Inner path goes public

The Common Thread Symposium hosted by the North Carolina State University College of Design’s Department of Art+Design is on November 6-7, 2015 (find out more here). I am one of the featured artists.

Preparing a workshop focused on linework is daunting. It will be the first time I teach something about how I approach line and design. I have to look within to create an outward path. The hardest part of doing this is figuring out how to narrow it all down to a four-hour exercise. It's an opportunity that I feel ready for despite the mountains of ideas I need to edit.

If you are near Raleigh, North Carolina on November 6-7 take some time to participate in this event. I'd love to meet you and share some thoughts. Check out these speakers and workshops:

Lecturers

Dr. Susan Kay-Williams, Chief Executive Office of the Royal School of Needlework
Ilze Aviks, Contemporary Embroidery Artist
Precious Lovell, Contemporary Fiber Artist and Independent Researcher
Andrea Donnelly, Conceptual Weaver

Workshop Leaders

Ilze Aviks, Contemporary Embroidery Artist
Precious Lovell, Contemporary Fiber Artist and Independent Researcher
Gabrielle Duggan, Contemporary Fiber Artist and Educator
Mary Kircher, Contemporary Weaver
Kelly Kye, Contemporary Quilter
Mackenzie Bullard, Natural Dye Researcher

head spinning

OK, I gotta admit yesterday was pretty thrilling. As an ArtPrize Seven participant, I am one of many artists looking for the love. And, I am one of the extremely lucky ones because I was invited to show at the prestigious Grand Rapids Art Museum, smack dab in the middle of all the ruckus. (Thank you Ron Platt, American Craft Magazine, and the winds of chance that blow through our universe.)

Round one voting began last Wednesday and extends until Saturday of this week. The top 20 finalists (the top five in each of 4 categories) will be announced on Sunday, Oct. 4. Then Round 2 voting begins. The public will vote for their favorite and prizes will be awarded on Oct. 9. Top prize is $200,000.

Now back to yesterday. The ArtPrize website keeps a running tally of the votes and which pieces are leading the group in terms of the popular vote (so far 220,963 votes have been cast). The folks in Grand Rapids can vote for as many artists as they like in this round one vote session. And it looks like, as of yesterday, that I qualified for the top 25 list in the 2-D category. Though I know that the list will change each day running up to the announcement on Saturday, the fact that I made it into that group once is enough. Thank you, Grand Rapids.

Be still my beating heart.

Heartfelt, stands at the beginning of the display at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. The piece was inspired by my mother, who would be cheering on the sidelines if she was with us today.

Grand Rapids ArtPrize exhibit

ArtPrize® is a radically open, independently organized international art competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The opportunity to be featured at the Grand Rapids Art Museum is a huge honor. If you are within driving distance of this lovely city, I recommend that you stay a few days to witness the pulsating quality of a city enraptured with art, dance, music, theater and installations for the next three weeks. The weather is glorious this time of year and the city has over 1500 works of art competing for the grand prizes.

Ron Platt, the curator at the Grand Rapids Art Museum started with the theme of Nature/Nurture.

Ron Platt, the curator at the Grand Rapids Art Museum started with the theme of Nature/Nurture.

We returned from our whirlwind tour of Grand Rapids last night about midnight. And let me tell you, 12 hours on the road does not allow enough time to sort out all the feelings I went through this past week. Anticipation, doubt, happiness, pride, gratitude, joy, worry, amazement, confusion, giddiness and uneasiness to name a few.

The folks at the Grand Rapids Art Museum were gracious and welcoming. They invited us to a number of pre-opening events highlighting the work. The exhibit itself made me proud to be counted as one of the 15 artists within. I particularly liked the works by Judith Braun, Parisa Ghaderi, Stephen Dean and Shannon Plumb. Check out the link to see some spectacular work by these artists.

The Grand Rapids Art Museum sits in the center of Grand Rapids, a very lovely city in Michigan.

The Grand Rapids Art Museum sits in the center of Grand Rapids, a very lovely city in Michigan.

My work spanned a long hallway that allowed the five pieces to stand alone and isolated within the space. I have never seen my work in such a spacious museum setting. Some of the pieces looked a bit dwarfed in this setting. Seeing the piece I did in honor of my mother was such a treat. Wish she was here to witness it.

I was nervous when I was introduced to this crowd of lawyers, judges, city administrators and business execs at one of the pre-opening events. Turned out they were all friendly and eager to learn more about my work.

I was nervous when I was introduced to this crowd of lawyers, judges, city administrators and business execs at one of the pre-opening events. Turned out they were all friendly and eager to learn more about my work.

There was a steady stream of visitors pausing to consider my work.  People at the museum said that over 140,000 people visited the museum ArtPrize show last year.

Susquehanna Quilt show debuts in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

I am pleased to be a part of Quilts 20/20 Traditional Works/Contemporary Art at the Susquehanna Art Museum.  The museum is in Harrisburg, Pa. The show will run through August 31. If you are in the area, please stop by to see a great comparison of traditional historic works from the collection of LancasterHistory.org and the Pilgrim Roy collection and contemporary artists.

Pat Pauly has curated an extraordinary show.

My piece, Do the Doodle hangs in front of and is compared to an African American Crazy Patch quilt from the Pilgrim/Roy collection. That beautiful piece to the left on the yellow wall is by Kathleen Loomis, Crazed 8: Incarceration.

Published!

The June/July issue of American Craft Magazine has a feature article about me and my work. When Julie Hanus contacted me about this article back in January of this year she asked "I have exciting news (I hope!): We'd like to do a feature story about you in our June/July issue. Are you interested?"

did the earth shake?

After an in-depth interview by Joyce Lovelace in February I have been holding my breath about the outcome. Joyce posed informed and insightful questions which required careful thought to answer. It went by in such a rush I wasn't sure what I had said. She did a great job and the article is bolstered by many photos of my work. Robert Rausch took photos of me in my studio and made me feel comfortable despite my dread of camera lenses. Thanks Robert, Joyce, Julie and the entire staff of folks at American Craft. I am overwhelmed.

Where are my tap shoes? I need to dance.