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Gallery kicks off new year with new exhibit

By Fairfield Sun on December 17, 2013 in Arts, Fairfield Arts Scene · 0 Comments

This art quilt by Martha Wolfe, entitled ‘Asian Lily,’ is part of the Kershner Gallery’s ‘Double Take’ exhibit.

The Bruce S. Kershner Gallery at the Fairfield Public Library will have a reception for “Double Take”, a photo and fiber group show, on Saturday, Jan. 11, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The show features the work of members of Sisters in Cloth and will run from Jan. 5 to Feb. 23.

Sisters in Cloth is a group of fiber artists from the Connecticut Shoreline.  The collaboration was inspired by Rosemary DeLucco Alpert’s photography. Each fiber artist selected one of her images to interpret in fiber. They were attracted to either the overall image, the composition, the color or the texture. Both the photographs and the resulting art interpretations are on display.

The group started in 2000 in Guilford and continues to meet weekly at one another’s homes. The membership is limited to 12, with members coming from towns that run from West Haven to Clinton. The artists have exhibited together as an art quilt group since 2004 in a variety of venues, including Haskins Labs at Yale University, Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Department of Transportation in Newington, Garde Theater in New London, Willoughby Wallace Library in Stony Creek and Connecticut Hospice in Branford.

For more information on the group, visit sistersincloth.blogspot.com.

Christmas in the Library

Our group has been so fortunate.  We are asked annually to install our art work in the Guilford Free Library every December.  It is a well loved community gathering place on the historic Green in Guilford CT.

This year we chose to focus our work on "Inspired By The Library:  Food For Thought".  It is an eclectic exhibit to be sure and is greatly enhanced (and better understood) by accompanying artist statements.  The topics range from library catalogues to DNA to breastfeeding to identity to food (not just for thought).  You have to see it to believe it :^)

We also asked our evening Friends' group to join us in the exhibit.  Now the expanded collection of Sisters in Cloth & Friends really fills the room (to the max!).

Opening Reception is Dec 7, 2-4 with refreshments and....MUSIC!! supplied by Friend member Mary Lyn Page's musician husband.

If you are in the area, we hope you will join us for the fun.

Our 'selfies' collection

Vivika's Largess

Janine, friend Claire, Marie and Debbie on all fours

Our fellow Sister Vivika decided to clear out her fabric stash.  I just love when this happens….there are SO many smiling faces digging into the bins.  It's not like any of us 'need' any more fabric.   Heck, 'need' hardly ever plays a part in our love of fabric.

Marie and the usually very restrained Carol

Happy Campers.  Fortunately I convinced everyone I was THE photographer, thus shielding evidence of my plunder

Thank you, Vivika!!  You know we will put it all to good use…and/or admire your beautiful contributions to our stashes.

Boston Strong and Colorado Colorful

Yvette Howard (l) and Diane Wright

Today several of the Sisters met to assemble tops for donation to the Colorado Wildfire/Flooding Relief and to the Boston Strong support group.

It was a great day to get this underway….our first flurry of snow for the year makes us more motivated to move faster to completion.

This is very much a team effort.  Several others, who were not here today, had previously committed to assembling the colorful 'coin' strips.  Today we completed two tops that will soon be off to their separate relief efforts with our thoughts of warmth and recovery.

Barb Adams (l) and Yvette.  Attending but not pictured:  Debbie Bento and Carol Ludington

Friday meetings

Sisters in Cloth continues to meet weekly. By getting together frequently, we are best able to be inspired by each other--and pushed, when necessary. Meetings always begin with a bit of socializing over a cup of coffee or tea and a piece of something yummy. Then we get down to business, which might involve working out plans for upcoming exhibits, sharing news, or discussing the making of quilts for people who have been affected by a disaster.

 Deeply engrossed in discussion are (L-R) Carol Ludington, Barb Adams, Yvette Howard, Diane Wright, Gail Kotowski, and Robin Wolek. Not seen in the photo are Debbie Bento and me, Ruth Anne Olson.

Last, but definitely not least, is the best part of the meeting: Show and Tell. It's such fun to see what others are working on. Often we need a bit of advice or just a critique, but we do enjoy showing what we've been working on during the week. Barb has been very busy lately dying fabric, which we drool over. She and Carol are quite the experts at dying.

 Debbie was binding a cute Halloween table runner.

 

Carol had questions about the quilting on her lovely piece.

Robin showed the beautiful quilt that is going off to be exhibited in Japan.

Some of us (ahem, Diane) often bring piles of new quilts, causing of us to wonder if she sleeps. And some of us (me) don't have as much as we'd like because of full-time jobs.

Sisters & Friends

Mary Lyn Page

It's probably a sign of the times...or our small group's demographics... but several members have taken on more employment outside of their family jobs.  Net/net for Sisters is that we don't get to see some of our buddies very often and they don't get to be inspired by the group's work.  In an effort change that dynamic, we decided to trial meeting at night (oh, horrors!) once a month.  

Last night was our first meeting...it's tricky planning any meeting in the summer, but we soldiered on.  There were eight of us:  five Sisters and three Friends.  And what fun it was.  Gail hosted.  Starting the evening with a glass of sangria set the tone:  fun and friendly, which was nice because I was asking for a critique of one of my pieces.  (I might want to take a bottle of wine to the next crit group meeting...just sayin')

We scheduled meetings for the next three months, which I take to mean that the meeting was a success and the new evening sub-group is launched.  Thank you, Gail for your warm hospitality.

Subject for critique

Ruth Anne with table runner

One of the blocks for Alice Chittenden's ambitious child's quilt

Ruth Anne again...over achiever

Long absent (working, working) Debbie

'On the Road' with Sisters

Sisters in Cloth was invited to install work in the beautiful exhibition space at the CT Department of Transportation's headquarters building in Newington CT.  It is dedicated to artwork for the 3000+ employees in the building.  (Outsiders need to be invited or acknowledged by a worker at security)

Each time we have installed a group of art quilts here...and even when we return to photograph...we are always engaged in conversation with a passerby.  Apparently, art quilts are very much appreciated here.  

We chose to put together a collection, many created for the event, based on what one might see "On the Road".  Our exhibit will be up until the end of August.

Robin Wolek:  Mixmaster

Right side of atrium exhibit space

Left side of exhibit space

Barb Adams: Tanzania Inspirations

Carol Ludington's Zinnias and HI Highway

Liz Shore's CO View

Martha Wolfe's Departures

Diane Wright's wanderings

Yvette Howard's playful piece

Ruth Anne Olson's literal road litter

Disapearing 9 patch

Today Barbara and Yvette delivered a disappearing 9 quilt we made for one of our "sisters" as she recuperates at home.  

We hope that you feel better with each day and wrapped in love as you rest up with your quilt.

Preview of SAQA/CT's "Local Color"

Our group was over the moon when the acceptances of SAQA/CT's were released by the jurors for Local Color!  Eight of us received the 'fat envelope'!!

Gail Kotowski's Metropolis

I have images of four:  

My Town Green

Barb Adams' Winter Marsh

This group entry (Diane Wright, Gail Kotowski, Barb Adams, Linda Zimmerman, Yvette Howard and Robin Wolek) was especially fun for us.  We love working on group projects: Whoever can, participates.  We always know that life gets in the way for us all, so it's usually 6-8 members who are available at any one time.  This time it was 6.

Hartford's Colt Dome

We had decided that we wanted to find a 'ultra' iconic image.  After not hearing from the Colt Dome Trustees for permission to use their online image, I decided to do the Little Red Hen thing and do it myself.  Well, myself with my husband David, the designated photographer.  While I was the designated driver, and he the photographer, we picked a clear day and made many 'passes' on I91 to capture images of the Hartford skyline that included the Colt Dome.  It was at times like this that you wish you had a helicopter.

Carol Ludington, and Ruth Anne Olson  also had entries accepted.  What fun!

Busy Week

Robin Wolek with her two

Instead of our usual meeting, today a few of us decided to drive into New Haven to see our Indigo exhibit at 300 George Street.  The walls are a perfect fit for our collection.  The lighting is wonderful.  There is a lot of foot traffic. All in all a wonderful place to be.

Marie Shepherd admiring Janine Anderson-Bayes' Bunny Tales

Yvette Howard next to hers (and in front of Diane's)

This last photo is courtesy of Margaret Sheehan, the SAQA NH and VT co-rep.  Last Saturday we all came from all over New England to hear Martha Sielman's (second from L seated) very informative talk about the Masters 2 Art Quilt exhibition now on display at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA.  'Sister' Barb Adams and I drove up (two seated on R) with Kate Themel (directly behind us).  What a wonderful day it was!

300 George Street, New Haven CT

Janine's, Diane's, Robin's and Evelyn's

We decided to install our Indigo pieces in the Art in the Hall exhibition space at 300 George Street.  It is a multi-use office space owned by Yale University.  There is always activity there.  Each time we have hung a fiber exhibit, we get many comments on how much they appreciate having art in general and quilt art in particular available to them.  In fact, we have sold pieces at this venue.

Barb's, RuthAnne's and Linda's

Martha's, Janine's, Yvette's and Diane's

Two of Robin's, Deb's and 'The Sisters'

Diane's, Carol's and Gail's

Stop by if you are in town