Women’s View Exhibit

Women's View Exhibit Information
Women’s View Exhibit Information

I would not be writing this post or showing you the art, if it weren’t for my friend Cyndi. She told me about this exhibition, she dropped off my quilt and also did some work for the hanging mechanism. I am not sure what I would do without her.

The Women’s View exhibit is installed in the County Center & Courthouse to celebrate Women’s History Month. This is the 18th year. I have never been before, but everything lined up really well. I took the day off work for an extra Sew Day and Cyndi and I left early to go to the artists reception.

Mike Callagi, County Executive
Mike Callagi, County Executive

We arrived and only had a short chance to look around before there were presentations.

Mike Callagy, the County Executive gave the opening  remarks. He was very complimentary about the quality of the art that was entered. He was also down to earth and funny.

Aimee Shapiro, Arts Commission
Aimee Shapiro, Arts Commission

Aimee Shapiro followed him. She is brand new. She has had her job on the Arts Commission for 3 weeks! She thanked a lot of people who helped and also announced the winners, of which I was one! Yes, I won one of the Honorable Mention awards.

Nancy Riffle, Silent Grandeur
Nancy Riffle, Silent Grandeur

I think Women’s Work 1 fit into the theme, but I was super pleased that my QUILT (women’s work) got honorable mention up against paintings. I was further pleased that Nancy won honorable mention as well. Her piece was a scene from her trip to the Yukon and beautifully done. It was not only stitched, but she painted some of the motifs and embroidered bits as well. It is lovely.

Rebecca Archer, Mother to Son: don't let them steal your sunshine
Rebecca Archer, Mother to Son: don’t let them steal your sunshine

Some of the other pieces were wonderful. I saw Rebecca Archer’s piece soon after I arrived and I really like it. It is multimedia as well. She used fabric and paper along with paint.

The inside of the house is mostly strips of paper while the leaves on the tree are fabric. I don’t know how she decided, but the overall design is very cohesive. The imagery doesn’t look like she just added motifs or used materials just to do it. Rebecca won first place. I took this photo before we heard the results.

Some other interesting images are above. I like Dana’s piece because of the washi tape she used. The Old Stem is interesting because it is a still life all in one color – or mostly one color with its compliment. I am a sucker for cake and dessert imagery, so Savitha’s piece is very appealing, especially since she added flowers. Linda’s chair remind me of wanting an Adirondack chair when the YM was a baby so I could sit with him in the backyard. I admire Echo’s technique and the way she used watercolor. Also,  she won Third place and I wanted to get all the winners, but missed second place and the other two honorable mentions.

It was exciting, but I was exhausted by the end of the day and almost didn’t cook dinner.

We were talking, at Sew Day, about all the work that military wives do when their husbands get new assignments and I might have inspiration for the next quilt in the Women’s Work series. I have never been in that life, so the idea might be too presumptuous for me to make. We’ll see.

The San Mateo County Women’s View exhibit has a Gallery Guide that includes all of the artist statements. I am so pleased that I am a part of this exhibit and am thinking I will enter Who Am I? in next year’s exhibit.

Airport Art

Airport Art: description
Airport Art: description

On my way back from a recent trip, I saw some quilt art in the airport. Yes this was my first airline trip since 2019. I actually don’t remember my last airline trip.

I am always pleased when textiles get their day in the sun. While the Phoenix airport is not the Met, it is still a venue that has a lot of possibilities for people to view the artwork.

In this case, I saw a quilt and a chair with quilted and embellished elements in this exhibit.

Airport Art: Globemallow Kaleidoscope
Airport Art: Globemallow Kaleidoscope

The quilt has photos printed on it. This is not a favorite technique of mine, but I applaud the work the artist, Margit Kagerer, did on this quilt.

N.B.: sorry about the reflection. The quilt was under glass and, although I tried a lot of different angles, I could get rid of the reflection. I was playing with some photo manipulation, but haven’t succeeded in getting rid of the reflection.

Airport Art: Globemallow Kaleidoscope detail
Airport Art: Globemallow Kaleidoscope detail

Getting some detail shots helped and also made it easier to see what was going on in the quilt.

This quilt has a lot of detailed machine quilting.

You can also see that the piecing looks like a kaleidoscope in the flower photo, left.

Airport Art: Globemallow Kaleidoscope detail 2
Airport Art: Globemallow Kaleidoscope detail 2

I am pretty sure this is piece is not longarm quilted.

Again, this photo has a reflection, but you can see more detailed quilting in the bottom of the photo.

I am interested in what Margit’s original photographs looked like. In order to answer that question, I would have put the original photographs on the back of the quilt. I had no way to see if she did that and I don’t see more information about the quilt on the web anywhere.

This work really reminds me of the fearlessness of Friend Julie‘s work.

Get Set - Coloring Outside the Lines
Get Set – Coloring Outside the Lines

I was more interested in the chair that also has some quilted elements. I have been interested in reupholstering chairs with quilts or quilted panels since I made the Tuffets and also since I saw Tula’s Elizabeth chair* as well as her Monkey Wrench chairs.

The chair was well protected, so I had some trouble getting detail shots.

Get Set - Coloring Outside the Lines detail
Get Set – Coloring Outside the Lines detail

This chair is definitely art and not seating. The seat had beading in the flower, which I don’t think would be very comfortable.

I really like the idea of upholstering furniture in patchwork. I think it would give the furniture a unique appearance.

Get Set - Coloring Outside the Lines back detail
Get Set – Coloring Outside the Lines back detail

The artist used the entire chair for her artwork, including the back. The sun reminds me of the sun in Beach Town. I really like the thistle-like flowers. The background texture kept me looking at the piece for awhile.

I have mixed feelings about airport art, but I did enjoy seeing these pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*N.B. 12 July 2022: I wasn’t able to find a photo of the Elizabeth chair, but you can see it some of her Tuesday videos. I will add the link if I am able to find one.

Filoli Art

I visited Filoli again the other day. While the gardens were beautiful, it was super hot and not 100% pleasant outing. Still, the company was good, the gardens provided beautiful flowers to enjoy and I got to see some fabulous art.

Kristine Mays Celestial Prayer Meeting
Kristine Mays Celestial Prayer Meeting

Kristine Mays is a local (to me) artist who works with UCSF to raise money for AIDS Research. She has an amazing installation at Filoli of her wire sculptures. They were placed all over the gardens and the location of a garden was a fantastic venue for them. The pieces seemed to appear and disappear depending on where I was standing. It was amazing.

I know the image (left) I posted of the Celestial Prayer Meeting seems to be too far away for you to see anything, but I was trying to give you the impression that I got. From the vantage point in the photo, you can see the whole sculpture grouping, but parts of the figures are gone.

The details of the figures show clothes only. I can see the impression of dancing, which is very pleasant. There is something very calming about Mays’ work.

Thinking about getting the same impression in a quilt, I wonder if the same could be done using tree imagery or with bias tape?

Phoenix Art

Recently I went to Phoenix for a work conference. It was a very different Phoenix than I had seen before. I saw a lot of art while I was there and not all of it was in museums.

The Earth Dreaming - full
The Earth Dreaming – full

Outside the convention center were a a few pieces that I really enjoyed. The set of pieces were mosaics called The Earth Dreaming by Isaiah Zager. The pieces were made in 2008.

I like the mosaic aspect of the pieces. There is a spidery element and also the circles.

It is very nice to see art when I walk down the street.

Ellsworth Kelly at the SFMOMA

Monday was a day of outings. Friend Julie came up on Sunday night to stay. She, DH and I headed off to the SFMOMA at the crack of dawn (ok, 9:30, but it was a holiday) for our appointment to see the Diebenkorn/Matisse exhibit that was closing that day.

We had a 10:30 appointment to get into the exhibit and arrived at the museum before the galleries opened. We had about 20 minutes to look at the other galleries on the 4th floor before our entrance time. One of the artists at which I looked was Ellsworth Kelly.

Kelly has a long history with the SFMOMA. The Fishers (founders of the Gap) bought many of his works and donated (or loaned) them to the museum. The SFMOMA has also bought pieces of his.

I have a checkered history with Kelly. A number of his works I have seen in the past were “color fields,” a canvas of one color. I am sure critics and art historians have a lot of positive things to say about such work, but I have never liked them. No matter how famous the artist I see these types of work as works they made phoning it in. This view comes from a very limited knowledge.

Spectrum I, 1953 by Ellsworth Kelly
Spectrum I, 1953 by Ellsworth Kelly

There were different works on the walls by Kelly this time. There were two that I particularly liked. One was Spectrum I from 1953.

As you can see, Kelly gradates the color from yellow to yellow. The information said that the yellow is the same on both sides. It doesn’t look like it because of hte influence of the green on one side and the light orange on the other. I also like the series of violets in the middles -an indigo with a touch of violet, a violet and a red violet. The canvas looks like it bows in the middle, which is an added bonus.

Spectrum Colors Arranged by Chance, 1951-53 by Ellsworth Kelly
Spectrum Colors Arranged by Chance, 1951-53 by Ellsworth Kelly

Second, was a piece called Spectrum Colors Arranged by Chance, 1951-53. He did not phone this one in and I don’t think that blue tape was available at the time (though I really have no idea) to help keep the lines straight. DH found it hard to look at, but I found it inspiring.

You might have noticed that June is nearly upon us and I have not sewn FOTY 2016 together yet. I wasn’t feeling the love. After seeing “Spectrum Colors” I feel a renewed sense of purpose. I am seriously thinking of putting charcoal (not black) in between the colors, but doing it like he has done so there is some interaction between the colors. He uses solids and not all of my fabrics are solids. Still, I think using a solid charcoal or even the cool grey of which I bought about 1000 yards might make an interesting piece.

There are some issues:

  1. Another quilt with a gazillion pieces. Sigh. What has gotten into me.
  2. The squares I cut are 3″. Doubling the number I have might lead to a quilt sized large enough to cover my house. I could cut the squares and might do that. I’ll have to try out a bit and see.
  3. I don’t want to completely depart from the color gradation idea, so I might gradate the colors within the design field even though a solid might be in between some of the colors.

This is why it is good to go to art museums or see exhibits outside of your field. You never know when you will get inspired by an artist or piece of art.

Last Days of Primal Green 2

The last days of the CQFA Show Primal Green 2 is at the San Francisco Public Library. I went to see it one day on a trip to the City, but this is as much a reminder for me to see it again as it is to encourage you to go.

Did you go and see the show? The 24th is the last day to see it. Primal Green2  is a show of environmental art quilts at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library.

The Wallace Stegner Environmental Center is one of the special collections at the Main Branch and, after a year of work with the Library, CQFA has over 20 quilts and other fiber art on display. The quilts all have an environmental theme. The show will hang until Friday April 24 and be available to viewers during the Library’s normal open hours. Don’t wait until the last minute! Oops! It is the last minute. Go TODAY!

Primal Green 2, the art quilt exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library, has some information on the Green Stacks portion of the SFPL website. Hope you can see the show.

Hope you can stop by and see it. Check the library’s website for hours.

Primal Green 2

Primal Green 2
Primal Green 2

The Primal Green 2 show is up at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. This is a follow up to the previous show.

My friend, the environmental librarian, asked us to do the show again.A lot of the same parameters were applied to this show that we created for the last show.

It is on through April 24, 2015, so you can go and take a look as well and check out some books while you are at it. 😉

I finally was able to go and take a look. I stopped in before going to lunch with a friend who works nearby. I missed the CQFA group viewing because I was in Houston.

Display Cabinet
Display Cabinet

There are a number of quilts displayed there. I thought they were hung very well. One of the display cabinets had Caroline’s fish purse in it. I love that piece, because of the whimsy. I wonder what the general public thinks about it?

The green piece on the top right is from the color challenge (I bought the fabric for that challenge and never did the piece – or haven’t yet done the piece).

The signature book was tucked in a corner so I don’t know if people saw it and were writing in it. The last book for the show had some odd comments, but had some really nice comments as well.

My Quilts in Display Case
My Quilts in Display Case

My quilts were well displayed and I was pleased. You can see Beachtown on the left. What you can’t see is The Flower Garden on the right.

The quilts were all behind glass for security, so they were difficult to photograph. Still, they have to be there, because they will get stolen and touched. I was just taking photos so you could get an idea of how the show was hung not so you could get a perfect rendition of the quilts.

My Whole Cloth Quilt is also in the show. I didn’t get much of a better photo of it than I already have . The stitching is too subtle for a regular camera.

Virginia's Quilt
Virginia’s Quilt

One of the quilts is so great. It is a regular traditional quilt from far away. If you look closer at the quilt, you will see that the fabrics are covered with bugs. LOL! This is by Virginia and I love the bugs.

There are many more quilts and I will see about creating another post about them. The show is really worthwhile and I hope you will go and take a look.

Last Week for Primal Green

Primal Green Postcard
Primal Green Postcard

Did you go and see the show? This is the last week to see it. Primal Green is a show of environmental art quilts at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library.

The Wallace Stegner Environmental Center is one of the special collections at the Main Branch and, after a year of work with the Library, CQFA has over 20 quilts and other fiber art on display. The quilts all have an environmental theme. The show will hang until this coming Saturday July 30 and be available to viewers during the Library’s normal open hours. Don’t wait until the last minute! Oops! It is the last minute. Go TODAY!

Primal Green, the art quilt exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library, has some information on the Green Stacks portion of the SFPL website. Hope you can see the show.

Hope you can stop by and see it. Check the library’s website for hours.

Primal Green Art Quilts on Display

Primal Green Postcard
Primal Green Postcard

Did you go and see the show? Primal Green is a show of environmental art quilts at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. AND! it is still on.

The Wallace Stegner Environmental Center is one of the special collections at the Main Branch and, after a year of work with the Library, CQFA has over 20 quilts and fiber art on display. The quilts all have an environmental theme. The show will hang until July 31 and be available to viewers during the Library’s normal open hours. Hope you can stop by and see it. Check the library’s website for hours. Please sign the guestbook and let us know you saw the show.

Primal Green, the art quilt exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library, has some information on the Green Stacks portion of the SFPL website. Hope you can see the show.

Environmental Art Quilts on Display

Primal Green Postcard
Primal Green Postcard

Did you go and see the show? Primal Green is a show of environmental art quilts at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. AND! it is still on.

The Wallace Stegner Environmental Center is one of the special collections at the Main Branch and, after a year of work with the Library, CQFA has over 20 quilts and fiber art on display. The quilts all have an environmental theme. The show will hang until July 31 and be available to viewers during the Library’s normal open hours. Hope you can stop by and see it. Check the library’s website for hours.

Primal Green, the art quilt exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library, has some information on the Green Stacks portion of the SFPL website. Hope you can see the show.

Primal Green: Art Quilts at SFPL

Primal Green Postcard
Primal Green Postcard

Did you go and see the show? Primal Green is a show of environmental art quilts at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. AND! it is still on.

The Wallace Stegner Environmental Center is one of the special collections at the Main Branch and, after a year of work with the Library, CQFA has over 20 quilts and fiber art on display. The quilts all have an environmental theme. The show will hang until July 31 and be available to viewers during the Library’s normal open hours. Hope you can stop by and see it. Check the library’s website for hours.

Primal Green, the art quilt exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library, has some information on the Green Stacks portion of the SFPL website. Hope you can see the show.

Red and White Quilts

If you haven’t seen the Red & White quilts at the NYC Park Armory and you are within commuting distance, go see them! Admission is free!!!! A couple of friends have gone to see them and have said that the exhibit is amazing. It is only there for a few more days. Make the time!

3/31/2011 Update: Here are some (there are many, many articles on this exhibit) news stories about this exhibit:

  • Financial Times: Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts, Park Avenue Armory, New York. By Simon Schama
  • NYCtheblog: Amazing Display of 651 Red and White Quilts by Paolo Mastrangelo
  • New York Times: Finally, Mrs. Rose (and the Public) Can See All Her Quilts by James Barron

Primal Green Viewing

Show Kiosk
Show Kiosk

Last Saturday I went with all of my CQFA colleagues to view the Primal Green Show. I forgot my camera, so the photos are from others or from the day I went to check on how the hanging was going. That day was a gorgeous day in The City, which meant a lot of glare inside the fabulous Main Library!

CQFA Group
CQFA Group

I really enjoy this group and the picture above shows what a great group we are. The photo also includes the librarian with whom we worked to get this show mounted. Maureen’s husband was kind enough to take the photo for us.

Left off the Elevator
Left off the Elevator

The photo above shows the 5th floor Government Information Center. The left case has Virginia’s quilt. Behind the lighted kiosk are three quilts, Terri’s, Maureen’s and Soyoung’s. I found out at lunch last week that Soyoung does most of her work by hand and that small quilt took about 100 hours!

Gorgeous Signage
Gorgeous Signage
Gorgeous Signage 2
Gorgeous Signage 2

The curators at the library are wonderful. They came up with this great signage. The quilts are spread out all over the 5th floor, so the sign on the bottom very nicely shows where all the quilts are hanging.

Case Straight Off the Elevator
Case Straight Off the Elevator

My quilt, Change of Seasons, is the tree in the middle of this case.

The Patent Case
The Patent Case

The librarian was able to secure the use of this case as well, even though it wasn’t in the original plan. This extra case allowed the quilts above to be included in the show as well.

3D Objects
3D Objects

My Red Journal and Bron’s Bird Nest, both 3 dimensional, were placed in this table case along with two smaller quilts. This case is slightly to the right off the elevator.

Case to the right off the Elevator
Case to the right off the Elevator

This is the quilt with the arrangement of the signage.

3 Quilts Behind the Kiosk
3 Quilts Behind the Kiosk
Standing Case
Standing Case
Standing Case 2
Standing Case 2
Standing Case 2
Standing Case 2

The standing case shows a number of quilts and indicates the entrance to the Stegner Center. Again, the glare was a problem with the photography.

Stegner Center View
Stegner Center View

The Wallace Stegner Environmental Librarian is the sponsor of this show. The Stegner Center is a gorgeous space with a view overlooking City Hall. The two quilts in this case looked gorgeous with City Hall behind them. Unfortunately the glare did not make them easy to photograph.

Solar Roses
Solar Roses

The roses (left) quilt is the first quilt and the sun quilt is all made from recycled tie fabric acquired from a tie factory. The use of color is excellent as well.

More Stegner Center View Quilts
More Stegner Center View Quilts

The Library is a very public space so all of the quilts are in locked cases. This is a different kind of look for a show. The arrangement really gives the show the feeling of the art show that it is.

Stegner Center Shelves
Stegner Center Shelves

The quilts are in the window alcove on the right and straight ahead and to the left.

ATCs on the Wall
ATCs on the Wall
ATCs on the Wall 2
ATCs on the Wall 2

Over a hundred ATCs were made for the show. We thought they could be used to decorate the bottom of cases, but the curators chose to frame them in groups. I have never seen ATCs framed before and I like the effect very much.

Educational Materials 1
Educational Materials 1

In the same hallway, the educational material was also on the wall.

Educational Materials 2
Educational Materials 2

Since the Library is an educational institution, we asked a group of members to create some educational materials showing some part of the art quilt making process.

Educational Materials 3
Educational Materials 3

The educational materials were designed to go in a table display. The curators decided to put them on the wall, presumably to include the 3D objects in the exhibit as well.

Educational Materials 4
Educational Materials 4

The above educational frame shows the making of applique pieces using freezer paper.

After viewing of the quilts, many of the members went to lunch across the way. We were treated very well and were allowed to sit for a long time. We were given place cards and I was pleased to participate in a wonderful conversation with my colleagues.

ATC Prize Journal Cover
ATC Prize Journal Cover

The Gang of Three (Nancy, Maureen, me) also decided to award a grand prize to one of the people who contributed to our collection of ATCs for the show. For that drawing, C&T Publishing, via CQFA member and C&T Education/Communications Manager Lisa Fulmer, donated the majority of the prize: Inktense pencils, a book and a few other things. I added in some embellishments and beads. I also made a journal cover to include. Caroline was the winner. I hope she enjoys her prize. We really appreciate everyone’s participation in making this show a success.

Other blog posts on this show:

Terri over at Killer Hobbies

Lisa over at LisaLizaLou

Primal Green: Art Quilts at SFPL

Primal Green Postcard
Primal Green Postcard

Primal Green is a show of environmental art quilts at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library.

The Wallace Stegner Environmental Center is one of the special collections at the Main Branch and, after a year of work with the Library, CQFA has over 20 quilts hanging. The quilts all have an environmental theme. The show will hang until July 31. Hope you can stop by and see it. Check the library’s website for hours.

The Walters

I had a few hours in Baltimore on Thursday June 16, so I went up to the Mt. Vernon District and looked around. While I was there I visited the Walters. I like their tag line: experience 55 centuries of art. I can’t even conceive of 55 centuries. How wonderful it is that people have been making art for 55 centuries!

The Walters is in an interesting space. It is a blend of old and new. The old really appeals to me, but I also liked the new staircase that they have built recently (I understand). The sculpture courtyard, on the first floor, was modeled after an Italian palazzo. It was very light and airy and I enjoyed being in there. I would have liked to have sat there for awhile with some cappucino and written in my journal. Alas, it was not to be. An activity for another day. There were two elderly people sitting and seemed to be enjoying themselves. I will take their enjoyment as my own.

Isis Nursing Horus
Isis Nursing Horus

Hands down, my favorite piece was in the Egypt gallery. It was a statute of Isis sitting with Horus on her lap. It was called Isis Nursing Horus. First, I liked the subject matter. It was very feminine, but also showed what a strong woman Isis was. She was a goddess in her own right as well as being the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus, two other strong gods. Despite the fact that she was a goddess, she was also a mother, which, on some level, I find very profound. In terms of the actual piece, I like the simple lines, sort of Bufano-esque. There are other pieces that I saw while surfing which are much more detailed and painted. This version is my preference. It looks like I could buy a copy of this statue at The Virtual Khan el Khalili. I’ll have to consider it once the construction is finished.

I also liked a painting near the Impressionist Gallery called The Christian Martyrs’ Last Prayer by Jean-Leon Gerome. While I wasn’t thrilled with the subject matter, (Christians praying right before they were going to be killed for sport at the Circus) the thing I liked about it was the detail. The way the lion was painted, the beard of the man saying the prayer, the stone on the structure. The lion looked like it could have turned it’s head and roared. I was also quite taken with the pad on the lion’s paws. You can’t really see the paw and the pad very well in the ‘Net image, but it is amazing. I guess this is a good reason not to rely completely on the web for everything. We still need to go to art museums.

Another piece I loved was a sculpture of a little girl. It was so realistic that it was nearly impossible for me not to touch it. It was called First Disappointment by Erastus Dow Palmer. This piece is not available in image format on the web, nor was there a postcard of the piece. What a shame.

I really think that museums should make more of their works available either in postcard or image format. I think it would allow more access to their collections. I understand the concept of inventory, but inventory vs marketing…. Frankly, I just want access…

I only had a few minutes to look at the Treasury, which had all of the china, crystal and silver. It was one spot that I wish I had spent more time in, but I didn’t see that it was available until I wandered past it. I love china, crystal and silver. I spent a few minutes looking at a chocolate pot. I know it is a silly piece of dishware, but I love the way the handle is perpendicular to the spout.