When Like Minds Gather

Lower Mainland, B.C. SAQA POD members - November 14, 2018 meeting

This year is winding down...but it's been a great one for members all across the Region.  We've been creative, we've taken in workshops and seminars, we've travelled to shows, and we've stretched ourselves to enter juried exhibits through SAQA and other avenues.

We've met together when and where we can -- through SAQA and the Fibre Art Network, for example -- and we've given back to both of these organizations, as well as to the Social Justice Sewing Academy (U.S.) and the #UDHR Project.

We've been thrilled when work sold and when we've been honoured with prizes at Quilt Canada and that renowned festival known simply as "Houston".

The photo above was shared by Judy Leslie -- the SAQA POD from the Lower Mainland, B.C. at their year-end 2018 meeting last month.  That day they welcomed a member from Vancouver Island and one from Washington State.

Their smiling faces say it all -- they've gathered around a common interest, with creative ideas to share and discuss, and a good time was obviously had by all.

Though SAQA is a far-flung organization, with over 3,000 members globally who rarely meet each other in person, when we do manage to get together, in no time at all we've connected over our mutual love for art, the medium of textiles and the excitement of creativity.

Here's to many more such gatherings -- large and small, across the region, across the country (Toronto 2020 will be here before we know it!!) and as close as our own back yards.

Best wishes to all the members of SAQA Western Canada 

for a Joyous Holiday Season 

and 

a Healthy, Happy and Creative New Year!

December Invitations

Hello from snowy Central Alberta!  It's December -- already!

Though many of you may be pre-occupied with holiday preparations, here's hoping you are still making time for art -- whether this be working in your studio, learning a new technique or getting out to art markets and exhibitions.

Here are two invitations to consider -- and for the first, you don't even have to leave home!

Val Wilson of Manitoba has created a new Facebook group for those who want to learn more about how she creates her famous fabric portraits -- and those who want to learn to make their own.

You can join the group by going to THIS LINK on Facebook (yes, you have to be part of the Facebook community to do this!)

As an added bonus, those who join the Facebook group can access a free pdf file: "3 Steps Towards Creating a Successful Realistic Portrait in Fabric"!

You can join any time, so don't fuss if you're up to your eyeballs in Holiday Prep and can't do so right now. If this is a technique you've always wanted to try, click on the link, join the group and have some fun learning from Val!

The second invitation is from Mary Wilton and Margaret Blank. Their successful exhibit, "Inspired by Scotland", which was part of the Camrose Art Walk this summer, has been up-dated -- new pieces added! -- and will be reprised at the Lacombe Memorial Centre in the foyer gallery, from the afternoon of December 19 through January 30, 2019.

Now entitled Shamrock & Thistle: Textile Art Inspired by Ireland and Scotland, there are nineteen pieces that were inspired by their joint trip to Scotland in September 2017, and by Mary's earlier travels in Ireland. All are available for purchase, with a percentage going to support the Lacombe Arts Foundation.

Mary and Margaret are thrilled that the City of Lacombe is making this exhibit available to the community and surrounding area, and hope that if you're out that way you'll drop by to take it in. NOTE: The "LMC" is open daily except Sundays and statutory holidays (Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's Day).

Colours of the Moor - (C) Mary Wilton - 2018

Loch View: On the Way to Eilean Donan
(C) Margaret Blank - 2018

Well Represented at IQF, Houston

The key mission of SAQA, as you know, is the promotion of the art or studio quilt.  And one of the great benefits of being a SAQA member is the multiplicity of opportunities members have to exhibit their work:

• There are juried shows;
• There are non-juried shows;
• There are Regional shows; 
• There are International or Global shows;
• There are shows that are for two-dimensional pieces only; and
• There are now beginning to be shows that include three-dimensional pieces (which are generally harder to store and ship).

You can make pieces that tour in the Trunk Shows mounted on a three-year cycle or donate them to the annual SAQA Benefit Auctions or Conference Spotlight Auctions.  Thus you can be a big fish in a smaller pond -- or you can make a larger splash with work that tours, including being shown at one of the biggest ponds wherein quilters gather: the Houston International Quilt Festival.

And SAQA Western Canada has been beautifully represented at "Houston" this year!  Not only did B.C. member Terry Aske have two pieces in the SAQA Global Exhibit, Dusk to Dawn -- and not only did these pieces find new homes -- but another B.C. member brought home a ribbon!

That member is Judy Leslie of Coquitlam, and she won Third Place in the "Naturescape" category!

When Ontario member Maggie Vanderweit posted the news of Judy's award on Facebook -- with a photo of the two of them together -- I just had to ask Judy to tell me more.  I looked her up in the Membership Directory, and dropped her a line.  Although I think she's still recovering from all the excitement a trip to IQF entails -- not to mention accepting an award!! -- she quite quickly sent me photos and wrote a few words about her adventure, which she shared with SAQA colleague Bonnie Rozander:

Bonnie and I had a wonderful time, especially meeting a number of SAQA members from various locations.  We volunteered to work in their booth for several hours and I had time to peruse Martha Sielman's new book 'Art Quilts Unfolding'.  Unfortunately it was too heavy to pack in our suitcases due to the weight of our other purchases.  It is expensive, especially in Canadian dollars, but it's beautifully crafted.

I was delighted to see Maggie.  She and I first met at CQA's 2010 National Juried Show in Calgary and we had a visit last year in Toronto.  She is very eager to encourage all SAGA Western Canadian members to attend the 2020 SAQA conference in Toronto.....

And now for the photos...

Judy -- all ready for the Awards Ceremony!

Receiving her award

Exuberance -- with it's ribbon

Exuberance - Judy Leslie
40.5" W x 31" L

Congratulations, Judy!  A well-deserved award for a lush and beautifully rendered piece!

A Two-fer for Terry!

Just got word from SAQA's Bill Reker (shipper extraordinaire and all-round exhibit expert) that Terry Aske's "Moonrise", the companion piece to "Aurora" in the Dusk to Dawn  exhibit, SOLD last night in Houston!

Congratulations again, Terry!

Moonrise (C) 2018 - Terry Aske

New and Notable in November

Breaking news! 

B.C. member Terry Aske has two pieces in the Dusk to Dawn SAQA Global exhibit, now showing at the Houston Quilt Festival -- and word went out last evening that one of them -- "Aurora" -- has been sold to a collector!!  CONGRATULATIONS, TERRY!

Aurora - Terry Aske (C) 2018

Still with Terry, she currently has pieces in the International Artists' Day (IAD) Anonymous Festival, now showing at 100 Braid Street, Vancouver, B.C. -- and her piece, WOW Westminster with Dots, sold at the Opening Gala!  Bravo, Terry!  If you can't see the exhibit in person, she talks more about this piece in her blog post HERE.

Still in B.C....

While our SAQA WC Rep, Jennie Johnston, closed her solo show on October 26, she has exhibits elsewhere to tell us about!


First, Jennie contributed work to the UDHR Quilt project commemorating the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The exhibit has now debuted in Canberra, Australia; Jennie's contribution is in the "Blue Quilt", and you can read more about the entire project through the links on Jennie's blog post, or
by clicking HERE.

Jennie with her piece that's now part of the "Blue Quilt"
in the UDHR Quilt Project

In her sharing with me, Jennie provided these words from the Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House, Canberra, Australia:

"At a time when the patchwork of liberties is fraying, craftivism is a global movement that combines craft and activism into quietly powerful protest to call for social and political change. Craftivism allows people to actively engage in democracy, contribute to social change, and transform the world one stitch at a time.    

The UDHR Quilt Project features never before seen work from a global craftivism project. Stitching in local and global stories; see the intricate detail of these quilts that represent the world’s conscience.

Aided by the power of social media, Australian craftivist Tal Fitzpatrick and fellow USA based craftivist Stephanie Dunlap put the call out for collaborators. 131 craftivists from across the globe, united by their passion for quilting and human rights, came together to showcase the power of their voices through the work of their hands.

Through the creation of four quilts, each embroidered with the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the project draws attention to the way human rights are challenged around the world today. The messages sewn into the quilts inspire visitors think, engage and take action.

The #UDHRQuiltProject moves beyond a traditional museum experience by inviting visitors to get involved. Visitors can immerse themselves in craftivism by participating in a range of hands-on craft activities, workshops and community-based events. Textile artist, Tal Fitzpatrick, will be on hand for special events throughout the exhibition to facilitate workshops and discuss the everyday practice of democracy through craftivism."

Next, Jennie's work is also part of a project entitled  "Imago Mundi -- Great and North", which opened at the Venice Biennale just over a year ago, is now showing at the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U) Gallery, through December 16th.  Jennie has received a copy of the catalogue including her work and as she says, "It is always a pleasure to see your artwork take on its own life."

Jennie's work in the catalogue for
Imago Mundi -- Great and North

And the last show (for the moment!) in which Jennie's work is included is entitled Textile Narratives, and it's on NOW through November 17 at CityScape Community Art Space, 335 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver.

Editor's Note: I apologize for not mentioning "Textile Narratives" sooner, but in the interests of trying not to innundate readers with too many posts at one time, I tend to look at the dates of the exhibits and post based on the months in which they are showing.  Alas, with events that straddle more than one month, sometimes I find I've not posted their information quite soon enough!  My apologies to the artists in question.  If you have an event to share and want to be sure to highlight particular dates (such as the reception), please do so when you send me your notice for sharing on the blog.  Many thanks for your support!

To the Moon, Patricia!

"Fly Me to the Moon" is a SAQA Exhibit that was created a few years ago to honour the moon landing in 1969. 

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of that event.  Do you remember where you were at the time?  (I do!)

And on show at NASA now is the exhibit SAQA created, which includes this piece from Alberta member, Patricia Scott (below, centre):

Space Cowboy - Wally Schirra18" W x 30" L
Patricia Scott, Edmonton, AB

Pat shares this from her Artist's Statement for the piece:

This piece was inspired by reading about everything Wally had accomplished in his life.  What I wanted to highlight was the 3 missions he was on, and he fact he was one of the "Space Cowboys".  

Research Done: I looked on Wikipedia for information on Wally Schirra, as well as the different space ships he was on.

Techniques: Applique, free-motion quilting, machine embroidery.

Materials: Cotton, cotton batting. 

There is a link to the entire gallery of this exhibit which you might enjoy HERE.  Thanks for sharing, Patricia, and congratulations!

 

 

Congratulations, Clare!

A little bird (okay, it was Linda Syverson Guild over at the SAQA Members Only Facebook page) told me...

Congratulations are in order for B.C. member Clare Attwell of Victoria, who's just had a piece juried in to Quilt National!!

Bravo!!

Now...Clare...if you're reading this (or someone you know is)...can you tell us a bit more about it?  Just contact the blog Editor by e-mail.  And a photo would be nice, if you can share one.  Thanks!

And a P.S.

Just a post-script to the entry about Wendy Klotz and Articulation's forthcoming exhibit at the Sidney Museum:

In her blog post, Wendy mentions being a participant in the Poppy Project at the Anglican Cathedral Church of the Redeemer in Calgary.  Yours truly was also a participant; with 2 other women in our parish (St. Cyprian's, Lacombe), we contributed 55 of the close to 7,000 poppies that will hang on the walls outside the Cathedral in November this year. 

Currently the poppies are being tied to a netting by groups of stalwart volunteers.  Recently Global TV Calgary filmed the work, and the clip is now available for viewing HERE.  Enjoy!

Catching Up with Our Members

It's a busy time for members all over our Western Canada Region!

First, several of our contributions to the 2018 SAQA Benefit Auction have sold, including those from Terry Aske, Margaret Blank, Jaynie Himsl, Karen Johnson, Judy Leslie, Karlie Norris McChesney and Marie McEachern  Approximately 50% of the donated pieces have been sold to date, raising over $55,000 USD for SAQA, enabling the organization to continue to fund its exhibitions (at least 15 touring, excluding the Trunk Shows!), publications and ongoing education -- of artists (SAQA Seminar being a key component here) and the public re: art quilts.

In other news, B.C. member Karen Cummings, as mentioned in an earlier post, is currently exhibiting at the Okanagan Art Gallery in Osoyoos.  Recently, she was given larger wall space in which to show her work.  Way to go, Karen!

Do you have your SAQA Journal for Quarter 3 of 2018 yet?  If so, be sure to look for Katie Stein Sather's Mondrian Paddlers on page 23 -- part of the collection for the SAQA Member Gallery this issue.  Congratulations, Katie! 

And here's a shout out to Wendy Klotz of Calgary, and her colleagues with the group Articulation.  The group has a new exhibit opening later this month and running through November at the Sidney Museum, Sidney, B.C.  Quite a change of pace from their focus on landscapes, this exhibit's theme pays tribute to war -- in time for the marking of the Centenary of the Armistice that ended World War I:

Undoubtedly this will be a compelling and heart-felt exhibition, worth seeing if you are in the area.  Wendy writes about the piece she's created for this show on her blog HERE.

Meanwhile, in Manitoba, member Val Wilson will be teaching her 'Portrait Fibre Art' class -- a two-day affair -- October 20 and 21 -- at Keystone Quilts in Winnipeg.  If you've ever wanted to learn how to render portraits in fabric, now's your opportunity to learn from a master at the process!

For full details and registration, click HERE!




Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian readers.  I know yours truly is thankful for this SAQA Region and the organization as a whole, which has brought us so many friendships, and so many opportunities for ongoing education, exhibiting and artistic development.  Have a great weekend!

Congratulations are in Order!!

Over the past few months, I've posted the pieces contributed by SAQA WC members to the 2018 SAQA Benefit Auction.

Today...congratulations are in order, because Karen Johnson -- member from British Columbia -- has found that her Auction piece has been sold very quickly in the first full week of this online event.

Well done, Karen!!

Another B.C. Opening -- TODAY!

Sigh.

I can't believe it.

I ask and I ask and I ask and I ask...and what happens?

I continue to find out about solo shows and group shows and up-coming exhibits and current exhibits and juried show acceptances and...and...and...on social media!

Almost no one e-mails me directly; rather, y'all wait for me to stumble over you in my FB feed.  (NOTE: I'm not on Instagram or Twitter!)

So...despite her pleas for y'all to contact me about exhibits in which you're involved, the only way I found out that our Illustrious SAQA WC Rep, Jennie Johnston, had a solo show that opened today was for me to fall over her post on Facebook.

Sigh.

What's a blog Editor to do?!

On view at Janet Routledge's Community Office, 1833 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby BC.

Monday to Friday, please call for office hours: 604-775-0778

Just in case you're in the area, y'know...

and have a hankering to see some textile art...

Just sayin'!

😉

Congratulations, Jennie!

More from Manitoba!

I think it must be a type of "Murphy's Law" for those of us who used blog posts to spread news, as I do with this SAQA WC blog:

Every long, newsy post published will result in getting news of something else you could have included!  😉

Sure enough; right on the heels of my latest post, I stumbled on this great news from Manitoba member, Cathie Ugrin:

Wishing I could see this in person -- and hoping someone shares photos from it, or from the Opening Reception -- 12th Street Studio, Gallery & B&B, Brandon, MB (this Friday). 

Congratulations on your solo show, Cathie!!

Moving into September...

Lots to see -- and do -- in Western Canada and beyond!

Let's start in Manitoba, where member Valerie Wilson has  just launched her first Online Workshop: "Facial Expressions -- Portraits in Fabric".

To get this project underway, she reported on her blog last week that she "[is] looking for people to be part of her Workshop Launch Team" folks who'll participate but be rather like tech editors for yarn patterns or proof-readers and sample stitchers for embroidery designers -- providing feedback so she can edit and "fine tune the content".  If you're interested in this Workshop -- whether as part of the Launch Team or as a future student, you can find more information HERE.

Moving west to Alberta...

There are five -- count 'em! -- opportunities to enjoy textile art all through September, courtesy of the Fibre Art Network (FAN), the Calgary-based textile art group, Spectra; a touring SAQA Trunk Show; and an exhibit by the Sheep Creek Weavers.  For details -- dates and locations -- see the poster below, sent to us by Marie McEachern.  Thanks, Marie!

Several SAQA WC members are participants in the FAN exhibits.  "Conversations" includes work by Katie Stein Sather, Karlie Norris McChesney, Janet Bednarczyk, Cathie Ugrin, Jaynie Himsl, Susan Selby, Joyce Brown, Marie McEachern, Linda MacKay, Terry Aske, Diana Bartelings, Victoria Gray, Janet Scruggs, Judy Leslie, Robin Fischer, Mary Wilton, Karen Johnson, Janis (Jan) Clark, Linda Ingham and Bonita (Bonnie) Rozander.

"From a Tiny Seed" includes several of the above-mentioned members, plus Donna-Fay Digance, Shel Hein, Pippa Moore, Judi MacLeod, Theresa Shaw, Paulette Cornish, Karen Cummings, Dianne Firth, Terry Rammell and Sandra Lounsbury.

Well done, everyone!


The SAQA Trunk you'll see is only one of eight trunks that were created in 2017 and have been touring ever since.  Each trunk contains 57 or 58 pieces (459 were submitted and divided up); each piece is mounted on a 12" x 9" backing board and encased in an envelope, on the back of which is information about the artist that created the piece.

Alas, not knowing which trunk will be on exhibit in Alberta, I can't tell you who the artists are -- or if any of our WC members' work is in it -- but I can tell you that if you've never seen one of these Trunks before, it's a fun, interesting and unique experience -- as Jennie reported in her August Regional Newsletter, referring to her visit with the Trunk to the Chilliwack Piecemaker's Guild meeting in June.

What of news from British Columbia?  Congratulations are in order for member Karen Johnson, who has had five (count 'em, too!) pieces accepted into the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Festival to be held in Everett, WA, October 12-14, 2018.

She very graciously included photos of each piece in her e-mail to me with this news, so if you cannot manage to get to the event, you can enjoy them here:

Grid Play #4

Variations on a Grid

Variations on a Grid #2 - Paper

Streamside Stillness*

Circling the Blues**

Karen added the following notes:
* Streamside Stillness was awarded 3rd Place in the Abstract category at CQA;
** Circling the Blues was entered into CQA, but not accepted.

BRAVO, Karen!!

Finally, what about beyond our Region's borders?

SAQA's Annual Benefit Auction begins online two weeks from today!  Are you ready for the fun of watching the bidding?  Do you have your eye on one or two pieces -- perhaps by one of your favourite artists?  Did you create a Dream Collection to share with our international members...or maybe even just in your own mind?

The curating of a Dream Collection is, for me, one of the most fun aspects of the annual Auction, because it's affordable, and I don't have to find wall space in my tiny home for all the pieces I'd love to collect!  😉  This year my Dream Collection is entitled "Pet Project" -- and you can see it -- and all the others posted thus far -- HERE.

***   ***   ***  ***   ***

This weekend marks Labour Day which, for some, marks the end of summer for another year.  For others -- dare I say, for many? -- it's always thought of as the start of a new year, in that it is for those who have children going back to school.   The end of this school year (June 2019) will mark 50 years since I graduated high school, and 45 since I graduated university.  Although I'm gob-smacked by how that happened so quickly, I'm still looking forward to "going back to school" -- creatively, of course. 

To this end, I've enrolled in the SAQA Seminar series for the third year in a row, and am excited about all I can learn, all I can add to my creative tool-box, with these wonderful online (view any time) sessions.

I hope I'll encounter some of you in the live sessions -- and I look forward to where our collective creative journey takes us in this next year. 

Happy Labour Day, everyone!

August Update -- Part III: Lots to see in B.C.!

Who'dda thunk it?!  August is steam-rolling ahead to the end of it's tenure for 2018 -- and soon it will be September.  In some places, it's already "back to school". 

Sigh.  When did that happen?!

Happily, art lovers still have some "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer" to enjoy perusing exhibits and galleries.

Included in what's ON this coming weekend (August 24-26) is THIS:

B.C. member Terry Aske highlighted this in a recent blog post (for those of you who don't -- yet -- follow her), as it is showing in the same location as the VMQG (Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild) exhibit was shown in 2016.

And two of Terry's quilts will be on display:

Sailing at Sunset
(c) 2018 - Terry Aske

and

Shades of Grey
(c) 2013 - Terry Aske

Meanwhile, another SAQA WC member from B.C., Karen Cummings, reports:

I have been invited to showcase my textile work at the Okanagan Art Gallery, Osoyoos, British Columbia -- a co-op art gallery featuring the work of 25 artists.

My plan is to change the work out every two months, creating an email invitation to each new showing. I am currently working on three large pieces featuring the hand printed fabric I like to work with.

 Here's Karen, posing with some of her lovely work at the OAG!

So...if you'd like to spend the last lingering weeks of Summer...(or even if you'd just like to get out of the smoke from the tragic wildfires all over the province)...take some time to introduce beauty into your life with one or both of these exhibits!

August Update - Part II: Lorraine Roy in B.C.!

On Thursday evening, September 13, the B.C. SAQA  POD is hosting an Artist's Lecture with textile artist Lorraine Roy of Ontario.

The opportunity to hear her speak about her arose because her exhibit, Woven Woods: A Journey Through the Forest Floor, is on show at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, UBC, Vancouver, through November 4, 2018.  In fact, the creation of this exhibit will be the focus of Lorraine's talk.

Light refreshments will be served, and there will be an opportunity for Q&A following the lecture.

Here are the details you need to know to attend:

Date: Thursday, September 13, 2018

Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Place: VanDusen Botanical Garden

5251 Oak Street, 

Vancouver, B.C. V6M 4H1

Admission: $15.00 per person

Tickets available online at www.picatic.com

Sponsored by the SAQA WC B.C. POD, this event is open to all SAQA WC members, throughout the Region.  It is also open to the public, so do invite your art-loving friends and family to join you for what is sure to be a unique look into the creation of an art exhibition -- from inspiration and inception to fruition and exhibition.

Need more information?  Contact B.C. Rep Jennie Johnston by e-mail or visit the Facebook Event page.

Lorraine with her exhibit, Woven Woods: A Journey Through the Forest Floor

August Update - Part I

First, many thanks to Bethany Garner, former SAQA Central Canada Co-Rep, who visited the My Corner of the World: Canada exhibit now showing at the Mississippi Textile Museum in Almonte, ON, and took wonderful photos of the pieces in situ.

In an e-mail to the participating artists, Bethany described the set-up of the exhibit thus:

[I] Had a nice visit at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte with fibre friends on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed seeing your beautiful SAQA My Corner of the World Canada quilts hanging throughout the Museum. The artwork is in a number of various areas through the Museum, as the big PUPPET exhibit is in the main gallery on the first floor. There were not enough of the SAQA quilts to fill the big Gallery, but honestly, I love the juxtaposition of the quilts in areas where the visitors walk and stop to talk, along the stairwells, front lobby, near the gift shop entrance and they are spectacular in the big upper floor gallery, scattered along the walls as the visitors visit the "Fabric of a Small Town" exhibit that is permanent now in the mill after several years of restorations just completed and celebrates the history of the MILL - and why so many visit the Mill Museum so beautifully restored by volunteers for the Almonte Community. We are blessed to have the quilts in this beautiful summer location during tourist season for sure.

Many of the quilts are in small groups, and as you can understand, in an old Mill with scared stone and plaster walls, the hanging options are few. I simply loved the way the art quilts worked to draw the viewers, hanging proudly along the walls among the Mill equipment, the stacks of wooden trays for sorting bobbins and small tools of the trade and the looms and carding equipment - samples of the actual cloth making. So appropriate to our story. I did capture all of your quilts on the cell phone, and will get better photos next visit!

...Your quilts have survived their travels to England, France, Italy and Poland over the past two years very nicely... and they look beautiful in their setting. It was a rainy day, but I had a chance to get a few good cell phone photos which I have posted at the SAQA Central Canada Blog... they are random and apologies to Janet, as her photo is a bit dark - but the quilt which is mainly made of woven strips of paper maps and sheers hangs tall and beautiful between two great windows in the Gallery - so do visit and see "White Pine: Titan of the Shield" for yourself in all of it's glory. There are catalogs of the exhibit available in the Museum Gift Shop, and they were in the hands of several of the visitors - so SAQA is getting the recognition and interest we hoped for! Each quilt tells YOUR story and is an amazing celebration of what Canada represented for you as you worked to tell your own story.

She posted her photos on the SAQA Central Canada blog, so you can see them HERE.

Jaynie Himsl's Poplar Point
at the entrance to MCOTW: Canada
in the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

Next, there's an exhibit on NOW at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary, Alberta.  Entitled Abstraction, it's presented by the Calgary-based art quilt group "Spectra" and includes the work of these SAQA WC members, and friends: Ilse Anysas Salkauskas, Joyce Brown, Diane Duncan, Margaret Jessop,  Marie McEachern, Beverly Patkau and Linda Van Gastel -- pictured below with colleagues at the recent Opening Reception:

Left to right: Nan Williams, Beverly Patkau,
Margaret Jessop, Joyce Brown, an unidentified colleague,
Linda Van Gastel, another unidentified colleague,
Marie McEachern, Ilse Anysas Salkauskas, and Diane Duncan.

The piece featured on the Jubilee's 'Gallery' web page is this one:

A Game of Life
(c) 2018 - Ilse Anysas Salkauskas

I understand there are other artists in the exhibit who aren't in the photo from the reception, and have asked Marie to send me more information -- and photos of the other work!  😊

While the Jubilee web page doesn't indicate how long the show is up, for those in the area who may want to view it, please note the following about Gallery hours at that venue:

The Jubilee Gallery is open during pre-show and intermission during Jubilee performances. Additional viewing hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM.

My Corner of the World: Canada -- On NOW in Ontario!

On July 14, the MCOTW: Canada exhibit opened at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte, Ontario -- not far from Ottawa,

There are forty pieces in this section of the two-part My Corner of the World exhibit -- and all of them are made by Canadian artists from coast to coast.

Western Canada is well represented by these artists:

Janet Scruggs (AB then, B.C. now)
Looking Down

Jaynie Himsl, SK
Poplar Point

Margaret Blank, AB
It's Still About the Sky

Marie McEachern, AB
Downtown

Paula Jolly, SK
The Road Home

Terry Aske, B.C.
Inside the Tipi

Mardell Rampton, B.C.
Beaches #1

But that's not all there is to see in this unique venue!  While MCOTW: Canada is showing there through September 22, at the same time visitors can enjoy the Museum's permanent exhibit, Fabric of a Small Town, and a retrospective of the creations of Noreen Young, Canadian puppeteer, that's sure to delight young and old.

Enjoy!

P.S. For the Curious:  Yes, there is a Mississippi River and associated Valley in Canada!  You can learn more about it HERE and HERE. 😊

Mississippi River at Galetta, ON

Opening Next Week in Alberta

The Annual Camrose Art Walk opened at the beginning of June.  It's composed of two "tranches" of artists -- with some overlaps -- with the first group showing at various venues around the City of Camrose, Alberta, through July 18 (that's tomorrow!) and the second group showing from July 24 through September 4.

Venues include Camrose City Hall, the Bill Fowler Centre, the Public Library, the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre on the U. of Alberta's Augustana Campus. the Chuck MacLean Arts Centre, the local Starbucks, the Candler Art Gallery, and two cafes -- Sacred Arts and Fiona's.  A brochure is available at any one of these locations, and includes a map so visitors can make their way around to the various venues.

Margaret (L) and Mary (R)
at Eilean Donan Castle,
September 2017

SAQA Western Canada members Mary Wilton and Margaret Blank are delighted to share that their collaborative 19-piece exhibit, Inspired by Scotland, will be showing at the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre in that second group -- July 24 through September 4.

Mary and Margaret were part of the Celtic Quilt Tours trip to Scotland in September 2017, and determined even before they travelled that they'd like to pool their inspirations for a collaborative exhibit.  That the Camrose Art Walk -- in which Mary has participated for a dozen years now! -- agreed to show their work in such a lovely venue as the Performing Arts Centre was the icing on the cake.




In the past year Mary has explored more fully the technique of wet felting -- which she then quilts -- so many of her pieces will include this unique way of expressing her love of the beauty of nature she found in Scotland.

Colours of the Moor
Mary Wiilton (c) 2018

Margaret has discovered a way to combine quilting with painted stretched canvas, so many of the pieces she's created for the show will feature her explorations in this area.

Storm Brewing Over the Lowlands
Margaret Blank (c) 2018

A "Meet the Artists" Reception will be held at the Performing Arts Centre on Wednesday, August 15, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. -- and they hope to see some of their friends there -- especially those from Central Alberta and perhaps Edmonton.  😊