Where's the Heart of It?

Tree Study III - 7" x 10"
G.M. Blank
2013

The heart of SAQA is its membership -- and the participation of its membership in its biennial Trunk Show and annual Benefit Auction.  Have you sent in your Trunk show Piece yet?  The deadline for it to arrive at the home of the curator, Elaine Doughty, is looming:  January 31!

Click HERE for more information!  (NOTE: you'll be asked to log in as this is in the "Members" section).

Alberta member Ilse Anysas-Salkauskas and Ontario member Elaine Quehl both have pieces in the latest Online Gallery -- Where's the Heart of It? -- over on the SAQA Website.

Do pop over, take a look -- and be prepared to
be inspired!

Getting the Word Out

Orthrozanclus Reburrus
- Terry Aske

The Rocky Mountain Outlook, a newspaper from Canmore, Alberta, recently published an article about our newest touring exhibit, The Burgess Shale Project.  Thanks to Hanne Seidel for passing on this information.  You can read the article, "Art Quilts Bring Ancient Critters to Life" HERE.

A Review from a Visitor to The Burgess Shale Project

This morning I received this e-mail, and am delighted to have permission to pass it along to you.  The Burgess Shale Project is a hit!

Hi Patti and Margaret,
I wanted to email you right away to tell you that I had an opportunity to see the quilts in your Burgess Shale exhibit yesterday.
First of all… They are ALL magnificent!! I mean that with many exclamation marks!! My parents and I drove out to Turner Valley school yesterday in -20° C conditions, where we met my sister and the librarian Carol. I must also say that the published book that goes with the show, while it is a terrific addition, doesn’t do those quilts one bit of justice. In fact, the little book pales in comparison to the bright dynamic quilts seen in person!! Every one of them was a stand alone work of art, as I walked from one to the next, I couldn’t wait to inspect the beautiful fabrics, stitches, layers and appreciated each creative interpretation of each “critter”. 
The librarian, Carol, was sure pleased to have them. She had them hung nicely, some she was embarrassed to say had to be hung too high as there wasn’t enough good spaces to put them. I didn’t mind that, as it was a library and she was just trying to give them all their deserved viewing space. She said the kids response to them was outstanding, viewing the backs as interesting as the fronts.
You should ALL be so proud of your talented group of quilt artists. I would LOVE to participate in something like this in the future. I am hoping that through SAQA there will be other opportunities to come. Those beautiful little quilts have all inspired me to be the quilt artist I know I can be.
I enjoyed the show immensely and look forward to seeing it again,Alison

The Burgess Shale Project will be at Turner Valley School through  December 11.  From there it moves to the Bighorn Library in Exshaw, Alberta, from December 18 through January 22, 2014.  Further information and a pdf calendar of the exhibit's venues can be found through the TREX website.

Looking for Gifts?

"Circle Play"
(C) Margaret Blank
2011

How about shopping online at the SAQA store?  There's a variety of art quilts to choose from, including one by yours truly in the "Trunk Show 2013" (This is a Quilt!) category.  ;-)

Or you can purchase beautiful books, including catalogues from SAQA Exhbibits such as "Sight Lines" or "Seasonal Palette", which tell you about each piece and its artist, illustrated with photographs of their work.

For a quilting friend, you might find just the right selection of SAQA signature thread (Aurifil brand) or the perfect DVD.

There's nothing like shopping at home -- quiet, relaxed, even in your "jammies".  Enjoy!

New Kid on the Block

As the newest SAQA Western Canada (WC) Co-Rep, I thought I'd stop by the blog to say "Hi!" to all our members, but especially those in Alberta.

It seems to be that when new Co-Reps arrive, the weather lets loose!  Just as Dawn was fighting the March Lion in Dauphin earlier this year, I've been spending a great deal of time shovelling out from under three -- count 'em! -- three snow-blows since November 2.

My back yard - Nov. 3, 2013

I shouldn't complain, though, as this is great weather for spending time in my studio -- and for dipping into some of the resources SAQA provides for Regional Reps.

 Not the least of these are the resources SAQA makes available to all of its members.  How about that spiffy new website, eh?  I'll brag (just a bit) and tell you that I was on the first wee 'focus group'-type sub-committee that worked on what could/should/might go into the re-designed site.  What a great job the final committee did to make our early vision possible!

If you haven't visited yet, I urge you to drop over; there's lots to see!  You might take a particular look at these areas:

• Your SAQA Region -- for all that's happening on a regional level;
• Art Quilt Resources -- a wealth of information on where to find teachers, appraisers, photographers; on business development; on educational programs and collectors...and much, much more; and
• The Blog -- news and notes from the SAQA-sphere.

Taking over the Alberta Co-Rep position from Patti Morris means I have some pretty big shoes to fill.  Living only an hour or so from Patti has given me an opportunity to get to know her a bit, and to help her out when our travelling exhibits were on display nearby -- such as "Meet the Best of the West" when it opened in Red Deer, and when it returns there at the end of next month.

When I was asked if I would consider being a WC Co-Rep, I'll admit I was terrified.  Our Region -- B.C. through Manitoba -- comprises over 1.1 million square miles and is equivalent to approximately 29% of Canada's entire land mass!  Alberta alone is about 211,000 square miles in area.  No matter that most of our members are clustered in or around Calgary -- it's no surprise that, with our geography, we've never even attempted to get together in one place!  And with weather like ours, travelling to far-flung communities is best reserved for the latter part of April through mid-September.

Nonetheless, I am hopeful that we'll be able to have at least one in-person Parlour Meeting in each of the next two years, and perhaps have some online conferences (webinars) in between.  These possibilities have yet to be explored, but in this introduction, I am also throwing down a gauntlet!

To date our Alberta meetings have been fairly small and held (except for one) in Patti's home in Red Deer.

My home in Mirror is even smaller...and besides, it's still in Central Alberta.

So!  I'm calling on the members in the larger centres of the province -- Calgary and Edmonton in particular but Lethbridge, Camrose, Canmore,  and/or Medicine Hat are not exempt! -- to come up with potential venues for a May or June 2014 Parlour Meeting. 

• It could be a one-day event, or a two-day event that includes some sort of learning experience -- which ideally would be provided by one (or more) of our own talented members...
• Perhaps the meeting could be tied in with the location of the Burgess Shale Project exhibit at that time (St. Albert the Great School, Calgary, April 9 - May 14; Millarville Community Library, May 21 - June 18; Beiseker Station Museum, June 25-July 23).  It would be an opportunity to welcome people in those communities to meet some of the artists, perhaps in a mutually creative way...
• Logistics might include not only the venue but food and...perhaps some of us travelling from out of town will need to sleep over...
• It might mean a small committee (say 2-3 people) to put their heads together and organize it.

Anyone willing to step forward is welcome to e-mail me: margblank@xplornet.ca.  Going into the holiday season (Hanukkah starts next week, and before long it will be Christmas), I don't expect to hear from (m)any of you right away.  We'll revisit it in January...

On that note I'll close for now, with an invitation for you to get to know me better through my bio on the SAQA site -- and/or through a visit to my blog.  I look forward to hearing from any and all members across this vast region, but especially from the Alberta cohort.  This is your organization!  Jill, Dawn and I are here to help you...but you'll get more out of your SAQA experience -- at every level -- if you're able to step forward and help us too.

Centennial Quilt by Patti Morris

Patti Morris of Red Deer, AB is proud to see her quilt titled "Centennial Quilt" hanging for the entire city to enjoy!    Check it out here or if you are in Red Deer check it out in person. 

“The Red Deer Centennial Art Quilt” was commissioned in April of 2012 by the Red Deer 2013 

Centennial committee to celebrate the city’s 100th Birthday in 2013.  

The piece is a triptych in “map art” format. 

The goal was to deliver a geographical & historical perspective that would incorporate the 100 year 

journey. The Red Deer River is the visual focal point of the piece emphasizing the environmental impact 

it had in the early history to the present. The piece is bordered by brightly coloured blocks which 

represent the unique and dynamic structure of our city and incorporates the interlocking building blocks 

of Paul Klee’s “Red Deer Public Library” Logo. 

Acknowledgements: The Red Deer 2013 Centennial Committee, Mayor Morris Flewwelling, 

Local art Instructor: Tanya ZuzakCollard BFA MFA. The City of Red Deer Engineering Department, Copies Now, & former Director of The Red Deer Library Dean Frey.

And lastly, my husband Tony Morris, for his never ending patience, support over the past 10 months to 

make this all possible.

New Membership Categories

Information for Current Members - (Membership changes as of October, 2013)

Note: All current members will automatically be moved to the new categories.  Active Members will become Supporting Members; PAMs will become Studio Artists.

Arts Professional 

This new category has been added for members who are involved in art quilts and the arts in general but who are not primarily spending their time working in studios.  They may be teachers, curators, appraisers, writers, collectors, etc.  They may make art quilts but their focus is primarily on other related activities.

There is no application process necessary for this category.  The additional $25 fee allows Arts Professionals to market their businesses through the SAQA website. 

Arts Professionals will each have a page on the SAQA website, similar to the old PAM pages.  Arts Professionals will be able to promote their businesses with a brief description, along with link to their website and full contact information.  They will be able to upload a headshot of themselves and a photo of what they primarily offer.  For example, they may choose to show students taking their workshop or an image of the cover of their new book or a copy of their logo.  Arts Professionals will be able to choose searchable key words to make it easy for people to find them and their businesses.

If you are currently an Active Member and wish to upgrade to Arts Professional, visit the Membership Upgrade page.  Once your upgrade has been processed, you may add the information and images for your business to your membership profile page, along with your choice of searchable key words.

Studio Artist 

Studio Artists will continue to have the same benefits as the former Professional Artist Members (PAMs) and will have some new additional benefits.  Selection will continue to be based on application via resume and portfolio juried in by a panel of current Studio Artists, who meet on a bi-monthly basis.

Studio Artists’ work will continue to part of the SAQA website’s Image Library for online galleries and slideshows.  They will continue to be eligible to be part of the annual Portfolio, both in print and as a digital, searchable version.  The print Portfolios will continue to be mailed to galleries, museum, libraries, collectors, interior designers and architects.

New benefits for Studio Artists will include the ability to post up to five (5) images of their work (rather than the two allowed under the old system) which will rotate in a slideshow on their Studio Artist page.  Another new benefit is that they will have the ability to sell those pieces in the SAQA Store. Studio Artists will be responsible for shipping any pieces that are sold through the SAQA Store; SAQA will charge a 25% commission on all sales.

Studio Artists will be able to choose searchable key words to make it easy for people to find them and their artwork.  This is a fabulous new feature.

Studio Artists who teach, appraise, write, lecture, curate, etc. may also set up a page in the Art Services Directory advertising their business.  They may include a brief description of their business, along with a link to their website and full contact information.  They will be able to upload a headshot of themselves and a photo of what they primarily offer.

Current PAMs (now Studio Artists) who wish to upload additional images, add key words, and have their work available for sale in the SAQA Store will need to visit their membership profile page and make the necessary changes and choices.

Burgess Shale Project - TREX

Patti Morris

Western Canadian SAQA members have joined together to create this Burgess Shale Textile art exhibition. In 1909, the Burgess Shale was discovered by Charles Doolittle Walcott in Yoho National Park. The fossils found in the Burgess Shale give us a glimpse into what the world looked like half-a-billion years ago. The Burgess Shale is one of the most important fossil beds in the world and its right in our backyard! Each 24”x24” piece in this exhibition represents one of the fossils found in the Burgess Shale.

The Burgess Shale is a touring exhibition developed by the Alberta Society of Artists for the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program. This exhibition is currently circulating throughout the southwest/central parts of Alberta. The AFA Travelling Exhibition Program is financially supported by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

For further information on the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program contact: 

Caroline Loewen, Manager / Curator

Alberta Society of Artists

#305 - 1235 26th Avenue SE, Calgary AB T2G 1R7

Telephone: 403.262.4669; Fax: 403.263.4610; Email: caroline@albertasocietyofartists.com

If you visit the TREX website, you will now find The Burgess Shale exhibit listed in "Current Exhibitions".  There is a PDF file you can download (3 pages) that has a current schedule.  

The link is HERE: 

http://www.artists-society.ab.ca/media/29799/asa_calendar_2013-14_04.pdf

NOTE: Currently the exhibit is at Annie Gaetz School in Red Deer.  It moves from there to Turner Valley and from there to the Bighorn Library in Exshaw, where it will reside over the holiday season, till the second week in January.

First Ever Manitoba Parlour Meeting

Hello Manitoba SAQA Members!

I would like to arrange a Parlour Meeting in Winnipeg.
A few possible dates are October 21 (evening), November 5 (evening) & November 6 (afternoon).
Let me know what your preference is and I will set a location & final date. 

Drop me a line at (204) 572-6173 or email:  dawnpiasta@gmail.com

Surface Design Alberta Exhibition

An Exhibition of Art Quilts, Fibre Arts & Mixed Media

Sunday, October 20, 2013
12 noon to 3pm

Canyon Meadows Community Hall
844 Cantabrian Drive SW, Calgary

Featuring:  "THE TRUNK SHOW"

Works by:
Trudy Cowan, Diane Duncan, Meredith Helgeson, Karen Jurek, Lil Mountjoy, Colleen Peake, Marilyn Samuels, Fran Sayles, Jan Scruggs & Suzanne Strank.

Free Admission --- Refreshments