this just in

The Dufferin County Museum & Archives  , (DCMA) is pleased to once again be presenting the exhibition Stitches across Time, in 2014. Continuing the theme of the first Stitches across Time exhibit in 2011, the exhibition will celebrate the tradition and history of textile arts.

The DCMA invites submissions for a national juried exhibition of fibre art works inspired by a new selection of six historical pieces from the museum’s extensive collection of textile artifacts. The Call for Entry is attached and may also be found on the stitches website  or by clinking this direct link Stitches Call for Entry  . Works submitted can include any textile/fibre medium or technique. We welcome both two and three dimensional contemporary works from across Canada for this unique exhibition to be launched in the fall of 2014. Images of the six historical pieces may be found on the Stitches across Time website under Photos for inspiration .

Additional information can be asked from Ruby Qureshi, Events & Marketing Co-ordinator Dufferin County Museum & Archives at events at dufferinmuseum dot com

The deadline for this call is April 14 of 2014, so there's lots of time to plan and enter.

January the part 3 :)

 Local special interest event:

Because of a conflict between the upcoming Fibre Arts Week (June 10-16, 2013) and the Lethbridge Centennial Quilters Show and the need to try to keep Fibre Arts Week going, please let's support this, otherwise it may be the last Fibre Arts Week ever!!!!!. If people register as a group of 3 or more, each will get a 10% discount till March 15th.  LINK.



From Jennifer Love, SDA BC: 
 (if you're able to get to Vancouver, go!)

There is now an additional SDA meeting , this one in North Vancouver, on Tuesday, March 5th, at the home of Catherine Nicholls. 

You don't want to miss this meeting. The reason for this extra (extraordinary, one might say) meeting, is that Nicole Dextras, the creator of those wonderful botanical dresses that were featured on the cover (and the article inside) of the Spring 2012 issue of Surface Design, has agreed to give a presentation to our group. So mark this on your calendar - it's going to be fascinating. Please let me, or Catherine Nicholls (corvidcreations@hotmail.com) know if you plan to attend, so we can be sure to have enough chairs or big cushions.

Nicole's website: If you haven't already done so, it's worth having a good look round this website - she's done a lot of other, quite different work too. Her blog:  And who could forget the Little Green Dress Projekt.

Exhibitions:

 Ruth Scheung  (part of a group exhibition)  at the Richmond Art Gallery. (BC)
Saturday, February 2, 2013, : Opening Reception: 3-5pm and Artists' Tour 2:30–3:00 pm

 Workshops:

Felt::Feutre  There is going to be a FABulous felting event happening on Saltspring Island in September 2013! The Facebook page has all the info.  Teachers include a dazzling array of artists, including Andrea Graham, Marjolein Dallinga, Ulrieke Benner, Jessica de Haas, Laurie Steffler, Judith Dios and Fiona Duthie, several of whom are SDA members.

From the FB page:
"Everything is in place for the creation of a Fall felting event to celebrate contemporary feltmaking in Canada. There are so many talented feltmakers here, and we look forward to gathering as many as possible, as teachers, participants and exhibiting artists. The event will take place from September 25th- September 29th,2013 on Saltspring Island, BC, and will include 5 days of workshops, an exhibit of work from feltmakers across Canada, an exhibit catalogue, fibre sale, and a resource oriented bilingual website."  LINK

 
Silkscreening on Fabric I workshop, Calgary
Instructor: Margot Van Lindenberg
Tue, Feb 5 - Mar 26, 6:30 - 9:30pm

Imagine your own images on fabric! Print your own designs on yardage, clothing, or accessories using dyes, pigments, and hand-cut stencils. You will be supplied with a silkscreen to use in class to create unique textiles for artworks or functional
pieces. Most supplies are included in the fee, but please see your course supply list online for a few crucial items. Be sure to come prepared for the first class.

Click here to download a PDF of ACAD's Extended Studies FALL +WINTER 2012|13 Catalogue.


 Calls for Entry:

1st Saskatchewan Wearable Art Gala
Deadline: August 23

Artists are invited to submit works of wearable art for jurying - cash prizes will be awarded at a Gala Fashion Show in Saskatoon, Canada on October 26, 2013. This Wearable Art Show and Gala promises to be an evening unlike any other.

This event is in support of the proposed Jack Millikin Centre, a vibrant, four-season building nestled in the boreal forest of Saskatchewan: the future home to a variety of cultural and ecological events, with a focus on community, celebration and education (including the "Emma International Collaboration").Click here for more details.



ART QUILTS LOWELL 2013: Tangled Up in Blue August 8 - September 7, 2013
Brush Art Gallery & Studios, Lowell, MA A venue of the Lowell Quilt Festival

APPLICATION/PROSPECTUS: www.thebrush.org/AQL2013 DEADLINE: JUNE 1, 2013
JURORS: TBA

ART QUILTS LOWELL 2013 is a juried
exhibition, organized by the Brush Art Gallery, to identify and encourage quilt
artists from throughout the United States and Canada. A venue of the annual
Lowell Quilt Festival (August 8, 9 and 10), the exhibition will provide an
overview of some of the finest quilts being produced.



Good Reads:



 Fascinating catalogue -   The Gregg Museum of Art & Design exhibition catalog for Spring, 2011. This was one of two textile exhibitions on display at the Gregg Museum during the Spring, 2011 semester at NC State University.

Calgary workshops

Our dear Karin shouldn't be hiding her light under a bushel basket, so please do check out her workshops. Kreative Momentum is taught by herself in Calgary and covers a wide range of topics and techniques. I can attest personally to the fact that Karin is a patient teacher, with the ability to both encourage learning, and to keep everyone on track without narrowing the options.

• Fibre Sculpture : An exploration of fibre in 3D, many different techniques covered, felting, shibori, heat distortion, machine embroidery on metal to name a few.
• Felting (hand/wet felting).
• Sewing Machine FX (also known as "There is something wrong with your sewing machine, dear").
• Let's Project : Mentorship towards creating your own projects based on newly learned techniques as you are lead through design and process stages to develop your own individual style of work.  Bravery is encouraged, though not essential ;-)

More information can be found on her blog. LINK.

it appears there's still some January left....

Really, i don't know why i thought the 21st was the end of January! My apologies, there are still things going on :)

Calls for Entry:

 George Pegg Botanic Garden Society, Sangudo AB
Deadline for registration: February 15

You are invited to take part in the George Pegg Botanic Garden Art Festival - the first art show and sale to be held at this provincial historic resource. Artisans will exhibit a wide variety of art forms such as fine art, pottery, sculpture, glass, fibre art, jewellery, quilted art, and woodwork. Artisans will be able to demonstrate their talents and can participate in interviews. Food vendors will be present as well as musicians who will entertain visitors throughout the day.

The event hours are 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with set-up in the morning at 8:00 to 10:45 a.m. This is an event with limited indoor and unlimited outdoor space available for the artisans. Artisans are advised to bring a sun canopy/tent (maximum size of 10'x10') in the event of inclement weather. Tables are available if required. Free refreshments will be provided for the artisans. There is easy access to the set-up area and parking. Advertising will be handled by the event planners but artisans are encouraged to promote this event whenever possible.

The first artisans to register will be placed in the most advantageous spaces within the garden and farmstead. Event contact information is found on the registration form. For more information on the George Pegg Botanic Garden check the followings links: www.PeggGarden.org and www.RRTour.ca.

 Call for Submission- Calyx is Coming!, Calgary
Calgary - April 20 and 21, 2013

Calyx Distinctive Arts, founded by a group of professional artists with a collective vision and mutually supportive artistic goals, host art exhibition and sales twice annually in Calgary AB.

The directors of Calyx exhibit and sell their own work and welcome other qualified artists to participate in these events.  If you are an artist with aspirations to sell your work in a high quality, juried event with other like-mined peers, please visit our website at www.calyx.ca for application and submission information.  Our application deadline is February 17, 2013

We have secured a great exhibition space in a central and convenient location, share an enviable mailing list, and offer extremely competitive participation fees.  Please feel free to contact us at (403) 244-8150 or (403) 305-6708 for more information. We hope that you will join us.



BAZAART outdoor Art Show & Sale, Regina, SK
Early Bird Registration deadline: February 15
Regular Registration deadline: March 15

BAZAART is Saskatchewan's largest outdoor Art Show & Sale, showcasing handmade creations by innovative Canadian artists who excel in their chosen medium.  Organized by the MacKenzie Art Gallery as an annual fundraiser, BAZAART admission fees support exhibitions and programs at the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

BAZAART and will take place on Saturday, June 15 from 10 am to 5 pm at the corner of Albert Street and 23rd Avenue in Regina, Saskatchewan; admission fee is $5 per person. Each year over 5,000 BAZAART attendees support independent Canadian artists and craftspeople by purchasing unique, stylish and practical alternatives to mass-produced items. All artists are encouraged to promote the unique and original design of their work and to use local and/or environmentally-friendly materials whenever possible.

Click here http://www.mackenzieartgallery.ca/engage/bazaart for more information or contact Kimberley Fyfe, Corporate Relations, MacKenzie Art Gallery 306-584-4295 | kimberley.fyfe@mackenzieartgallery.ca



Workshops:

The Lisa Grey workshop in April in Calgary is FULL. Names are being placed on waiting list only now.

There are however spaces in the Lethbridge placement. Info here: http://www.surfacedesignlethbridge.ca/ 

NEW Silkscreening on Fabric I workshop, Calgary
Instructor: Margot Van Lindenberg
Tue, Feb 5 - Mar 26, 6:30 - 9:30pm

Imagine your own images on fabric! Print your own designs on yardage, clothing, or accessories using dyes, pigments, and hand-cut stencils. You will be supplied with a silkscreen to use in class to create unique textiles for artworks or functional
pieces. Most supplies are included in the fee, but please see your course supply list online for a few crucial items. Be sure to come prepared for the first class.

Click here (scroll down on site ) to download a PDF of ACAD's Extended Studies FALL +WINTER 2012|13 Catalogue. 

January ends, February looms.....

Calls for Entry: (dates are in bold as some are very time sensitive)

Stride Gallery Call for +15 Window Proposals, Calgary Deadline: January 26, 5pm
Proposals received by 5:00PM Saturday, January 26, 2013 will be considered for +15 exhibition slots as early as June/July 2013. This special call is directed specifically to locally-based emerging and aspiring artists, but all interested artists are welcome to apply.
Artists exhibiting works in the +15 Window receive an artist fee and professional documentation of their exhibition, which is also included in Stride's Annual Catalogue. +15 Window artists receive complimentary copies of the Catalogue at the time of its launch.
 Stride's +15 Window Space is located in the public +15 walkways in the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts (205 - 8th Avenue SE). This deep vitrine space provides a unique exhibition venue well suited to presentations of three-dimensional works and carefully considered installations of two-dimensional artwork. The +15 walkways are accessible to the public at all times, and welcome a diverse audience. Stride prioritizes projects from Alberta-based emerging artists for the +15 Window Space programming, though all interested artists are encouraged to submit proposals. These exhibitions are two months in duration, totalling six per year. Click here http://www.stride.ab.ca/submissions.html for to review the submission guidelines and additional info.

Sacred Threads: This biennial exhibition was established to provide a venue for quilters of all faiths who see their work as a connection to the sacred and/or as an expression of their spiritual journey. The first exhibit was held in 2001 and the exhibit is held in June of odd numbered years. 


 Talking Heads: A reminder to all SDA members  (and those who might consider becoming members): the Talking Heads exhibition promises to be an exciting display of work by fibre artists working in any media but inclusive of fibre or fibre techniques. At the recent meeting of local Vancouver members of the SDA there was a great deal of interest expressed, and we are hoping for many entries from beyond our own borders. Please let Jennifer, or Ros (rosaqed@shaw.ca) know if you plan to enter, and we would love to have a picture of your entry.. Remember, works must be inspired by a traditional headdress; they need not be wearable; they can be two or three dimensional.
Entry details may be found on the SDA BC blog (http://www.surfacedesignbc.blogspot.ca/) and website (surfacedesignbc.org). Entry deadline is May 4, 2013.

The Cherry Blossom exhibition, sponsored by FibreEssence and the Vancouver Guild of Fibre Arts, will take place at the Silk Purse Gallery in West Vancouver, from April 2 – 21, 2013. The deadline for entries is also early March, and this is an open call to all fibre artists. Please check the VGFA website (http://www.vgfa.org/NewWebsite/call2.htm) for further information. This is always a very popular and well-attended show.



If you are interested in learning how to submit to a gallery, specifically the Marion Nicoll Gallery, ACAD is having an information session at the college in the boardroom, Wednesday, January 23 at 12:15 . (This meeting might be good for general information on how to apply to other galleries with the knowledge you glean.)

EXHIBITIONS:

 (Information from Jennifer Love/SDA BC)

This is a preliminary notice for the exhibition INVOKING VENUS: FEATHERS AND FASHION which will take place at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC, February 7 to May 5, 2013.  The opening night is Thursday, February 7.

    Overview: The exhibition is comprised of photo-based images by Catherine Stewart and accessories from the clothing collections of Claus Jahnke and Ivan Sayers.  Using bird specimens from the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Vancouver-based Stewart explores the role colour, patterning and adornment play in courtship and attraction. Through the juxtaposition of images of bird plumage with images of vintage fabrics and actual feathered fashion accessories, the parallels in human and bird behaviour become apparent. The lush and sensuous images magnify details in avian plumage and vintage fabrics, revealing a multitude of rich and varied hues that combine to create the colours, textures and patterns observed when viewing birds and humans at their finest.

    The exhibition opening and fashion show "A Passion for Plumage" will take place on Thursday, February 7.  Featuring historical clothing and accessories from the collections of Ivan Sayers and Claus Jahnke, this show will be hosted by Ivan Sayers and will explore the history of feathers in fashion.
    As there is only a limited number of tickets available for the fashion show portion of the evening (because of fire regulations), we suggest you purchase your tickets as soon as possible through this link:  http://beatyinvokingvenus.eventbrite.com/# . If you are unable to make the 7:30 PM launch, admission will be free after the fashion show wraps up (around 8:30-8:40 PM).

    Additional events during the course of the exhibition will include lectures by fashion historian Ivan Sayers and an artist's talk/tour by Catherine Stewart.  A schedule of these events (with descriptions) will follow. These will also be posted under News and Events on the museum website (http://beatymuseum.ubc.ca) later in January.

    Except for these special events, regular admission prices for the museum will apply after opening night for the duration of the exhibition. The Beaty Museum is a fascinating place through which to browse, so we encourage you to allow enough time to explore the other displays when you visit.

(A side note from arlee: having heard Ivan Sayers speak, this will be quite engaging--the man has an amazing amount of knowledge on past fashions and the cultural aspects of fashion.)

Workshops:

Gloria Daly has a plethora of workshops scheduled with well known textile artists in her Vancouver Island studio.  

Not really a workshop per se, but a request for particpation from Linda Hawkes:

Hello everyone, I hope you can join us as Dream Quilts - a collaborative creative quilt-making project on themes of sleep and dreams - continues.

For three days we’ll be publicly quilting the expressive art quilts we began last fall at the Women’s Centre.

Come add your stitches to these intriguing works of art.Join us on February 13 and 20, 11 am - 4 pm and February 23, 12-5 pm at the Central Library, 616 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary.   

It would be lovely to see you there!

And a workshop and exhibition combined at the Leighton Art Centre, just outside of Calgary! Rachelle LeBlanc, known for her distinct style, technical excellence and for breaking new ground within the traditional craft of rug hooking. With a growing international reputation, LeBlanc’s work is sure to impress.   Exhibition and workshop.

Next up - "Swatch and Mingle" in Calgary

As promised - Just a couple of shots:-
The scene on Wednesday evening at DaDe Gallery in Inglewood, the venue for our first SDA meeting in Calgary (report is below by Arlee).
Thanks are in order to everyone who helped with this event.  Not least our speakers who generously volunteered their time to share information from the academic to the amusing and anecdotal about their ventures into paper making from indigenous Alberta plants, more precisely plants from the Banff National Park.

 The Dade Gallery made for a perfect location and if you would like to present some of your work at our next meeting do let me know.

Our audience was mixed from all walks of the Surface Design spectrum and the enthusiasm we felt for the subject was aptly demonstrated as Romy and Eveline summed up their work.
Thanks all for supporting this event and special thanks to Greg and Darcy who, not only gave the space up for the evening but, were not concerned by us taking over many horizontal surfaces with our samples, fliers, and snacks (thanks again to the volunteers who were so keen to feed us and did so with style.
The next meeting "Swatch and Mingle"  in Calgary will take place in March when the SDA Swatch collection will be available at the meeting and afterwards.  The collection will be in Lethbridge for a meeting on February 12th, prior to the Calgary meeting and can travel afterwards.  Please get in touch with me to arrange to host the collection if you wish.

All the best,
karin

An unabashedly thrilled review of the first Alberta SDA meeting

In the heart of Inglewood, DaDe Gallery was a perfect venue for this. Surrounded by cutting edge and very contemporary art and furnishings, i think we had approximately 30 people show, more than we initially had expected!

I had taken the camera, but left it in the car, so no pictures unfortunately.We schmoozed, had nibblies, made connections and talk talk talked, then all gathered for the main event, a presentation by Romy Straathof and Eveline Kolijn. OMG!!!!!!!!! Laid out on a table was this most amaaaaaaaaaaaazing assortment of hand made papers, all from local plants! Little books made of them, samples of the "fibres" from the actual plant, art and tiny bottles of the extracts left over from the process, just astonishingly beautiful, elegant, tactile.........ooooo!

 

(Above, the stacked papers.)

Romy and Eveline had no experience in making paper when they started this monumental project--and i say monumental because i--and they!--- had no idea how much work went into paper making, particularly when the paper is being made directly from raw plant materials. It's one thing to gather up cotton or linen fluffs already picked and "processed" for you, or recycle old paper into new sheets, but quite another to have to process from scratch pounds and pounds of material gathered from the working area!!!

Both were appalled at the amount of water required and the level of toxins generated in the liquor from lignins and pigments, proving that sometimes "natural" is not any safer than synthetic and chemical processing! Lignins are an integral part of plant structure, but broken down become complex chemical compounds which are very toxic, which is is why pulp and paper mills were forefront in the news for awhile in polluting land and waterways........... though interestingly that old book store smell of faint vanilla is part of this process!

Anyways, rather than ramble on, repeating what i heard, go to their Landscape As Paper site, where they very generously share everything they learned. I highly doubt i will ever attempt this process (never say never :) ), but at the same time with the tie in of local plant materials, it has given me some new ideas for dyeing and art studies and work---and that is what these meetings are all about: to inspire each other, to learn new things, to spark a random connection to your own work, or to go in a direction you hadn't thought of objectively. I'd say a very successful and invigorating evening! I'd be interested to hear how others felt about this also, comments welcome on this post or email me at arlee dot ar at gmail dot com.

Paper Landscape
Romy Straathof
Eveline Kolijn

~~~~~~~~
And i have just heard back from Eveline and she asked that i mention that she and Romy besides teaching a semester/course at Red Deer College this year (?), they are also offering several mini workshops  Paper Landscape, a week long course and  also a week long, with Eveline a Monoprint and Etching workshop.

Registration opens on 13th January

Get your hands on a brochure for this event at the SDA Meeting on 15th January  in Calgary
Or check it out online at the link given below...

Please Mark Your Calendar:

Announcing 2013 International Surface Design Association Conference

Presented by Surface Design Association (SDA) and Southwest School of Art

“in·ter·face”

Thursday, June 6- Sunday 9, 2012

Pre conference workshops, June 1-5, 2013

Post-conference workshops, June 10-14, 2013

San Antonio, Texas, USA

The 17th Surface Design Association Conference will be held in June, 2013.  The theme, in·ter·face is defined as:  A surface forming a common boundary of two bodies, spaces, or phases; the place at which two independent systems meet and act on or communicate with each other; the means by which interaction or communication is achieved at an interface.            (Merriam-Webster)

Featured Speakers include Janet Echelman, Michael James, Warren Seelig, Otto Von Busch, Elissa Auther, and Nathalie Miebach.  Artist Talks include Isa Rodrigues, Owyn Ruck, Michaele Haynes, Mo Kelman, Susan Brandeis, Lynne Bruning and Anne Selby, as well as student presentations on Creative Inquiry, Recycling/Upcycling, The Art of Zero Waste, and Design Craft Felt.  A professional panel and demonstrationswill also be presented.  Workshops will be conducted at Southwest School of Art, University of the Incarnate Word, and Crowne Plaza Hotel San Antonia Riverwalk.  Special events include many city-wide exhibitions, a Juried Fashion Show, Fundraising Cocktail Party, Vendor Fair, Trunk Show, Silent Auction, Fiber Study Tour, and many networking and professional development opportunities. 

Registration opens online January 13, 2013.  For complete information, including schedule, exhibitions and bios, the brochure is available to download from the SDA website:

www.surfacedesign.org/2013conference

***

            The Surface Design Association, a non-profit organization since 1977, is dedicated to raising the level of excellence in surface design -- the coloring, patterning, and structuring of fiber and fabric -- by inspiring creativity and encouraging innovation through publications, exhibitions, conferences, and educational opportunities.  The nearly 4000 members include artists, designers, educators, curators, gallery owners, students, and textile enthusiasts from around the world.  New members are invited to join at www.surfacedesign.org.

# # #

January

REMINDER: First Alberta SDA meeting on Tuesday January 15th at DaDe Gallery in Inglewood Calgary. More info will be posted shortly.

 Exhibits:

  "Meet the Best of the West"  (SAQA--Studio Art Quilt Associates), Galleria (Inglewood) 907 9th Ave S.E. Calgary  Feb 2 to March 23/13. This exhibit is travelling to various venues from B.C. to SK between now and June 1, 2014. This is the only Calgary venue booked so far. Enjoy 36 pieces from SAQA Western Canada members located from B.C. to Manitoba.

   

 ~~~~~~~~

 

 Calls for Entry:

O Canada 2013

International Quilt Festival Chicago, June 20-23, 2013 plans to showcase Canadian quilts and their makers in a special juried exhibit, O Canada. This exhibit is open to quilters currently residing in Canada. You must reside in a Canadian province to be eligible for this exhibit.

We would like to invite you to participate in this exciting exhibit focusing on the Canadian quilter. You may submit a total of two quilts for our consideration. Quilts need not be made specifically for this exhibit. Traditional or art, all quilts made by residents of Canada will be considered.  LINK.




The Harris-Warke Gallery (Red Deer, Alberta) invites all artists to submit proposals to show work in their exhibition space for 2014. The Harris-Warke Gallery encourages exposure to a wide variety of Arts, including textiles. LINK.



" Biodiversity and Invasive Species”  - Juried art competition (no jury fee)
2013  National Call for Entries
    $2,500 - First Place
    $1,500 - Second Place
    $1,000 - Third Place

 Artists are invited to create two-dimensional artworks of any archival media in the themes of biodiversity and/or invasive species. Images may be representational, non-representational, abstract, or conceptual. The artworks will be selected on a basis of high technical quality, aesthetic achievement, marketing and promotional value, and diversity in style/subject matter. Selection will be made by a committee of artists, curators and scientists. The purchased artwork becomes part of the permanent collection owned by the ISC. LINK.

~~~~~~~

Recommended reading: 

Thinking Through Craft by Glenn Adamson 

Studio, Canadian magazine from OCC (Ontario Craft Council))---subscriptions available---2 issues per year and highly recommended for critical thinking, craft, art and design in Canada, interviews, exhibit reviews. LINK.
~~~~~~~

Workshops:

Elin Noble is coming back in 2013, to FibreWorks (Sunshine Coast, BC).  More information on that as it gets closer to the time.

~~~~~~~~~

Wishing everyone a wonderfully productive and artistically fulfilling new year!  Remember to send us your news and information as soon as you can--please participate here!