Today I thought I would post a blog version of my Facebook post about the Bellevue Arts Museum Show. My Facebook artist page was a good place for me to start wrestling with my notions of social networking, but I now think I am ready to focus my energy here. So, I will be moving some of my favorite posts from there to here.
My quilts have traveled to shows in a lot of places–all over the United States and to Japan and Europe as well. But because we live in Alaska, and because we have three boys, I never go with the quilts.
In my December 28, 2012 post, I wrote about getting the quilts made and to the show. Today’s entry is really a photo essay of the work featured in the exhibit. I hope you are inspired by this work as much as I am. Just so you know, this is the Bellevue Arts Museum’s second Biennial. It features the work of 44 North West artist who are working fiber.

Here is Stefano Catalani, the Director of Curatorial Affairs, talking about the show and announcing the John & Joyce Award of Excellence. If you look closely, you can see me on the big screen.
- Here is a close up and full view of the John & Joyce Price Award of Excellence. The work was created by Nate Steigenga.
- This is Tamara Wilson’s work. She is the other artist representing Alaska in this Northwest regional show. She lives in Fairbanks. She essentially sewed her sewing room. I like it.
- Howard and Lorraine Barlow each had pieces in the show. This one is Once in a Blue Moon created by Howard. The piece is made of more than 1000 shot gun shells each of which are loaded with Lorraine’s deconstructed wedding dress. All of that is interesting, but what I like best is the way the color and placement of the shot gun shells vibrates on the wall.

This is Margie Livingston’s work. These pieces of “fiber” are made entirely from acrylic paint. Beautiful to look at, but very difficult to sew.

Jan Hopkins’ piece Oh Eleanor. This is one of my favorites.It is made from fruit fiber including grapefruit and cantaloupe peels, and gingko leaves. If there were an award for the piece that truly is about a high fiber diet–this one would win.

Here is color Grids with people milling around in front of it. Maybe if there was BIG award I would get it. I can’t tell you how much fun it was to see those pieces all hanging together.

Anne Johnston’s work. In 2005, I took a week of classes with Anne Johnston learning how to dye fabric. It was a pivotal moment in my life–I had been living in Valdez at the time and had no idea artists were doing such amazing things with fiber.

This is David Chatt’s piece called Bedside Table. Each of these objects were found in his father’s bedside table when he passed away. David cover all of them with beads. Wow. Makes my obsessive compulsive stitching seem quite normal.
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