Hello all,

I trust your Thanksgiving was wonderful, I have to admit it arrived before I expected it! Which means that our next Parlor Meeting is just a week away.Would love to see you there. 

Again, for those of you who live close enough to attend, or are up for a road trip, the Parlor Meeting will take place in Lititz, PA at the General Sutter Inn on Sunday, December 8, 2013 starting at 12:30pm. Please RSVP to me (meredithea@verizon.net) by Thursday, Dec. 5, so I can make arrangements with the Inn.


We will follow the same format as before, enjoying lunch and our latest discoveries followed by a presentation of our work. Either for  sharing only or for input from the group.

Seeing a lot of art lately, I may have hit overload! So much is out there, I find it a bit of a challenge to figure out where I fit in. So I am very interested in learning what our fiberart presenters are going to share with us at PA SAQA Symposium, WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?, held on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at the Wayne Art Center in conjunction with the opening of the ART QUILT ELEMENTS Show. The presentations by fiber artists will address how they have made a life for themselves in fiber, and as all have come to it from different paths I am hoping to get some insight that will help me move forward in my fiber life. Gives me hope! Also there will be information from the jurors about how they choose pieces for a show, and a tour of the show with them, as well as a session on critiques. More information about the panels for the Symposium, pricing and signup will follow. Stay tuned.

Also a reminder,the deadline for submitting an entry for the SAQA 2014 trunk show celebrating SAQA's 25th anniversary is January 31, 2014. Just like Thanksgiving, I'm sure this deadline will be here before I expect it!
 

What's new with you? Let me know if you have something you want to share with the other members of SAQA PA. 

Speaking of new, what do you think of the new website? Having any problems? SAQA wants to know so they can be addressed.  Like it immensely?  I'm sure positive comments would be greatly appreciated by the board!  ( Board@SAQA.com )

Also, I am curious to hear what you think about the new nomenclature for members. I for one am not thrilled with it. Going from Active Member to Supporting Member seems like a step backward. There have been a lot of posts to the SAQA@yahoogroups.com. If you have comments or concerns you can email them to the board (Board@SAQA.com or me at meredithea@verizon.net )

I'm also a little confused by the new label for Professional Artist Member...now Studio Artist Member. Isn't the name of the organization STUDIO ART QUILT ASSOCIATES ??  Aren't we all by definition studio artists? What do you think?

In September, I was fortunate to visit the Philadelphia Expo show with Elizabeth Bennett and Cindy Friedman. Viewing and discussing the work with them was very informative! One question that was raised during our visit was if other art groups use themes for their calls for entry, and if so, how do they compare to the type of themes SAQA uses? Any thoughts? I haven't researched it yet, but it's on my list!

A reminder for those of you who live near enough to attend, the next Parlor Meeting will take place in Lititz, PA at the General Sutter Inn on Sunday, December 8, 2013 starting at 12:30pm. Would love to have you join in. We will enjoy lunch ordered from the menu while we visit and share tips, then move on to showing our work, either for show only or for critique/discussion. As I've said before, I found the information, from comments about my work as well as those shared about others work, very helpful.  Please RSVP to me (meredithea@verizon.net) by Monday, December 2, so I can make arrangements with the Inn.

 
If you are traveling through the Atlanta airport in the near future, you will be pleasantly surprised to see a new piece CINDY FRIEDMAN created specifically for a fiber installation there. I was fortunate to get to see it in her studio, newly finished and ready to go.  WOW!!!  Congratulations Cindy.

Interested in celebrating SAQA's 25th anniversary by submitting an entry for the  SAQA 2014 trunk show? The deadline for the 10"x7" entry is January 31, 2014. More information is on the SAQA website.
 
Also mark your calendars! In conjunction with the ART QUILT ELEMENTS 2014 SHOW held at the Wayne Art Center  SAQA  PA is presenting a symposium, "DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?" Save the date and keep you eyes open for more information.

Hope you are all enjoying the fall colors and being productive in your studios!

Well, I don't know how it happened but the summer has been here and gone!  I hope you all were able to get a lot of good work done.

 The August Parlor Meeting in Lititz, where we visited, shared ideas and hints, showed and critiqued work was a success. I found the discussion very helpful, and am looking forward to the next Parlor Meeting which will be held Sunday December 8, from 12:30 to 5pm at the General Sutter Inn, Lititz, PA. Please RSVP to me at meredithea@verizon.net if you would like to come. It would be great to see you there.

Dianne Vottero Dockery has two pieces, WHEN PURSUED and KIND WORDS in the "Food for Thought" exhibition at SomeThing's Looming ( http//www.somethingslooming.com for more information).

Kind Words

When Pursued

Congratulations Dianne!

I know there are other PA SAQA members with work out there, it would be great to hear about it - If you would like, send me the information and I'll share it here.

The PA National Quilt Extravaganza XX is next week, ThursdaySept 19-Sunday 22 in Oakes, PA. I am currently planning on being there on Friday would love to "see" the show with others if anyone plans to be there then as well. Let me know.

The next Pennsylvania Parlor Meeting is set for Sunday, August 4, 2013 from 12:30 until 4:30PM. We will  meet in Lititz, Pa, at the General Sutter Inn.  Check their website; "http/generalsutterinn.com" for information and directions.

Please RSVP to meredithea@verizon.net by Wednesday July 24, 2013.

We will gather for visiting and lunch followed by a critique session of works in progress. You can choose to have a critique or if you prefer you can present your work for show only, or you can just come and enjoy the socializing! The time for each critique will be determined once we know how many members plan to attend. Guildelines will be emailed to attendees later so we are all on the same page as far as critiquing goes.

Check your email for more information.

Summer is flying by. In case you are looking for an art quilt adventure, here's a reminder of where to see PA SAQA members work.  Dianne Vottero Dockery's "Cerebral Commotion I" is still showing at the Small Works Salon until July 14, 2013. And Emily Richardson's show at the La Salle University Art Museum runs until August 16, 2013. Paula Swett, Susan Leonard, Diane Dockery and I have pieces in  Sacred Threads, which opens July 10th and runs until the 28th. And at Quilt National you can see works by Cynthia Friedman, Patrica Kennedy-Zafred and Jan Myers-Newbury until Sept 2, 2013. 

Quilt National opened this past Friday night at the Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio. It was a very crowded, exciting event. Three SAQA Pennsylvania members were among the select group of artists chosen to exhibit their work. Cynthia Friedman showed  A MAN AMONG GIANTS. Patrica Kennedy-Zafred won the Heartland Award for her DESCENT INTO DARKNESS: THE BOYS OF THE MINES, and Jan Myers-Newbury showed  TILT-A-WHIRL. It was amazing to be at the opening and enjoy all the excitement.  I am very glad though that I had the opportunity to return on Saturday to hear the artists talk about their work and to view the pieces more closely. They are outstanding. Congratulations to you all!

I also had the opportunity to see the FIBERART INTERNATIONAL show in Pittsburgh, the previous Saturday. The show is in two venues and Patty Kennedy-Zafred graciously offered to host me through both. A fantastic show. We were joined by PA SAQA members Marty Ressler, Camilla Pearce, and Jay van Wagenen, Co-Director of FIBERART INTERNATIONAL,  who was our docent for the tour. A great group, to see the show with. I was especially fascinated to hear  stories about the shows set up, as well as some background stories about the artists. So, it was a day of seeing new and wonderful fiber work, and meeting new friends. All in all a wonderful experience.

Both shows were wonderful and both are up for a while. Quilt National is open select dates until Sept 2, 2013 check website for specifics: www.dairybarn.org.  Fiberart International is open until August 18, 2013. If you are in the area of either I highly recommend that you go, they were both thought provoking and beautiful.

Here is a photo from the current issue of McCalls Quilting Magazine which features the finalists in the Next Design Star Competition for 2012. One of those finalists is PA SAQA member Barbara Wilke. Her quilt, DIAMONDS OF AFRICA (30"x32"), was also shown at the Lancaster Quilt Show.
Congratulations Barbara!

SAQA PA PARLOR MEETING

Well, we've done it, the first SAQA PA Parlor Meeting has come and gone. Six people participated. Let me say, there were no silences! We shared information and made plans, and shared more information, then enjoyed, and were amazed, as each artist showed and talked about their work. Who knew there were so many great ways in which to work.  I learned a TON!!! And again, let me say...what a talented group we have here in SAQA PA. I hope that the Parlor Meetings will soon take on a life of their own all around the state as we move forward. 

Here we are, holding a zip code map of PA, with pins representing locations of members. We are a big region, members are spread out, so Parlor Meetings seem to be a great way to socialize, network, and share. We all found it helpful in so many ways.

 SAQA PARLOR MEETING DANVILLE PA MAY 5, 2013

P. Swett, P. Hracho, C. Stechshulte, B. Wilke, D. Dockery, M. Armstrong

The group decided to have the next meeting in an area more equal distant from all the participants who were able to attend.  Diane Dockery volunteered to look into a venue in the Hershey or Lititz area for either Sunday July 28th or Sunday August 4, 2014. We decided we would bring work, probably in progress, to be critiqued and resource information to share. All are welcome. So, pencil it in on your calendar and we'll keep you posted. In the meantime, we are also working on getting a meeting going in the Pittsburgh area. Stay tuned for more information about that as well.

 FOUR PA SAQA MEMBERS IN SUMMER SHOW

What an active group SAQA PA is! There are four members showing work in Sacred Threads, an  exhibition held in the DC area. It opens July 10th 2013 at Floris United Methodist Church, 13600 Frying Pan Park Road, Herndon, VA 2017. The exhibit runs from July 10-28 2013,  show hours are daily from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, and Sundays 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Come and meet your fellow PA SAQA artists at a reception on July 13, 2013, from 1:00 pm - 4:00. Representing the PA SAQA Region are Paula Swett, Susan Leonard, Diane Dockery and Meredith Armstrong. Congratulations to all!

NEWS UPDATE

Dianne Vottero Dockery, a SAQA PA PAM member, is a mixed media artist who has pieces in two shows in May. "Home on the Pueblo" will be exhibited in HOME: Interpreting the Familiar at GoggleWorks, Reading, Pennsylvania, beginning May 11 and continuing through June 23, 2013.  Opening reception for the show:  Friday, May 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

More information about the exhibition here:  HOME, Interpreting the Familiar

 

Her second piece, "Cerebral Commotion I" will be exhibited at the Small Works Salon, sponsored by the New Arts Program in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.  The Small Works Salon opens on Friday, May 24, 2013, and continues through July 14, 2013.  For more information about the New Arts Program and the Small Works Salon, please visit New Arts Program.

 

Summer Show: Save the date!

The La Salle University Art Museum is proud to present Emily Richardson: Shifting Vistas in Silk, on view June 13 until August 16, 2013. Opening reception, Thursday, June 13, 2013.

Fiber artist and PA SAQA member Emily Richardson composes in sheets of painted silk organza. Photograqphs of Richardson’s abstract fiber works resemble oil paintings or even encaustics with their rich, translucent strata. The work is at a glance barely recognizable as quilt-making, at least in the traditional bedcover sense. Hand constructed from painted cloth of varying degrees of transparency, colors painted on layers of fabric show through and optically mix. This is work that must be experienced in person for full effect.

Richardson begins her process with acrylic paint, painting on wet fabric in rich jewel tones, allowing and sometimes coaxing the paint to move and pool for variated effect. The painting is undertaken without a specific sense of how it might later be worked into a composition. Richardson prefers to let her work develop in the process. Working with pieces cut from the painted fabric, the artist then pins together parts that resonate together and work towards a finished whole. The patterns Richardson creates range from striped or grid like to faceted forms that evoke waves, mountains, and even Marcel Duchamp’s Cubo-Futurist oil painting Nude Descending a Stairway No.2 (1912). La Salle University Art Museum will present a selection of Richardson’s recent fiber works in the Special Exhibitions Gallery this summer.

Philadelphia based Richardson has exhibited nationally and internationally in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Madagascar, England and Japan.

The La Salle University Art Museum is located on the lower level of Olney Hall on the campus of La Salle University at 19th St. and Olney Ave. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, except for the weeks of July 1 and August 12. The Art Museum will be open July 1-‐3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., July 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., August 12-‐15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and August 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free, though donations are accepted. For further information call 215.951.1221 or visit the website at http://www.lasalle.edu/museum/.

SHOW NEWS

Several SAQA members in the Pittsburgh area have mentioned the show going up this weekend, by all accounts it shouldn't be missed!

Fiberart International 2013

April 19, 2013 - August 18, 2013

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
6300 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh
Society for Contemporary Craft
2100 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh
Opening Reception:
April 19, 2013 5:30pm to 9:00pm
Fiberart Forum: a dialog with the artists
April 20, 2013 - 9am to 3pm
Fiberart International 2013 is an exhibition of contemporary fiber art presented by the Fiberarts Guild Of Pittsburgh, Inc. It's located at both the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the Society For Contemporary Craft.

Members news:

Patty Kennedy-Zafred writes that she has work in the following shows:

Quilt National '13 (opening May 23)
National Fiber directions 2014 at the Wichita Center for the Arts, Kansas (now through May 19)
Fantastic Fibers at the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah, Kenturck ( now through May3)



Nezka Pfeifer curator at The Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science and Art in Scranton is putting out a call for work for an upcoming show. She is looking for 2D work for a community show on skatedeck art. For more information go to: Everhart Museum  

 

MEET AND GREET PARLOR MEETING

SAQA PA is hosting a Meet and Greet Parlor Meeting  on May 5th, 2013.  It will be hosted in Danville, PA  at the Pine Barn In, 1 Pine Barn Place  from 12:30 until 4:30 PM (check www.pinebarninn.com for directions). We will gather, order our lunch from the menu, and hold a meeting  to discuss the frequency and direction we would like to see future Parlor Meetings take.

Parlor Meetings were developed by SAQA to address the needs of large spread-out regions, of which PA is one for sure. They are informal gatherings, open to all regional members, but meant to encourage members who live in fairly close proximity to gather, socialize, exchange ideas, share information and resources, support one another and generally develop a local SAQA community that serves their particular needs in an ongoing basis.

For this Meet and Greet Parlor Meeting  participants are asked to bring; contact information to exchange with others, (this could be a postcard, business card, or 3X5 card) a piece or two of your work to share and ideas of what they want future SAQA Pennsylvania Parlor Meetings to be. Feel free to email your ideas to Meredith (meredithea@verizon.net) if you are unable to attend or want them on listed ahead of time on a handout.


If you, or another SAQA member you know, would like to host, or co-host a Parlor Meeting, either in your home or at a public location, let me know (meredithea@verizon.net). That would be fantastic!

 

 

SAQA PENN quilter - Sue Reno

This is our first visit in our region with our fellow artist Sue Reno. Sue works in a myriad of transfer techniques and stitching styles to artfully document the plants and architectural images she find of interest. She is also working with photography and is using her fisheye and macro lens to create remarkable work. 

"Skunk and Garlic Mustard"
50" x 51"

I’ve come to realize that I am primarily a storyteller.  I’ve spent as much as much of my life as possible either roaming the wooded hills of Pennsylvania, or grubbing about in my organic garden.  The simple truths I’ve discovered through continued and minute observation form the basis of what I convey through my fiberart.  Recently I’ve added the portrayal of historic architecture transformed by adaptive reuse to my repertoire.

I’ve been sewing since I was a small child, and have a firm grounding in solid craft practice.  I enjoy using my skills to push the traditional craft of quilt making into the current milieu.  I employ surface design techniques including cyanotypes, heliographic prints, and image transfers as the basis for works that also incorporate unusual and hand painted fabrics, hand and machine stitching, and beadwork.

You can view my work and follow my textile and travel adventures at:

website: http://suereno.com
blog: http://suereno.blogspot.com
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suerenostudio

twitter: http://twitter.com/suereno

Recently I’ve become enamored with iphoneography, especially using specialty macro and fisheye lenses.  I am continually adding photos to my Flickr account; there’s a link to it on the sidebar of my blog, or use this:

http://flic.kr/ps/rs9Dq

Parisian window shopping

Cool window design in Paris. Finding appreciation in a simple palette after working with so much color this week.

Sakura Spring

Cherry Blossom Pink. In Japan, a country with one of the finest aethetics in the world, the Sakura is venerated and celebrated. In the US we have cherry trees that were donated by Japan set in our capitol city and Subaru has a Cherry Blossom Festival in our nearby Philadelphia in April. Post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh also appreciated the Japanese ukiyo-e prints and during a period called the Japonaiserie said "All my work is based to some extent on Japanese art..."

Some pictures during Sakura time to enjoy and find inspiration:

Van Gogh - Almond Blossoms

Sakura modern

ukiyo-e sakura

Van Gogh Cherry Blossoms

The more the merrier...

I am really pleased that our Facebook group is coming together! We added a new member today to SAQA and we are meeting one another in Facebook, and becoming friends. This is super exciting! Please tell your quilting friends about our blog and facebook group. The more the merrier.

Meeting of the 2013 Co-Reps