works. It’s a pleasure to find the new combinations that will make this work unique.
I chose four sets of fabrics, and began slicing them into strips for piecing. I dislike measuring things as a general principle, as I feel it puts an unnatural interface between myself and the work, so I wing it where ever possible. I cut as many strips as I think I might need, in the random widths that will give a scale appropriate to the work, and more often than not it works out correctly in the end. Of course, I have paid my dues, I spent years and years doing the math and the plotting out, so based on that experience I have a good idea of what I will need.
There are silks, commercial cottons, hand woven cottons, and fabrics I hand painted in these sets. I like the variety of textures and tonality they provide when all mixed together.
The blue strips on the left are some extra screen prints that I cut up. I find that it helps integrate the prints and the patchwork. The fabric next to it is an especially fine French cotton; I’m using up the last of it here, and I will miss it now that it is gone.
All of these were sewn into strip sets, sliced apart, and combined again to form the framework for the printed imagery. I feel it is an especially appropriate setting to represent a building that was put together brick by brick.
To track back this work in progress, and the other works in this Silk Mill Series, click the Silk Mill tab at the top or click here.
As always, thanks for reading and commenting, and stay turned for further developments.
