Tapestry Unlimited

Alone again.

the living room is bare...almost.

Tapestry Unlimited, a small format unjuried show sponsored by American Tapestry Alliance has closed. The pieces are making their way back to the 227 participants. It has been such a large part of my life (not to mention my daughter) that I thought a blog was in order. I have an important point I want to make.

There was of course the waiting for the tapestries to arrive this winter.

The organizing and mounting the boards part....

Porkchop knows his job.

Hanging the show

and the mailing it back part....

yes, it was raining

But that's not what I want to talk about.
It's this.

The amazing response to this show.

From the moment we walked into the Milwaukee Public Library (an incredible venue downtown) people were interested. While trying to hang this show I had at least a dozen people stopping me and asking incredible questions, truly interested in the things we make. They wanted to know the process and who the people were who made these incredible things. When I said they were from all over the world (we had 48 foreign entries) they were dumbfounded.

Our opening that Friday afternoon allowed many weavers to connect face to face, friends I had on Facebook became people I had conversations with. A large group of Japanese nursing students stopped to look, their guide translated as they learned.

My favorite moment came as we took our show down. Kristina Gomez, our library contact, talked about favorites she and coworkers had decided on. Another employee walked by and asked, "Are you coming back next year?"

Sorry, it will be a different time, a different place. But it all means something, doesn't it?

Get ready... two more years. And start weaving now, you're already in.

16 New Faces

It really is amazing.

When you teach a group of motivated weavers the sky is the limit. In this case I was in Milwaukee teaching a 3 day workshop at Convergence 2016  and we were weaving faces. Sixteen (okay, 17 including mine) new personalities emerged and naming ceremonies were in full force. Diplomas were issued to all and the class photo is the proof!

Graduation Day, Convergence 2016

These weavers had a lot of skill. I'm interested that there was not a loom issue in the bunch, everyone warped their loom with ease consulting neighbors who shared advice. Weavers really are a generous,  sharing bunch of people.

Each day we stopped to look at our work....so important.

I provided plenty of color choice and coaxed folks to let the process guide their choices. Nancy suggested I do a sketching demo showing how I might draw out an idea and I was grateful for that; overcoming the fear of drawing can be very daunting. In the end you often have to let that idea adjust itself. Tapestry language is so very unique. Archie told us in a workshop to sit on your design.

all those cardboards....everyone saw what cereal I eat all winter.

Examples abound, each one different and reflecting the weaver's personality.
Most of all I was proud of these students who took a risk and kept going despite their uncertainty.

So often you hear teachers talk of how they learn from their students and this, once again, showed that to be true. I'm grateful and honored to have spent time with 16 new friends, taking advantage of the power of a group and the knowledge they share.

on to her second one!

May our paths meet again.

Thanks HGA, it was a marvelous Convergence.