WHERE: Forbes Library Hosmer Gallery, 20 West Street Northampton.
WHEN: April 2-30, 2018
Reception: Saturday April 7, 2-4 PM
The many nuances of the color blue inspire the eight members of the Fiberistas. Working in several fiber media including quilting, felting, tapestry weaving, dyeing, surface design, stitchery, and paper and fabric collage, they explore traditional techniques as well as contemporary artistic trends including graffiti, illumination, and repurposing of materials.
Nina Compagnon, creator of garments both ethereal and substantial, finds that felting has helped her move through a year of personal challenges. Her studio has served as a sanctuary, enabling her to leave the outside world beyond her door, and become one with the wool. Sally Dillon has evolved artistically from many years as a professional silk painter to the creation of whimsical felted wall hangings. Her piece, “Plenty of Fish” recalls her mother’s reassurances to her during her dating days. Rebecca Fricke is particular interested in how cloth and quilts can be repurposed, and has created a series of “tagged” second hand quilts—cloth graffiti. Reactions to her use of other people’s quilts in this way have range from anger by some observers to her own exhilaration in moving in this artistic direction. Martha May’s tapestry weavings enable her to define with yarn a picture in her mind, as she moves her wool under and over the warp.
Martha Robinson quilts wall pieces using batiks, and works with clamped and stitched shibori dyeing techniques in cotton, silk, and, most recently, polyester. Flo Rosenstock, felter and dyer, has also created a series of pieces motivated by her ability to envision the sculptural potential of used packing materials. Using them as substrates for paper and fabric compositions has given new life to items that would otherwise be discarded. Margaret Stancer’s work in fiber includes dyeing, wearable art, quilts, and felted vessels. She has also repurposed used blue jeans to create nostalgic pieces reminiscent of various family members’ recollections and symbols. Nancy Young has explored many fiber techniques over the years, currently focusing on surface design and soft sculpture. The common threads running through her pieces are her love of color, texture, and whimsy as she creates using her own hand dyed and printed fabrics as well as commercial fabrics.
Gallery Hours:
Monday 9-9 ; Tuesday 1-5 ; Wednesday 9-9 ; Thursday 1-5 ; Friday & Saturday 9-5 ; closed Sundays and holidays.
WHEN: April 2-30, 2018
Reception: Saturday April 7, 2-4 PM
The many nuances of the color blue inspire the eight members of the Fiberistas. Working in several fiber media including quilting, felting, tapestry weaving, dyeing, surface design, stitchery, and paper and fabric collage, they explore traditional techniques as well as contemporary artistic trends including graffiti, illumination, and repurposing of materials.
Nina Compagnon, creator of garments both ethereal and substantial, finds that felting has helped her move through a year of personal challenges. Her studio has served as a sanctuary, enabling her to leave the outside world beyond her door, and become one with the wool. Sally Dillon has evolved artistically from many years as a professional silk painter to the creation of whimsical felted wall hangings. Her piece, “Plenty of Fish” recalls her mother’s reassurances to her during her dating days. Rebecca Fricke is particular interested in how cloth and quilts can be repurposed, and has created a series of “tagged” second hand quilts—cloth graffiti. Reactions to her use of other people’s quilts in this way have range from anger by some observers to her own exhilaration in moving in this artistic direction. Martha May’s tapestry weavings enable her to define with yarn a picture in her mind, as she moves her wool under and over the warp.
Martha Robinson quilts wall pieces using batiks, and works with clamped and stitched shibori dyeing techniques in cotton, silk, and, most recently, polyester. Flo Rosenstock, felter and dyer, has also created a series of pieces motivated by her ability to envision the sculptural potential of used packing materials. Using them as substrates for paper and fabric compositions has given new life to items that would otherwise be discarded. Margaret Stancer’s work in fiber includes dyeing, wearable art, quilts, and felted vessels. She has also repurposed used blue jeans to create nostalgic pieces reminiscent of various family members’ recollections and symbols. Nancy Young has explored many fiber techniques over the years, currently focusing on surface design and soft sculpture. The common threads running through her pieces are her love of color, texture, and whimsy as she creates using her own hand dyed and printed fabrics as well as commercial fabrics.
Gallery Hours:
Monday 9-9 ; Tuesday 1-5 ; Wednesday 9-9 ; Thursday 1-5 ; Friday & Saturday 9-5 ; closed Sundays and holidays.
