Karen Wallach art spotted at Dick Blick in Roseville

I was pleasantly surprised to see Karen Wallach's art on display at Dick Blick in Rosevlle, MN. If you are in the Roseville area, take a look.

Karen Wallach's art

SAQA members Rose Allen and Peggy Wright will be giving demos at MN Contemporary Quilters meeting tomorrow evening, November 28. MCQ Meeting at Textile Center beginning at 6:30 pm.

Congratulations Susan Stein on Spun Gold Award

Congratulations to Spun Gold Award Recipient: Susan Stein

Every year Textile Center has the privilege of awarding members of our textile community the Spun Gold Award for a lifetime of dedication to the textile arts. Spun Gold Awardees are selected based on years of experience, innovation, contribution to the greater community, recognition by peers, preeminence and excellence in the field. This year (2011) we are pleased to announce the award goes to Diane Fitzgerald and Susan Stein.

Susan Stein started quilting in 1977; has been president and show chairman for Minnesota Quilters; has written five books and contributed to numerous others; was Minnesota Quilter of the Year in 2003; has taught many classes locally and out of state; has made hundreds of quilts, wall hangings, and garments for publication, store samples, public buildings, and personal use. She co-owned a quilt shop from 1980-85 and owned Colorful Quilts and Textiles from 1995-2009. Susan was a former regional representative for SAQA - Minnesota region. Currently her interests are mixed media art quilts and all kinds of surface design.

Please send your congrats to Susan: susan@colorfulquilts.com

Jean M. Judd in Mesa Arts Center's 33rd Annual Contemporary Crafts Exhibition

The Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona has selected textile artist of Cushing, Wisconsin for inclusion in the 33^rd Annual Contemporary Crafts Exhibition. Artwork selected for inclusion in the exhibit includes: Sound Waves #1. This year is Judd’s third consecutive one in this exhibition.

This exhibition highlights the finest in contemporary crafts from around the country and is a benchmark of innovation and quality produced within traditional craft forms such as ceramics, fibers, basketry, metals, wood, glass, jewelry, paper making and book arts. Exhibition juror Katie A. Lee, Assistant Director of the Center of Craft, Creativity, & Design at UNC Asheville, North Carolina, selected fifty artworks by thirty-eight artists from a pool of 242 submissions.

The exhibition opens on January 27, 2012 and is open through March 18, 2012. The artists' reception and awards presentation is on January 27, 2012 from 6 to 8 pm. The address of the art center is:

Mesa Contemporary Arts
One East Main Street
Mesa, AZ 85211

Visit the art center’s web site at www.mesaartscenter.com for more information about the exhibition and art center or call 480-644-6501 to speak to Patty Haberman, Curator of Mesa Contemporary Arts.

Jean Judd's guest post on American Craft Council's blog

The American Craft Council asked regional member Jean M. Judd of Cushing, Wisconsin to write a guest post for an ongoing special section of its blog, "Why I Make." You can read her guest post at www.americancraftmag.org and see three of her art quilts.

November SAQA: "Inspiration" at The Lyric!

Thanks to Co-rep Jennifer Conrad for offering the use of The Lyric building's stunning common room for the November SAQA meeting! SAQA gets to use this space for free, because The Lyric is an "artist-friendly" residential development and SAQA is an artists' group.

Here's Jennifer C. (standing, right) giving her presentation on Artists' Inspirations, which included a slideshow of excerpts from SAQA Portfolio 18.

We viewed the slide show, then broke into small groups of 4 to discuss the following questions:

1. What led you to become an art quilter?

2. What presently informs and inspires your artistic process? What other mediums do you use when not quilting?

3. What would help you grow as an artists? What challenges you?

As a means of getting to know each other a little better, each small group member took a turn reporting the results of her "interview" of another group member, after a half hour of lively discussion. Some artists brought items to show, on the Inspiration theme, and presented these as their turns arose. We didn't quite get through all the group reporting, and will spend a few minutes finishing that process at the January meeting. It was a fascinating look at the inspirations and work habits of our fellow art quilters! I especially enjoyed getting to know some artists I've admired from afar at meetings, but haven't had the nerve to approach. :-)

Top 10 answers: "What would help you grow as an artist?"

1. More TIME and PERMISSION (from self) to work

2. More SAQA activities and interactions with other artists

3. Learning new techniques

4. Travel (time, funds) to workshops and symposia

5. PRACTICE/Increased confidence

6. Finding a VOICE/creating a body of work

7. Increased FOCUS and self-discipline

8. Dedicated STUDIO SPACE

9. Having a mentor

10. More knowledge of SAQA professional resources

Many thanks to Cyndi Meier, Susan Stein (former co-reps) and to everyone able to attend the meeting, for their positive feedback and enthusiastic participation!

NEXT MEETING: Saturday, January 14th at The Lyric. Short business meeting and Work/Play Day! Developing 12x12 square quilts for donation to the SAQA auction in April. Brown Bag! Please bring your own snacks and supplies; cutting stations and ironing board/irons as well as beverages provided. Stay tuned for more details.

Driving update

As of Friday, November 11:
The streets are slightly different again!  As of today Vandalia is closed north of University.  Your best bet is to get to University from 280 or Vandalia and turn either Right or Left onto Hampden.  The #16 bus stops right in front of the Lyric if you like to take the bus.  I will be at our meeting site at 9:30 to guide anyone in and direct them for parking.  
A prize will be rewarded for the best traffic tale.

See you tomorrow.