Bemused, Boggled, and Bedazzled

We are coming into the home stretch for this exhibit, so I can take some time to breathe and reflect and get the news out!

Almost a year and a half ago, I agreed to guest curate an exhibit for the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center in Tillamook, Oregon. I decided to make it an invitational and choose the folks I wanted to participate, rather than jurying the entries and having to tell people I couldn’t use their art. Some of the artists I invited had to turn me down for various reasons, some had to drop out part way through because life happened, but I expected that. What I ended up with is completely amazing artwork by 39 talented people, working in various types of fiber. The majority of the work is 18″ x 45″ quilts. The rest includes weaving, basketry, doll making, beadwork, wood carving, paper making, fabric vessels, and books. I’m going to miss having everything in my fabric room, but I know that the exhibit will be incredible.

The caliber of the work is excellent, the subject matter as varied as the artists themselves. Some will make you laugh and some will make you cry. It will all make you think! If you can possibly get down to the Oregon Coast between March 4 and May 4 to see the exhibit, I encourage you to do so. The official opening reception is Sunday, March 9 from 11 to 4, and a number of the artists will be there.

If you can’t get to the exhibit, there’s still a way to see the work. We have created a CD of the images and artist statements which you can purchase by going to this website:

http://www.larkinart.com/exhibits/latimer/
As you will see when you visit this page, a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the CD will go to help support the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center, a portion will go toward the actual expenses of putting on the show (including helping to pay for shipping the art back to the artists), and the net proceeds will go to Habitat For Humanity. We ordered 1000 CDs, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. So order yours now! And thanks for your support!

MY ARTWORK FEATURED IN INVITATIONAL REVERSE AUCTION
TO BENEFIT AMERICAN CANCER SOCIEY

Ten fiber artists are invited each year to participate in the Fiberart For A Cause Invitational Reverse Auction of Fabulous Fiberart to benefit the American Cancer Society. The artists are: Frances Holliday Alford, Terry Grant, Peg Keeney, Jay Rich, Susan Sorrell, Del Thomas, Larkin Van Horn, Laura Wasilowski, Leni Wiener, and Maggie Winfield. It’s a great honor to be included in this list!

The Invitational Reverse Auction will be held online March 10-13. You can see my artwork along with details of how a reverse auction works here:

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/ReverseAuctionArtwork2008.html

Fiberart For A Cause has donated over $140,000 to the American Cancer Society.

Virginia Spiegel, who is the guiding force behind this effort, is an amazing woman, doing what she can to raise money for the American Cancer Society, and succeeding beyond her wildest dreams. Here is another opportunity to support a very worthy cause and acquire a bit of art at the same time. Don’t dawdle, or you may miss out on one of these wonderful works.

I had a grand time in LaConner last weekend, visiting my exhibit at the quilt museum and lunching with friends who made the trek from Marysville to see the show.  My friend Debra came along (actually, she did the driving!), and so there were eight of us trying to squeeze around a table in the restaurant.  It’s a fun little bakery just down the hill from the quilt museum, and the food is always good.  We talked and laughed and probably made too much noise, but we didn’t care.

The exhibit still makes me happy, and will be up until March 16th.  Ten of the quilts have now sold, and I’m delighted by that.  I found myself looking at the space with a different slant this trip, though.  The Three Uppity Women are planning our next group show, and I found myself mentally ticking off how many quilts in the size we have established could fit into this odd third-floor space.  No rest for the weary, I guess.

Spring is in the air!  Take a deep breath!