In February 2016, along with Kansas City Art Institute’s Fiber Department, Chair Pauline Verbeek-Cowart and faculty, I hosted a Surface Design member’s gathering at the Institute. It was terrific to visit the department with around thirty Kansas and Missouri members (and guests) to hear presentations by three emerging recent grads. I was asked to write an online article for the Surface Design Association, describing the event, the grant process and how it was planned. The idea was to inspire other representatives and members to utilize resources and institutions they may have in their locations. As an alumna, I love revisiting KCAI and am so happy the event went well, thanks to all involved! Here is a link to the article I wrote, “How I Build Textile Art Community in Kansas and Missouri”. There are LOTS of pictures of attendees and participants! Read my article here.
Read the Feature Article
I was the featured artist in this edition of Art Quilting Studio magazine. The ten-page article was written by Rice Freeman-Zachery. I mailed over twenty pieces to Stampington Press in California to be photographed, and yes, that was a nail biting experience! If you would like to read the article, click here
Surface Design Association SDA
I've been involved as a volunteer with the Surface Design Association for a long time. It's a 3000 member international organization, with the vision to inspire creativity, encourage innovation and advocate for artistic excellence as the global leader in textile-inspired art and design. SDA's mission is to promote awareness and appreciation of textile-inspired art and design through member-supported benefits including publications, exhibitions and conferences. I am currently rep for Kansas and Missouri, and in the past was a regional rep for five states. For me, it's been a wonderful source of fun, inspiration, information and connection with other textile inspired artists. The Surface Design Journal, which comes with membership, is top rated in its category. There is a member's image directory on the website, which receives tens of thousands of hits monthly. Volunteering for SDA has been a great vehicle for me, as a long-time teacher, to pass on what I've learned and help nurture & promote talent in others, as well. In the local Kansas City area, we try and meet quarterly. If you are interested in textiles, as an artist, designer, collector or curator and haven't explored SDA yet, please do yourself a favor... join us! The website address is http://www.surfacedesign.org/ (Yep, that's my swatch in the background of the home page!) The MO/KS SDA Facebook Page is at this link: https://www.facebook.com/Kansas-Missouri-Surface-Design-Association-221776335478/
"Unheard" in Houston
My piece, “Unheard” will be included in the juried exhibit “Digital Alchemy” curated by Jane Dunnewold and premiering at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas in October of 2015. The exhibition is sponsored by the Spoonflower Company and the included quilts are required to have at least 50% digital or print-on-demand fabrics included in the construction. The exhibit will also be featured in an upcoming online exhibit.Info: Cotton fabric, pieced, painted & machine quilted. Print-on-demand pigment printed cotton created from original digitally manipulated photo images.
MIDWEST METAPHORS Invitation - Leedy-Voulkos Art Center
I will have three pieces in the Studio Art Quilt Association (SAQA) Showcase in the KC Crossroads district, at the Leedy-Voulkos Artcenter, 2012 Baltimore, Kansas City, Missouri. The exhibit, entitled, "Midwest Metaphors", features works of SAQA members in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. I am planning on being there at the closing reception on Saturday, June 27th and hope you will stop in and say hi.If you are a quilt art fan or a would-be fan you'll love this show! My diptych, "The Wake Up Call" is featured on the invitation, on the bottom row second from right.
Invitation: January 10 reception for "Coming Home"
