SAQA IDAHO MONTANA

Gayle Simpson - Extreme Quilter!

2010-10-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Gayle Simpson of Idaho and California is one of 24 quilters (several are SAQA members) whose works are currently being shown at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery in Thousand Oaks, California. It looks like a fabulous show, features 130 pieces and is free!
Open until October 29th on Weds-Sundays from 1-5 pm.
2331 Borchard Drive, Thousand Oaks, California.

It is a great time to be in California! Quilt Visions in San Diego opens on October 24th and several SAQA members have been juried into the show, including Montana Regional Rep. Brooke Atherton. If you should be lucky enough to get some time in So. Cal during that week, check out www.saqasocal.blogspot.com for other related quilt opportunities.

Fall Journal, Kudos to Heidi Zielinski, and finally . . .

2010-10-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

The new Fall SAQA Journal has arrived and it is a beautiful issue. I only hope to have time to read it this week. Region member Heidi Zielinski has a piece titled "Capture the Sunrise" on page 20.

Heidi has been having a fantastic year winning awards at many shows, proving once again that persistence pays off-quite literally! Not only did her quilt "Red Sky" win 3rd Place in the Fiber Arts Category at the AQS Des Moines show, (with a cash prize) it was sold while at the Lowell Quilt Festival!
"Blackberries and Dandelions" will be going to Art Quilts XV:Needleplay in Chandler, Arizona. Three other pieces, including Capture the Sunrise,will be exhibited at the Spokane Quilt Show October 15-17. Heidi also has one piece juried into the PIQF October 14-17, in Santa Clara, California. Nice!

And finally . . .
Creative is a Verb
This is a new book due out in November by Patti Digh. Her prior book, Life is a Verb is based on her blog: www.37days.typepad.com. Both of her books give delightful and thought provoking examples of how to live mindfully, joyfully, and creativly with the days we have been given. I have two collages published in the new book, illustrating two essays and they will be on my blog: www.sheryleggleston.blogspot.com

2011 Visioning Conference

2010-10-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

Registeration is now available online for the SAQA Conference May 19-22, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. There are going to be classes to pique everyone's interest. It looks to be a very invigorating conference. See you there!

SAQA Auction 2010

2010-10-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

SAQA 2010 Auction raised a fantastic $52,075.00!
Here are the pieces donated by members in the Idaho Montana Region. Now is the time to put a small piece away for next year's auction.

"Fossils #3"
Cynthia St. Charles

"There's Always Hope"
Heidi Zielinski

Linda McLaughlin

"Sharing the Sunrise"
Sheryl Eggleston

In the News - Heidi Zielinski, Leslie Rego

2010-08-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

Not only did Heidi Zielinski have 2 quilts juried into the Lowell Quilt Festival-Images 2010, she received a Judge's Choice Award for her piece "Blackberries and Dandelions" AND an Honorable Mention for "Red Sky" in the Art/Innovative category. "Red Sky" will be going to the Des Moines AQS show in October.
"From Winter We Emerge" will be in Tacoma, Washington at the Innovations 2010 show, September 15-18.
Check out her blog and photos at www.fiberintoartbyheidi.blogspot.com

The Fall issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors 'Studios' highlights great studios including Leslie Rego's from Sun Valley. It is an absolutely beautiful and inspiring studio.

No Place to Call Home

2010-07-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Brooke Atherton for her piece "Quiet Man" that was chosen for the "No Place to Call Home" exhibit. This show will be held in several locations. Details on the SAQA website and in the July e-newsletter.

If you are going to Montana . . .

2010-07-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

...then this is one of the pieces you will see at the upcoming exhibition by SAQA member Regina Browne, entitled "The Rosalie Tree".

The exhibit "Not Your Grandmother's Needle Art" is an exhibit featuring the work of longtime friends Regina Browne and Paula Johnson and their art journey with two different mediums over the last several years.
Held at Big Fork Museum August 10th - September 14th.
Artist reception will be held Friday, Auguust 13th, from 5:30-7:30.
www.bigforkmuseum.org

IMAGES 2010

2010-06-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

Congratulations again to Heidi Zielinski! Heidi has two pieces juried into the Lowell Quilt Festival feature exhibit "Images 2010".
The Lowell Quilt Festival will be held in Lowell, Massachusetts, August 12-14.
Check out www.lowellquiltfestival.org for more information. This looks like an great venue. Sure wish I was going!

This is a Quilt - SAQA 2011-2012 Trunk Show

2010-05-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

SAQA invites all members to submit work for its 2011-2012 traveling trunk show. This trunk show is designed to showcase SAQA artists, to help educate the public at large about the art quilt, and to serve as a teaching tool for our members.

Theme: "This is a Quilt!"

In general, create one piece that explores/expresses the aesthetic concerns common to the whole range of visual arts: painting, printmaking, photography, graphic design, assemblage and sculpture, while retaining the clear relationship to the folk art quilt.

Size: Minimum 9" per side, maximum 11" per side.

Statement: Write a statement to the curators explaining why, in your mind, this quilt fits the definition. (200 word minimum)

Due Date: Jan 21, 2011

The full prospectus is on the main SAQA site or I can email it to you.

Regina Browne at Bigfork Musuem

2010-05-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

"Not Your Grandmother's Needleart"

Exhibit at Bigfork Museum of Art and History, August 10 - September 4. Bigfork, Montana

SAQA member Regina Browne will be one of two artists in this exhibit featuring art quilts and needlepoint.

www.bigforkmuseum.org

Congratulations Regina! You can see more of her work by clicking on her site on the side bar.

Sharon Baker - Featured Artist on 'Scan 365'

2010-05-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

'Matisse Dissected' by Sharon Baker

The textile art of SAQA Idaho member Sharon Baker will be the feature on SCAN 365, based in Seattle, Washington. SCAN 365 is a Community Access TV Network. www.scantv.org
It will air Tuesday, May 11th at 8 pm PDST. Sharon's segment is also on YouTube "Scan365" Sharon Baker-Fiber Artist.

It is fantastic and shows many of Sharon's Art Kimonos, as well as shedding insight on her chosen design medium. Sharon has 17 pieces in the show 'Collaborative Journey' at the La Conner Quilt Museum in Washington. It runs through June 27th.

Congratulations Sharon!

Sharon's website: www.kapamaker.com

La Conner Quilt Museum: www.laconnerquilts.com

Interviews, New Call for Entries, Long Beach Int'l Quilt Festival

2010-05-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Check out the 'Dinner at Eight' blog for a great interview of Montana artist Cynthia St. Charles: http://www.dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/

Sacred Threads has a call for quilts celebrating spiritual journeys, healing, etc. Deadline is Jan 9, 2011-March 9, 2011. The exhibit will be in Herndon, Virginia June 22, 2011-July 4, 2011.
www.sacredthreadsquilts.com

If you are going to be attending the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, there are still 2 hour time slots that can be filled to help at the SAQA booth. Manning the information area will get you free entry for that day into the show. Check out the So. California SAQA site for more info. July 23-25, 2010 www.saqasocal.blogspot.com

Alegre Retreat

2010-05-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

www.alegreretreat.com

This is going to be a fantastic retreat. It is held in Gateway, Colorado, June 6-13, 2010. The photos and description of classes will make you want to sell your fabric stash just to go!
Linda Nelson-Johnson is going and has a discount coupon to apply to the cost of registration if anyone else is considering attending. Contact Linda at LNJ@wsu.edu if you are thinking of signing up.

To Live a Creative Life . . .

2010-05-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."
Joseph Chilton Pearce

'Art and Fear' Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of ARTMAKING by David Bayles and Ted Orland

This book only recently came to my attention and I wish I had read it a long time ago. I'm half way through and I think I've outlined most of it. It was published in 1993 and could have saved me countless hours of angst. (But then I am highly introspective and this may not appeal to everyone)

I am heartened to see so many members putting their work out there and winning! It is not easy to be brave, court criticism, and put a piece of ourselves on view to the world. This book will help you feel less alone on the double-edge sword that artmaking is.

From page 13 - "But if making art gives substance to your sense of self, the corresponding fear is that you're not up to the task-that you can't do it, or can't do it well, or that you're not a real artist, or not a good artist, or have no talent, or have nothing to say."

Another question for many of us from page 41 - "When your work is counted, will it be counted as art?"

Naturally, this leads to many questions we need to ask of ourselves and weaves itself into the ongoing dialogues of fiber art and art quilts as art.
Chapters on fear about yourself and others, finding your work, the outside and academic worlds, and conceptual worlds, make for interesting dialogue and yet more questions.

We are very fortunate to have such a fantastic support organization with SAQA. Lack of venues is one reason artists quit making art. SAQA tirelessly finds new venues and exhibit opportunities. Keep up the great work and even if you are in a 'fallow' time, support your fellow artists.

Denver National Quilt Festival

2010-05-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Karen Burton!

Her entry, "Silky and Sunny" received a Judge's Award from Linda Schmidt at the recent Denver National Quilt Festival. Karen is a SAQA member and art quilter from Missoula, Montana.

To see a picture, go to her new blog at www.karenburtonmt.blogspot.com

Journal Gallery Deadline

2010-04-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

If anyone has work involving nature, the deadline for submitting photos for the SAQA Journal gallery pages is May 1st. See the April ebulletin on the SAQA site for submission requirements.

Brooke Atherton has an art quilt on page 7 of the Spring 2010 Journal. It is part of the 'SAQA:Fibrations' show, juried by Katie Pasquini Masopust. The article gives great insight into how the chosen artists successfully used value and composition.

Quilt Visions, Quilt Ribbons, 'Zines, & Shows

2010-04-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

(say that fast three times!)

CONGRATULATIONS TO BROOKE ATHERTON

'Incidents of Travel: Frontispiece' has been accepted to Quilt Visions 2010: No Boundaries.
For more information on this show that opens October 24, 2010; www.quiltvisions.org

Brooke also has a piece exhibiting this weekend in the SAQA Regional Exhibit 'The Cutting Edge' at the Denver National Quilt Festival 5. April 29-May 2.
It is titled 'Twenty Feet Deep'. Photos below:

HEIDI ZIELINSKI IN THE NEWS AGAIN!

Her quilt "From Winter We Emerge" won a Judge's Choice award the recent Machine Quilting Expostion.
Also, her quilt 'Twilight' will be in the Noteworthy section of the May issue of 'Machine Quilting Unlimited'.

Fabrications: All Media Shows

2010-04-13T06:42:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Donna Deaver for winning Best of Show at 'Fabrications' Quilt Artists Juried Quilt Exhibition 'Imagination Unleashed - Journey' for her pictorial art quilt "Gauguin Revisited"!
Fabrications was held at the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center in Post Falls, Idaho. This was Donna's first entry into a juried show.

There was an interesting question and thread on the SAQA Yahoo group yesterday about submitting to all media shows. The responses were very favorable for those who had entered their art quilts into mixed media shows. In fact, they had great success.
Fiber is a wonderful medium as we well know and incredibly diverse. The facts seem to bear out that more people would like to see art quilts not just at quilt shows. It is a fantastic way to raise the level of awareness.
This seemed to be the jist of the Reinvention Conference. Get your work out there in a variety of venues. We are artists who happen to use fiber in our work. And as Martha would say "that's a good thing".

(If you haven't joined this group, go to SAQA@yahoogroups.com and request to join)

Several SAQA members are on this new site http://www.figurativeartist.org/
Check it out, it looks very interesting and another venue to show art quilts.

Mentorship call tomorrow night, Weds. April 14th 8pm ET. Teaching on the Circuit with Anna Hergert. Details for this audio presentation are on the SAQA site.

Art Quilt News from our region

2010-04-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our regional members!

Museum Show for SAQA Member Sharon Baker collaborating with Elaine Bowles
March 31-June 27, 2010 LaConner Quilt and Textile Museum, LaConner, Washington
http://www.laconnerquilts.com/

"Moon Hike" accepted at Museum of Ventura County in the 'Becoming Art at the Seams' show for SAQA co-region member Gayle Simpson. March 13-June 20, 2010.
http://www.venturamuseum.org/

Solo Exhibition for Heidi Zielinski at 'The River's Mist' Gallery, 137 Main St., Stevensville, Montana for the month of May.
Heidi won Best Hand Workmanship for her wall quilt "From Winter We Emerge" at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival.
Her quilts 'Twilight" and "From Winter We Emerge" will be at the Machine Quilting Exposition. MQX is in Providence, RI, April 16-18. Two other quilts of Heidi's will be at Denver National Quilt Festival, April 29-May 2. 'In a Heartbeat' is traveling with the SAQA Fibrations exhibit, and will also be at the Denver Quilt Festival.

Brooke Atherton has work showing at the Toucan Gallery in Billings, Montana.
http://www.toucangallery.com/

Classes:

Cynthia St. Charles - Yellowstone Art Museum - April 17, 2010 'Non-toxic Surface Design on Fabric' http://www.yellowstone.artmuseum.org/

Gayle Simpson - Bear Paw Quilting - June 26th Raw Edge Applique, July 24th Meandering Moose. http://www.bearpawquilting.net/

In conjuction with the Yellowstone Quilt Festival, September 9-12 in Cody, Wyoming, there is a class offered by John Marshall on indigo/katazome. http://www.yellowstonequiltfest.info/
This just sounded really interesting.

SAQA ENTRIES:

'Beyond Comfort' deadline October 10, 2010. Premiere location to be Birmingham, England, Festival of Quilts, Aug. 2011. Marci Rae McDade-Juror Eileen Doughty-Curator

'No Place to Call Home' deadline June 20, 2010 Premier location is World Quilt Show, Manchester, New Hampshire. Kathleen McCabe-curator

REGIONAL SHOWS:

Big Sky Quilt Retreat and Show "Wild Women, Wild Threads" March 9-12, 2011.
http://www.bigskyquiltassociation.com/

NATIONAL SHOWS:

Quilt National 11 Deadline September 10, 2010. Dairy Barn Arts Center
www.dairybarn.org/quilt/