TidBits to Tantalize

Firstly, may i remind everyone that our own "local" SDA show still has time for you to do your EOI to Karin :) All the info is here.

Whilst cruising around the interwebs this morning, i found a very pertinent and informative article about pricing our Art. Do you get emotional about certain pieces and not want to sell them? That's covered too! It's a lengthy read, but there are salient points for emerging and established artists. LINK. On their main article page, you'll find a plethora of articles on a lot of arty type subjects too.

As a floral designer by day and an artist (in those pesky spare five minutes's i can find), this is rather inspiring! Do check her Galleries page as well. Earth materials art by Chicago fibre artist Karen Gubitz

TOP TEN TIPS for Getting Into a Juried Exhibition, Craft Show, Book or Magazine ---there are never any guarantees, but you don't know unless you try. (via Ask Hariette.)

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I'm pleased to say that three of my current works will be included in the "Drought" exhibit at the Great Plains Art Museum at the University of Lincoln-Nebraska, March to April of this year. (No info on the site, but will update as i know.)




Again, we remind you, if you want YOUR news, exhibits, workshops, publication or events brought to the attention of our other members, please send timely information to Karin or myself.

Mid January

CALLS FOR ENTRY:

Our Prairie in Fibre, Saskatchewan
Craft Council's Affinity Gallery - Saskatoon, SK
Deadline for submissions is Saturday February 4, 2014

I am putting together an exhibition of 'Prairie' themed fibre art to be exhibited at the Saskatchewan Craft Council's Affinity Gallery from January 16 to February 21, 2015. All fibre techniques will be considered for this exhibition, including but not limited to dolls, soft sculpture, rug hooking, wearables, weaving, felting, knitting, stitching, and quilting. Be as diverse as you like in your choice of work and prairie images / seasons they represent. This will be a great stage to show the diversity
of fibre amongst prairie lovers. Eligible entrants do not need to be juried members of the Saskatchewan Craft Council but must be a resident of the Prairie Provinces.
Mail or email submission to: Monika Kinner-Whalen c/o Saskatchewan Craft Council, 813 Broadway Avenue, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 1B5

For more information please contact Monika at Monika at MySweetPrairie dot ca
For complete listing click here.

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Cherry Blossoms: A Textile Translation Deadline: February 28, 2014

April 1 – 20, 2014, at the Silkpurse Art Gallery, West Vancouver. FibreEssence and the Vancouver Guild of Fibre Arts are the co-sponsors for the 6TH annual Cherry Blossom exhibition. Functional objects, wall pieces and sculpture in any textile medium/technique. Original work only. Guidelines and entry form: CLICK HERE 
Contact: Judy Villett, exhibition coordinator Phone: 604-215-8537 Email: jvillett at hotmail dot com

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This one has been mentioned before, but i have decided to repost as it is a major show, and would love to see members exhibited!

Fibreworks 2014 Biennial Exhibition Deadline: March 31, 2014 
September 12 – November 2, 2014,Cambridge Galleries, Cambridge, ON.

Fibreworks, now in its 15TH edition, is a biennial juried exhibition of contemporary Canadian fibre art. It is a showcase of the most current and versatile approaches to fibre as a medium in form and production. This exhibition is one of the largest group shows in Canada dedicated specifically to fibre based works and serves as a survey of the artists currently working in the medium. For more information: www.akimbo.ca      (Akimbo by the way has listings of  many calls for entry in many mediums if you are interested in stretching your artistic horizon.)



EXHIBITIONS:

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS:

Kensington Art Supplies Relocation Opening
Opening Day:  Saturday, February 1, 2014

The opening day for Kensington Art Supply and Instruction has been set for Saturday, February 1, 2014.   We were hoping to open sooner but we are still under construction and need a little extra time to get everything finished.   The store will open and our first art classes will begin at 9 AM Saturday, February 1, 2014.  Any workshops listed for January will be rescheduled so please check workshop listings to confirm dates.  Everything scheduled for February will be as listed.  Any class fees paid for January will be applied to the February 1 start date.   Go to www.hughesfineart.ca for listings. Thank you for your patience and support! We believe it is going to be well worth the wait!


SLOFEMIST update from Lois Klassen:

I will soon be posting some new information pages on the art-action website: one for the finished squares and one for the finished patterns. The stitchers can have full credit next to their squares on the website, if they choose. If stitchers come up with their own pattern, they will also be credited on the pattern as authors. For the patterns, creators should note that the patterns are assigned a "Creative Commons" licence: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. That means that they will be made available free to anyone (and circulated on the Internet as pdf's) so long as the creator is credited whenever they are copied, and so long as they are not sold or further altered. All of that will be explained on the new web pages. Also, we will be keeping a running list of all of the participants to date, to include when appropriate (for example, in brochures or catalogues).


MISCELLANEOUS INTEREST:

2014 Classes in many quilting and sewing techniques  are now listed on the My Sewing Room website. (Calgary retailer)


Did you know that Laura and Linda Kemshall can digitally print your design on fabric for you? The results are clear and high quality, and while expensive, as shipping from the UK is high, it may be worth your while if you are interested in creating work with your own sketches. Not affiliated, just a share :)

January News: SDA Alberta exhibition prize for best of show, January meeting, Yoshiko Wada teaches in Calgary

Hello Everyone,

Happy New Year to you all.

I have some exciting news and some news that is even more worthy of your time so read on.....

....information is in date order!

Keywords: Exhibition Prize Money: January SDA meeting: Yoshiko Wada

Item 1

January SDA Meeting in Calgary -  Wednesday January 22nd 

"Social Starter 2014"

Make a note in your new calendar.

If any of our regional members are in Calgary that evening please do come along too, you are most welcome.

At: Lynda Williamson has kindly offered to host this event.  1127-38 Ave SW 403-243-7411

Time - 7pm - 9:30pm

More Details - This is a pot luck event... so let's be surprised by what there is on offer by not planning anything.  Please be careful to label your dish if it contains nuts.

RSVP (for numbers)

Item 2

SDA: Alberta show in April: What's on the Surface.

We applied for a Small Events Grant from SDA and were successful. 

There will be a  $100 prize for Best of Show.

So now there is even more reason to join the exhibition - it isn't too late!

Submissions have started to appear in my inbox: Remember the date for submission of an image of your work/s is February 14

All are welcome to exhibit, SDA membership required at time of show.

Guidelines and timeline for this  show are available at:-

Contact me for any further information or queries.

And now with my other hat on!!! I am so very excited to tell you ....

Kreative Momentum is very excited to be able to offer workshops with Yoshiko Wada.

Item 3

Yoshiko Wada will be teaching in Calgary in August 2014.

Don't miss this!!!!   Open to members and non-members

The cost is likely to be around $350

If you are interested in signing up for a place on one of the courses please email me 

asap; demand is likely to be high from Alberta and adjacent areas!!!.

Yoshiko, is President of the World Shibori Network-World (WSN was established in Nagoya,Japan in 1992) and is the world's authority on Shaped Resist Dyeing.  She has writtendefinitive publications on the subject and produced a DVD "Arimatsu Narumi Shibori: Celebrating 400 years of Japanese Artisan Design." She leads study tours to Japan and has introduced many to the world of Shibori and inspiring creativity via her gentle style.  She is the founder of Slow Fibre Studios which collaborates with WSN and Michel Garcia on as series of Natural Dye Workshop DVDs. 

Yoshiko is an artist, author, exhibition curator, textile researcher and film producer.  She is a long time exponent of traditional and sustainable practises in fashion and textile production.  she holds a BFA in Textile Art from Kyoto City Fine Arts University, MFA in Painting from the University of Boulder,Colorado Yoshiko travels the world giving lectures and workshops and participates in conferences to build greater insight into the world of fibre and textiles. 

http://slowfiberstudios.com

http://shibori.org

If all that wasn't enough I have such plans for our meetings that there will never be a dull moment with SDA in 2014.

And on that subject I would like to ask:

Do you know of have access to a board room type conference facility with internet access that you think could be used for an SDA meeting?

If so, please get in touch at your earliest convenience.

Also,

Please get in touch if you have time to offer any help with events, or just want to say hello and tell me what you think of these plans.

Once more all the best for the year ahead and beyond.

karin

time sensitive-- and special interest

NEW Employment Opportunity: Educational Art Technician, Fibre - Temporary, ACAD - Calgary, AB

Application Deadline: January 13, 2014

ACAD welcomes applications for the following temporary regular part-time position: Educational Art Technician, Fibre - Temporary (to cover a maternity leave), Competition # 1314-DE-AT-31

The Alberta College of Art + Design (ACAD) is seeking an Educational Art Technician to interact with and assist students and faculty in the studio-based Fibre Program.

The Technician in the Fibre Program is responsible for overseeing and facilitating the organization, maintenance and supervision of the Fibre Program print, dye, weaving, papermaking, and multi-purpose studios. Responsibilities and duties of the Fibre Technician include the: implementation and application of health and safety policies and practices; management of materials and supplies; maintenance and oversight of facilities and equipment; supervision of student monitors; provision of instructional support and service to the Fibre Program. The incumbent also monitors approved program area operational and capital budgets and delivers appropriate demonstrations to students as required.

To Apply
Please submit a cover letter that includes a description of your areas of personal skill and experience in the Fibre discipline, current résumé, 8 - 10 digital images of works that represent your technical skills in the Fibre discipline, and the names of three professional references. Please apply with one pdf document via our careers page at https://acadcareers.silkroad.com no later than January 13, 2014.

For complete job listing visit here.

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Call to Canadian Fibre Artists: Fibreworks 2014 - Cambridge, ON

Application Deadline: March 31, 2014

FIBREWORKS 2014, a biennial juried exhibition of Canadian fibre art
Exhibition dates: September 12 - November 2, 2014

CALL FOR ENTRY
Fibreworks, now in its 15th edition, is a biennial juried exhibition of contemporary Canadian fibre art. It is a showcase of the most current and versatile approaches to fibre as a medium in form and production. This exhibition is one of the largest group shows in Canada dedicated specifically to fibre based works and serves as a survey of the artists currently working in the medium. As many as 35 artists participate in the exhibition with works selected by an independent jury. All works selected for the exhibition are eligible for the Juror's award and may be purchased by Cambridge Galleries IDEA|EXCHANGE as part of its permanent collection dedicated exclusively to Canadian fibre art.

Fibreworks 2014 jurors are Hazel Meyer, Artist (Toronto, ON) and Stuart Reid, Director/Curator, Rodman Hall Art Centre (St. Catherines, ON).

For more information visit here and here.

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I know some do not like nor use FaceBook, but as a blogger who has no patience, interest or time to invest in a new blog or a code heavy forum for a specific purpose, i have opened/started a dedicated FB group for serious embroiderers. I have tried to see if there were any specific interest SDA groups around, even if it had to be online, but it appears not. I have talked casually with other members about these specific interest groups and decided to do something about it! There are VERY specific rules to the FB group (no selling, no cute or "whimsical", no current "trends", no artsyfartsy "journalling") and all members are "vetted" to prevent lurkers, spammers and those who join just to join :) --personal history with stitch, a "portfolio" of sorts, dedicated interest are the requirements. Beginners are welcome, but only if committed to making effort to be learning on their own and then applying it to the group discussions, are welcome. You can find the group here, though you won't see much beyond the group description, as it is a closed group. You don't have to be a current SDA member either as i set this up outside the auspices of the SDA. (We could perhaps even have a few small local get togethers/meetings if enough are interested.) If you'd like more information, you can always email me at arlee dot ar at gmail dot com.

Happy 2014 start

Reminder: time to renew your SDA membership

Surface Design Association

Time to Renew!

CLICK TO RENEW ONLINE  (after you login to your account, look for Renewal link)  

Your membership in SDA expires soon, however, we're hoping with this reminder, you will continue as a part of our tactile community.

There are many reasons to remain a member of SDA! The always-intriguing Surface Design Journal remains a major voice for textiles - what better way to stay current with trends and concepts with a global flavor? There are opportunities to promote your work across multiple channels including the member gallery on our website. With over 60,000+ visitors a month (and growing!), that's significant coverage for your art. In addition, there's the Exposure page in the Journal, member profiles on SDA NewsBlog, the ever-lively and interesting eNews and frequent posts on Facebook (general and members-only). 

Our board and staff are focused on expanding opportunities for members both regionally and nationally. Please continue adding your voice to this growing community of designers, artists, student and educators. We need you more than ever. Click here to renew now on our website. 

Best regards,

                                               

Diane Sandlin                                                          Susannah Fedorowich

Executive Director                                                   Assistant Executive Director

Last of the year!!!

EXHIBITS:

 Ram Horns and Scorpion Tails: Textiles from Uzbekistan. This exhibition is the first major textile exhibition to be mounted in the new Nickle Galleries (formerly, The Nickle Arts Museum) on the campus of the University of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada, curated by Michele Hardy. A wonderful visual stimulus for appreciation and design! All photos courtesy of photographer Dave Brown.

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WORKSHOPS:
(Of a sort, as this is a little more than a workshop :) )

Would you like to go (back) to school? The University of Fraser Valley (BC) has a course you may be interested in.

FD 371 Surface Design 11 – CRN 10631

Instructor: Eleanor Hannan

Time: Friday 10:00 am – 2:20 pm

Start: Friday, January 10^th

End: Friday, April 11^th

Tuition Fee: $433.35

Room: D113

Course Description

This course will advance your expertise in the area of surface design, by exploring a variety of processes and treatments. You will be encouraged to be experimental in your approach with colour, texture, and imagery to alter and embellish fabrics for apparel. Emphasis is on the interrelationship of surface design with other art practices, encouraging production of individual works with cultural relevance. Through a synthesis of traditional techniques, contemporary variations, and cultural influences, you will develop a diverse and self-expressive body of work.

If interested contact Corinne Richardson for details and registration advice or corinne.richardson@ufv.ca

  

(If anyone is interested in seeing the course outline, you can also email me at arlee dot ar at gmail dot com as i have the PDF but can't upload to blogger.)
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MISCELLANEOUS:


WOMEN: SDA Members Dr. Kim Hahn (Kent State) & Dr. Ann Collier (N. Arizona U.) invite you to participate in a survey. They want to know about the meaning of handcrafts & textiles in your lives.

If you missed participating last month, you are invited to take the survey below. To those who already filled out the survey - Thank You!

They are looking for women (over 18) to participate in a short on-line survey that explores the role of textiles (e.g., sewing, knitting, weaving, felting, lace-making) & handcrafts - especially as it relates to fashion, the psychological meaning, the role of technology, as well as sustainable practices. It is confidential and takes about 30 minutes.

 To begin, go to kent.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_39lpqnNy65NAhJr

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 Where is Canadian art going, and where does it stand in the world as of today? "Artists seem to be a lot more aware of what has come before them and what is being made around them and internationally. Easy access to imagery via the Internet has enabled a mid-century painting, for instance, to stand side by side with a contemporary work for comparison.  ....looking for artists who are cultivating their own voice; artists with idiosyncratic practices ....." Wil Abale

Artists seem to be a lot more aware of what has come before them and what is being made around them and internationally. Easy access to imagery via the Internet has enabled a mid-century painting, for instance, to stand side by side with a contemporary work for comparison. - See more at: http://www.canadianart.ca/features/2013/10/26/whither-the-next-generation-of-canadian-art/#sthash.lVFrC5Ro.dpuf

Artists seem to be a lot more aware of what has come before them and what is being made around them and internationally. Easy access to imagery via the Internet has enabled a mid-century painting, for instance, to stand side by side with a contemporary work for comparison. - See more at: http://www.canadianart.ca/features/2013/10/26/whither-the-next-generation-of-canadian-art/#sthash.lVFrC5Ro.dpuf

Since we are so close to Christmas now and all the busy-ness and business that entails for many of us, the next meeting will be in January, and as a Social. Date and venue to be announced.