"Uncommon Threads: Contemporary Wisconsin Textiles" at the Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, Wisconsin , March 28-July 15, 2012

I haven't fallen completely off the map...only in a fold somewhere. Ahh, life. My piece "Corseted Landscape: Fall" will be on view during this exciting exhibition at the Wisconsin Museum of Art, in West Bend, Wisconsin. There is also work by Barbara Chappell, Sharon Kerry-Harlan, Christopher Niver and Bird Ross, among others of note.

This is one of the pieces I am exhibiting in the show this weekend. It is so happy to be out and about again. I love it because of all those bundles. I miss making those babies and really didn't pay much attention to them when the piece was hanging in my studio this past year. FYI, my laptop keyboard is not functioning (I am actually on a friend's computer) so that is why I haven't been posting. I have no idea when I am going to get it fixed...as you know technology isn't first on my list at the moment...I decided to purchase a Navajo spindle instead...3ft tall. OH YEAH...I will have to get the posts together for travel up here to this computer.

Hope all is well with everyone...

Another Upcoming Event...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Three women owned, 'art related', businesses in the Historic Third Ward - Marshall Building have organized a special event, WOMEN IN ART. Morgan Oldenburg of Spill, Susan Kabins of Luminosity and Catherine Davidson of CR Davidson Art have invited twenty talented women to exhibit their work in a Lower Level gallery space for three days in early March. This event precedes the International Day of Women on the 8th of March and coincides with the quarterly arts event hosted by Marshall Arts on March 4th and 5th.
WOMEN IN ART
Marshall Building - Lower Level
207 East Buffalo Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Friday, March 4th 5 - 9 Opening Reception
Saturday, March 5th 11-4
Sunday, March 6th 12-3
Free and Open to the public
Many of the participating artists have affiliations with local non-profit organizations; there will be information about these groups as well as information on the individual artists. A variety of media and style will be exhibited; paintings, prints, textiles, mixed-media sculpture along hand-made jewelry, greeting cards and books. Many of the artists will be in attendance during this sale exhibition. Confirmed artists include Stepanie Berenz, Robin M. Fleming, Jenie Gao, Amanda Gerken, Susan Hale, Sonji Hunt, Shelby Keefe, Alison Krick, Margaret Lockwood, Chrystal Gillon Mabry, Judy Mindin, Colleen Shoop, Bridget Lyle Wolf, Ann Mory Wydeven and Kyle Zubatsky.
Other local Historic Third Ward businesses will donate flowers, offer chair massages and introduce a special jewelry charm to honor this event and the International Day of Women.
For further information or questions please contact one of the organizers:
Morgan Oldenburg at Spill 414-270-2808 morgan@spilldesign.com
Susan Kabins at Luminosity 414-278-0992susanosity@sbglobal.net
Catherine Davidson at CR Davidson Art 414-303-9389 catherine@crdavidsonart.com

Peltz Opening...belated fun (and fashion)

Oh, it was a lovely (and really cold) evening at the opening way back when on January 21. Yes, I know this is a day picture of Peltz Gallery...what good would a night time picture do? You wouldn't be able to see what it looked like. So, let us not get all fussy and make-shift continuity editors OK? (This is not a question...even though there is a question mark...it's a test for you).

You can see Mutope Johnson there in the back giving a short talk about his work. When Townsend and I arrived, there was a talk going on by attending artists (oops...how come I am always late to these sort of things? Again...not really a question). It had started before the "official" opening time because it was a group from the Art Museum.

This is artist Rosemary Ollison, who, after seeing Della's television interview where she was standing in front of my work, said that she MUST have a picture in front of the infamous piece. Clearly, I was not in top blogging form because had I been, I would have made EVERYONE stand in front of that thing.

You can see gallery owner Cissie Peltz in the background (she is the only non-African American person in the picture facing the camera...you can find her). In the foreground is artist George Williams, Jr. and curator/artist Della Wells (wearing a Sonji cowl...crocheted by Sonji from hand spun wool by Sonji...mmmmhmmm...very warm and stylish if I do say so myself...do I really need to finish the run on sentence? You know what's coming. And no, I did not make the hat, it is a commercial object, but still very attractive on the curator).

Oh, and look...super stylish attorney and businesswoman Genyne Edwards and what is that she is wearing? Mmmmhmmm...I will say it...an equally super stylish, one-of-a-kind (very warm), Sonji cowl...Sonji knit (yeah baby...I knit now despite my issues, the wool called for it) from Sonji hand spun wool.

And all the way from Washington, D.C., artists Amber Robles-Gordon and Jamea Richmond Edwards. (Why aren't these fantastic women wearing Sonji cowls...how did they get into this post without them? Of course, next time ladies...you know what you have to do).

Portia Cobb Heyward and THE Brad Bernard (both Sonji cowl-less, but still looking great...once again, this shan't happen next time, right?)

And Della (appropriately attired) in front of George Williams, Jr.'s work.

So, as I wrote this I got a little ridiculous about the cowl thing (because one, meaning me, must have some sort of thread to lead you around my blog...and that thread (yarn) is ME), but seriously, it was a great event. A lot of attendees doing the gallery night run around. I got to see lots of people I hadn't seen in a while...some I hadn't seen in hours, some a year and some 20 years...seriously, isn't that crazy? It was definitely inspiring and helped me get back into my art groove. Now, if there were only about 12 more hours in the day, OK realistically 5 more hours would work...I think I could really get things rockin' again.

Go Pack!

Xenobia Bailey

This is definitely a flash-from-the-past...October 2009, to be specific about the flash point. I was cleaning out my drafts/unfinished posts and found images from a great visit to the Kohler Art Center in October 2009 that I never posted (how could that be?). My goddaughter and I went to experience an exhibit I knew she would fall in love with, the work of Xenobia Bailey. This was the third (or fourth, or fifth) time I had seen the exhibit and it was fresh every time. Her work is exciting, accessible, comforting and graphically stunning as well as complex...the kind of complexity that doesn't take itself too seriously but makes a strong comment. I love constructions that create a space that envelopes you...not like a hug, but rather more of an environment that surrounds you as a viewer/participant and transports you. Installation art is a difficult medium and Xenobia's work is an example of parts making the whole succeed. Her work is separate pieces that stand strongly on their own, but when combined enhance her Neo-funk vision of life.

Kamwas obsessed with this tea setting and the crocheted "living room" area. It had a feel of a classic tea setting in a pristine living room...you know "don't-go-in-there-and-break-anything" vibe, except you can't break a crocheted environment (the china, yes admittedly). My girl is a budding ceramicist. She told me once she loves clay like I love paint. So, I know she isn't joking.

All the pieces, according to Xenobia's gallery talk, continuously evolve, year after year. Nothing is complete. As a viewer, I get much better insight hearing an artist talk about their work instead of simply reading about it or hearing a curator or gallerist or critic discuss the work. I also recall her discussing the development of her fiber obsession ranging from all natural handmade fibers which then turned into using more cost effective acrylics in order to make the work she does currently. Funny to look back on it, having developed my own wool obsession in the following few months. Hmmm.And her insanely amazing crowns leave me speechless (-ish). She has an etsy site as well for a select few pieces from time to time.

And, proof that I actually met her (cuz I am a super social butterfly baby)...here is the fantabulous Xenobia Bailey in our living room petting the studio assistant, Julie. Xenobia was great fun. Della Wells and I picked her up in the morning from her residency loft in Kohler, stopped to take Julie out, then met Mutope J. Johnson (hey, I'm diggin' the look of this new blog) at the Maharaja for buffet and then we spent a gazillion hours at area thrift stores...ah, it is all coming back to me now. Good times, great work. If Xenobia Bailey's work (or her person) come to a city near you...don't walk...run to go and see it again and again.

...and a big thanks to everyone who came back to start reading the blahblah again. Much appreciated.