Darcy's Teaching Schedule for Winter/Spring 2012

Hey Everyone! I wish all my friends Happy Holidays and a Very Happy New Year!

Below is my newest class for January 2012. Be sure to check out my website for more info: http://www.darcyberg.com

SDA Member Kathy Weaver - Event

Click on image to go to page with option to zoom in to see a larger image.

I hope you will join me as I celebrate my first solo show!

Last Quarterly Meeting Notes:Part 1

Hi!
About two and a half weeks ago we had our quarterly SDA Illinois meeting at the home and studio of Marianne Biagi. Marianne's studio is located in a side building that was supposed to be in-law quarters. Her space is beautiful and incredibly organized as you can see below.




There were five of us present for the meeting. Besides a very good potluck meal and our usual Show & Tell we discussed a number of things. One of those things was a discussion about having another meeting at Navy Pier or somewhere near it during the SOFA Show (since a number of Surface Design Association members come into Chicago for it). And, of course, a part of that meeting would be a Show & Tell. Jeanette, our representative, is looking into locations for the meeting and will email us all when the plan is solidified. So, if you are coming to the SOFA show keep this in mind. Another item that came up was the idea of having an Illinois SDA Member Show sometime in June or July 2012. Jeanette has found a possible gallery to hold it. Jeanette will let us know when she has finalized the plan and what the theme for the show will be.

I will be writing one more post in the next couple of days with photos from the meeting's Show & Tell. I just wanted to get out general outline of the meeting's contents and make you all aware of the meeting that is being planned during the SOFA Show. So, keep your eyes peeled for more information coming to you via email from Jeanette. Take care!

Reminder: Quarterly SDA-IL Meeting September 24th 1pm

Hi,
I just wanted to put up a reminder that our next SDA-IL quarterly meeting is coming up soon (Saturday September 24th 2011 at 1pm). You should have received the email blast from our state rep. Jeanette with all the particulars by now. We would like everyone to RSVP by Thursday September 22nd so we have a head count. You can RSVP in one of three ways:
1. Email it to Jeanette our state representative
2. RSVP in the comment section of this blog entry
3. RSVP in the comment section of the SDA-IL Members Only Facebook Page under the reminder entry, or, just post your RSVP on the pages wall.

Hope to see you at the meeting!

Take A Look At This Documentary (looks very interesting)!

Dear Illinois SDA Members,

The documentary "Stitched" will be premiering in Chicago at two venues: Saturday, September 17, 1:00 p.m. at Forest Park Public Library 7555 Jackson Blvd. Forest Park, IL 60130 (708)-366-7171 and Sunday, September 18, 2:00 p.m. at the National Museum of Mexican Art 1852 W. 19th St Chicago, IL 60608 (admission to the museum is FREE). Jena Moreno, the director, will be present and selling the DVDs after both viewings. Please join our Illinois Members Only Facebook group so we can communicate more easily about stuff like this. See a preview here of the film.

Best wishes,
Jeanette Thompson
SDA Illinois Rep

Art in the Boonies

Hello,

I will be one of the featured artists in the Art Cube Studios: Art in the Boonies. My opening will be Friday, September 2, 2011, from 6:00 to 9:00. Stop by and have some thing to eat and drink. I'm not quite sure where I will be located but the following information will assist you to find me. If you can't make it the opening, I will be there every Friday night through September.

"Art Cube Studios is hosting Plainfield’s new “Art in the Boonies Art-walk.”

Through the generosity of local building owners whom have agreed to allow us

to occupy their vacant spaces, we plan to host a series of Pop-up Galleries in

the downtown Plainfield area. It’s “First Fridays” time! Every First Friday of

each month will reveal new shows in each space. Artist receptions will be

held on First Fridays from 6-9pm. Galleries will be open for the art-walk

every Friday throughout the summer. There will be maps and descriptions of

each gallery throughout the spaces and at Art Cube Studios."

See you there!

Darcy Berg

Landscape Design,

Photography and

Fiber Art

Website: http://www.darcyberg.com/

Landscape Blog: http://darcyberglandscape.wordpress.com/

Art Blog: http://cleverturtle.blogspot.com/

Collaboration: Reaping and Sewing opens tonight!

Fiber lovers, the show I curated and participated in opens tonight August 26, 5-8 pm at the beautiful Jacoby Arts Center in Alton, IL. This 6-way collaboration between teachers and students has exceeded my wildest dreams. I posted a few weeks ago about the collaboration.  See new work by Erin K. Cork, Nina Ganci, Jo Stealey, Laura Strand, Erin Vigneau Dimick and myself.

It has taken 3 full days to install the show.  We just finished setting the lights last night around 10.  I'm truly proud of what has come out of this collaboration.  I learned so much.  Hope you get to see it.

Go to www.jacobyartscenter.org for maps and info.  Beautiful stuff folks, if I do say so myself.   Through October 2.  

First opening for Innovations in Textiles.

The first of the Innovations in Textiles events opens in Edwardsville, IL this Thursday Aug 19 at the Edwardsville Art Center.  You can find details and links here at the Innovations website.  The exhibit is curated by Laura Strand, Professor and head of Textiles at Southern Illinois University and features the work of several of her former students. 

Edwardsville Art Center recently moved to beautiful new digs complete with a sculpture garden in the making on the campus of Edwardsville High School.  

The Innovations website also has updated news on the bus tours taking place September 17 (for around the city stops) and on October 2 (for the outlying galleries including the 2 in Illinois).  Check it out.  Hope you can see the some of the shows.

New SDA-IL Facebook Page

Hi!
I am proud to announce that our new Illinois Rep. Jeanette has created a facebook page for Illinois SDA members. Come check it out here .

Next Meeting of the Illinois chapter of the SDA

Hi all,
By now you should have received the email blast sent by Jeanette through the SDA about our next meeting date, but I thought I would place it here too:

"Illinois members will be meeting, sharing art, and having a potluck on Saturday September 24th at 1 pm at Marianne Biagi's studio in Morrison, IL 61270. Please save the date. More info to come in September."

I hope you all are having a fantastic and creative summer! (The picture above is a shot of inspiration I took at the 'Jellies' exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium...I am thinking of ways to incorporate all that frilly and graceful goodness into a silk and wool project). Let us know what creative fires you've got going this summer in the comment section.

More about Innovations 2011 from Pat Vivod, new contributor

Hello everyone!   I hail from southwestern Illinois about 22 miles from downtown St. Louis.    I’m privileged to curate and participate in a show for Innovations 2011, a biennial textile event organized by Craft Alliance and a host of volunteers in St. Louis.   See Katherine Sands post on July 25 for a schedule of events or visit the Innovations blog.  I’d like to tell you a bit about my show in this first article, but let me warn you in advance that I’m genetically incapable of telling a short story!   The show is Collaboration:  Reaping and Sewing which opens at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton, Illinois on August 26 with a reception from 5-8 pm.  It runs through October 2.   Jacoby Center is also on the October 1 bus tour for Innovations. 

Of all the Innovations exhibits I’ve seen in the past, I’d not come across one that involved teachers and students working in collaboration.  As a former teacher with a number of students who have become artists themselves, an idea about how I could be involved with Innovations 2011 began to germinate.  My initial idea was modest, but grew to include 5 other artists.

All of the other participants—Erin Cork, Nina Ganci, Jo Stealey, Laura Strand, and Erin Vigneau Dimick—are connected to me or each other by a teacher/mentor/student bond.  We began meeting as a group in December 2010. 

The 6 of us at the swap meet with Erin Cork on Skype.  I'm in purple, center.

In January, we each brought a minimum of seven items to a swap meet—trading raw materials, found objects, dyed and woven fabrics, paper and old experiments from our individual studios.  We took turns selecting items and then took up the challenge to integrate these shared materials into our own work.   Akin to sowing seeds of inspiration, this collective conversation has deepened our bond, taken us out of our comfort zones and expanded how we work conceptually, materially and how we think about our work.  It is without a doubt one of the hardest things I’ve ever taken on as an artist. 

A detail of a work in progress from each of us was used for the showcard.

I’d like to introduce you to my partners in this collaboration.  I first related my idea to Erin Cork and Nina Ganci.  Nina founded and owns SKIF International, a fashion company that specializes in avant-garde machine knitted sweaters, and hand printed and painted clothing that is sold in over 250 boutiques nationwide, and in Canada and Australia.  Her unique sweaters and clothing lines can be purchased at wholesale prices in her factory/showroom on Marconi Street (which served as our monthly meeting place for the collaboration).  It’s located on “The Hill” the quintessential Italian neighborhood in south St. Louis.

Skif International is a riot of colors and a jumble of merchandise.

A 2009 recipient of one of St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women Awards, Nina is an artist and a savvy CEO in this cutthroat and depressed economy we are experiencing.  She was also my student for four years at Notre Dame High School in St. Louis where I taught from 1981-2000.  As a young artist I could tell she marched to the beat of different drummer.  I presented her with the art award the year she graduated.  I called Nina one afternoon last summer and without a moment’s hesitation she accepted my invitation to participate in the collaboration.  SKIF fashion has been featured in the St. Louis Post Dispatch and various fashion magazines.  She exhibited at the Sheldon Galleries for Innovations in 2007.

This past Saturday I attend the wedding of Erin Cork.  I met Erin in 2006 while she was in grad school.  She came to my home studio to learn about organic printing.   Her graduate professor, Laura Strand, head of textiles at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville had asked if I’d be willing to share my organic printing methods with Erin.  We quickly bonded and worked together for 2 years experimenting with composted and solar dyed fabrics with natural materials.   Although it wasn’t a formal arrangement I certainly considered Erin my student and I have treasured the friendship she has offered in return.

2010 felt piece by Erin Cork exhibited at By Design in Alton

She too accepted my invitation last summer with enthusiasm and then promptly moved to Virginia!  Suffice it to say, this year has been a busy one for her.  Teaching; commuting home occasionally for wedding planning; making her own wedding dress which is embellished with hand crocheted and beaded elements; AND working on three complex pieces involving felt for the collaboration in addition to squeezing in meetings with our group—sometimes in person, sometimes on SKYPE—would be enough to send anyone over the edge.  But Erin has handled it all with aplomb.   She was a radiant bride!  Erin’s work with tongue in cheek crochet installations of domesticated doilies and felt have been exhibited widely in the area including two exhibits for Innovations in 2009.

With Erin and Nina on board I went in search of a gallery and realized I would need to expand the group because I had the opportunity of procuring Jacoby which is a very large space.  I turned to Laura Strand and Erin Vigneau Dimick.  Laura, who had been my professor too at SIUE for surface design and served on my thesis committee in 2003, has continued to be a wonderful mentor and friend to me.  Her work with digital jacquard weaving is astounding.

Sustenance, a 2005 weaving by Laura Strand

She has just returned from North Carolina with several new weavings that I’m anxious to see.  Laura does hand weaving too.  In fact one of her collaborative pieces for the upcoming show involves the use of one of my rusted silks sliced into narrow strips and hand-woven on a linen warp.  In 2009 a breathtaking solo exhibit of her woven waterscapes and aerial landscapes filled Jacoby Arts Center for Innovations.  (Sorry no images of that)  In addition to collaborating with me, Laura is also curating the SIUE Textile Arts Alumni Exhibition at the Edwardsville Art Center August 19-October 7.     

Erin Vigneau Dimick, who teaches book arts under the umbrella of textiles at SIUE, was also a teacher to Erin Cork in grad school; and when she moved here from Pennsylvania several years ago she found a friend and mentor in Laura Strand.  Erin’s experience encompasses photography and book conservation as well as fiber installations involving embroidered text.  She also makes wearables.

Work in progress for collaboration by Erin Vigneau Dimick

  

In 2010 she was an Artist in Residence at Craft Alliance Grand Center in St. Louis culminating in a beautiful body of work about young womanhood, motherly advice and her Catholic upbringing.  (click on Erin's link to Craft Alliance for a slide show of that work) Erin’s work will also be featured in Textile Variations/New Directions curated by Barbara Simon at the RAC Gallery (Regional Arts Commission) for Innovations, opening September 16 through November 6.  Laura Strand is also in that show.

And finally, I invited Jo Stealey to complete the circle of teachers and students. Jo is head of the fiber program at the University of Missouri Columbia and was Erin Cork’s undergraduate professor.  An incredibly prolific artist, Jo integrates paper, fiber, basketry and sculptural elements in her work making two and three dimensional works from books to large scale installations.  Much of her work is inspired by nature with recent work being constructed of actual leaves.

Jo Stealey, Forest from 2009 Innovations exhibit at the Sheldon

 

In addition to her work at the university, Jo exhibits, lectures and teaches workshops around the country and internationally.  In addition to Collaboration:  Reaping and Sewing, Jo’s work will also be featured at the RAC Gallery show for Innovations.  She spoke at the SDA conference in June, recently taught a workshop at Arrowmont and after her son marries in August, she is off to Poland to lecture at a conference on basketry. Whew!

As for myself, I was a high school art teacher for 25 years, and then earned an MFA in traditional printmaking.  While in grad school I began a transition into organic printing on fabric using natural materials to compost and solar dye silk, occasionally using rust.  I taught for a couple years at the college level after graduation and now work out of my home studio producing large scale organically printed and shibori rusted wall hangings and wearables using rust and plant based materials.

Pond Ripples, 2010 Pat Vivod. Shibori rust.  Not a collaboration, but will be shown at Jacoby.

I have exhibited regionally and nationally.  I was not involved in Innovations 2009, but was featured in two Innovations exhibits at Main Street Gallery in Edwardsville prior to that.  This year my work was also juried into Fiber Focus at Art Saint Louis which opens September 16. You can see my work at Sentimental Pentimento.

Garden Kingdom 2011 Pat Vivod for Fiber Focus show

Collaboration:  Reaping and Sewing will feature several collaborative works each from the six of us.  At least three of us will also show a number of pieces from our personal body of work.  Several members of the group will be at the opening reception, August 26.  On Sunday, September 25, 2 pm there will be a gallery talk at Jacoby Arts Center.  I and a couple of the artists will also be at the gallery on October 1 for the bus tour.  Hope you can see the show sometime during its run.  

(I have absolutely no idea why the sentences in the above paragraph are spaced as they are.  I can't seem to do anything about it.  Depends on which browser you have apparently.)

 L-R: Erin Vigneau Dimick, Laura Strand and Nina Ganci listening to Erin Cork on Skype at one of our early meetings.  All of our meetings were held at SKIF.  Such a fun place to be.  Erin's Vigneau Dimick's piece is on the table.  She embroidered text on silk and leaves from Jo Stealey's studio. 

 Jo Stealey shows her scroll book made in part with some of my rusted silk to Erin Vigneau Dimick.  Erin Cork on Skype and Laura Strand look on.  Jo also included work by Laura in this piece.

Jo offers some advice to Nina Ganci as they look at Nina's quilt in progress.  The slender "rods" laying on the quilt are hand made paper shifu from Jo's studio.

Erin Cork flew into town for two of our meetings after moving to Virginia.  (all those wedding plans you know...)  Skype worked well for the rest of the time, so that Erin could participate as fully as possible. 

Nina and I had been discussing using my silk to make a garment.  After our last meeting was over, I handed a length of shibori rusted silk to her and told her she could have it to experiment.  On the spot, Nina folded it in half, picked up her scissors and within 5 minutes, no pattern, freehand cut out this dress with virtually no fabric waste.  Any scraps will be incorporated back into the garment as pockets and trim.  It will be part of the show at Jacoby. 

This is a detail of one of my works in progress.  You can see it in an earlier state in the showcard above.  Actually I forgot which way was up and photographed this from the top.  It is a strip of one of Laura's test weavings for her Innovations show in 2009--a waterscape with lots of blue in it.  I have flipped it over to the backside (what a difference in color!), turned it to work vertically, backed it with felt and stitched around all the shapes I could distinguish. They look like islands to me.  Using my needle felting machine I have flattened all the "ocean" areas around the islands which nicely puffed up everything else.  I further enhanced the effect with trapunto using wool I acquired from Erin Cork.  This piece will form the center between two pieces of quilted shibori rusted silk when it is finished.  Frankly folks, I should be working on it right now!

 A detail of another of my works in progress.  Shibori rust silk with inserts of block printed seersucker fabric from Nina's stash at Skif.  It has inspired me to make "rivers".  The piece is being quilted and embroidered now.  If you visit the Skif website you may see sweaters there printed with this same design.  I asked Nina once about the printing impressed that she had carved the design.  "Oh no," she replied.  "I found it."  A 4x8 foot sheet of carved plywood had been abandoned next to the dumpster.  It's now part of the Skif repertoire of design imagery--Nina delights in Dada!

This is a detail of Laura Strand's weaving in progress which was made by cutting some of my shibori rust into strips for the weft.

 Jo Stealey chose a white cotton blouse pattern piece from Nina and is constructing a leaf covering.  Those are real leaves processed in Jo's studio, backed with stabilizer, stitched and embellished and sewn to the pattern. It will eventually make its way to the wall on a curved base. 

 Erin Cork chose one of Laura's early jacquard weavings with a stylized pattern and gold threads.  She has been needle felting her hand dyed wool onto the surface.

Erin Vigneau Dimick collects vintage lingerie and textiles.  Here she is melding a slip with one of Laura Strand's indigo dyed ikat weavings thread by thread. 

Laura gave Erin Cork an old kitchen chair with a vinyl seat cover that has a map like surface.  Erin has been felting 3-d pieces that will eventually be attached to the cushion.  Mushrooms?  Or doily spores?  You'll have to come see the show to find out.

I am a guest blogger at LillStreets Textile Blog

I am a guest blogger over at the LillStreet Textile Blog here. Check it out.

Correction

Sorry!
I just made a correction to my previous post regarding our new rep Jeanette Thompson. I had written that she had lived in Chicago for 4 years when in actuality she has lived in Chicago 7 years. Sorry for the mistake. Thank you for reading.

Innovations in Textiles

Hello. I want to share with you about a series of textile events coming up soon. Innovations in Textiles is a biennial textile event held in the St. Louis metro area which includes Alton and Edwardsville in Illinois. "Innovations '11 events run from late August to October and feature contemporary fiber art at more than eighteen venues - from St. Charles, MO to Edwardsville, IL. It will showcase what’s new in contemporary fiber art. This collaboration of galleries, non-profits and private arts organizations will feature displays of textile arts, plus lectures, fiber workshops and other programs. It is not to be missed!
Innovations 2011 will focus on a wide range of materials and techniques: soft yarns woven into
tapestries, shaped and dyed shibori wearables, paper stitched with horse hair, fusions of glass
and fiber, sculpture, collage, quilts whose colors rival the palettes of the Old Masters and more."

September 17 - Keynote Speaker: Marci Rae McDade, Former Editor of Fiberarts Magazine, followed by the bus tour, which includes lunch, to the following galleries for artist/curator talks: Missouri History Museum, Third Degree Glass, Duane Reed Gallery, Craft Alliance University City and Grand Center, The Sheldon Art Galleries, Art Saint Louis, Gya Gallery, Norton’s Fine Art Framing & Gallery, Saint Louis Artists’ Guild, University City Library Gallery, and the Regional Arts Commission Gallery.

October 10 - Outlying Bus Tour (including lunch) to: Regional Arts Commission Gallery, Maryville University/MoFA Show, Chesterfield Arts, Crossroads Art Studios, Foundry Art Centre, Florissant Valley, Jacoby Arts Center, Alton, IL, and the Edwardsville Arts Center, Edwardsville, IL.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: http://innovationsintextiles.wordpress.com/

Participating organizations include:
• Art St. Louis: Fiber Focus 2011: Sept. 6- Oct. 13, 2011; 555 Washington Ave. St. Louis, MO.
Opening Reception & Awards: Friday September 16, 2011
• Craft Alliance (The Delmar Loop Gallery): Nnenna Okore: Aug. 26 – Oct. 30, 2011; 6640 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO; Phone: 314-725-1177; www.craftalliance.org Opening concurrently in the Charak Gallery: Jim Hay.
• Craft Alliance (Gallery, in the Kranzberg Arts Center in Grand Center): Guerra De La Paz: Sept.16, 2011 - January 2012 (TBA); 501 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO. Phone: 314-534-7528,
www.craftalliance.org
• The Foundry Art Centre: Quilt National 2011: The 17th Biennial International Juried Traveling Exhibition, 100 Clark Street, St. Charles, MO. Phone: 636-255-0270
• The Gallery at University City Library: It Figures: Two person show with Deann Rubin and Betty Shew. Medium: Handwoven tapestry and molded paper, September 2011. Contact: Lexine,lexine@ucpl.lib.mo.us or Deann, deannrubin@yahoo.com
• Gya Gallery: Yeyo Arts Collective, 2700 Locust, St. Louis, MO; yeyoarts@gmail.com
• Jacoby Arts Center: Reaping and Sewing (Collaboration). Artists: Erin Cork, Nina Ganci, Laura Strand, Jo Stealey, Erin Vigneau Dimick and Patricia Vivod, curator. August 26-Oct 2, 2011; Opening Reception: Aug. 26th 5-8 pm; 627 East Broadway, Alton, IL; Phone: 618-462-5222.
• Missouri Fiber Artists (MoFA): Speaking of Fibers: Morton J. May Foundation Gallery, Sept. 28 - Oct. 31, 2011; Reception on Oct 6th; Maryville University, 650 Maryville University Drive, St. Louis, MO. www.maryville.edu, www.missourifiberartists.com
• Missouri History Museum: Woven in Time: Sept. 12, 2011 - Aug. 12, 2012. Woven in Time
commemorates the 85th anniversary of the St. Louis Weavers’ Guild. The exhibit will feature pieces by early chapter members and new works by current members; 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO
• Norton’s Fine Art & Framing: No Limitations: A Mixed Media Fiber Show, Sep 16 - Oct 15, 2011, Artist: Suzanne Galli Koenen. 2025 S. Big Bend Blvd, ST. Louis, MO
• St. Louis Artists’ Guild: Hecho a Mano: Illustrations on Life: Sept. 4 – Oct. 28, 2011, Two Oak Knoll Park St. Louis, MO; Phone: 314-727-6266
• Third Degree Glass Factory: Reflections: ArtFiber Saint Louis, An Exhibit of Art Quilts, Sculptural Works and Stitched Constructions; Sept. 16 – Oct. 18, 2011, 5200 Delmar Blvd., (between Union and Kingshighway) St. Louis, MO Phone: 314-367-4527, www.stlglass.com
• Women’s Caucus for the Art: Beyond the Stitch, Sept. 8 - Oct. 6, 2011; Reception on Sept. 9th; Crossroads Art Gallery and Studios, 501 N. Kingshighway, St. Charles, MO
• Additional Venues with shows: Chesterfield Arts, Duane Reed Gallery, Main Street Gallery in Edwardsville, IL, Regional Arts Commission (RAC), SLCC-Florissant Valley Art Gallery, and The Sheldon Art Galleries.

Welcome Jeanette Thompson As Our New Illinois State Rep For the SDA!

I would like to introduce to you the new SDA Illinois State Representative; Jeanette Thompson. I sat down with Jeanette last week to do a mini-interview so I could write an informative blog entry. Jeanette is a Chicago based fiber artist and art educator. She has an AAS in Fine Art from FIT, a BFA in Theater Design from SUNY New Paltz, and a MA from NYU in Educational Theater. She works primarily creating art quilts and teaching Art & Technology at a Chicago High School. She moved to Chicago from New York about 7 years ago and became a Surface Design Association member approximately 4 months ago. She has been and is presently involved with SAQA and the Illinois Art Educators Association. Jeanette attended her first SDA conference back in June with a scholarship from the SDA for educators. She told me she was amazed and blown away by the breath and depth of art embraced and conveyed at the conference. She also told me that not only did she really enjoy the conference but she really enjoyed how enthusiastic, open, and friendly everyone was. So, when the job for a SDA Illinois representative opened up she jumped at it. Jeanette has been involved in a number of Art Quilt Shows and helped coordinate the exhibition "The Unspoken Truth About Color: A Dialogue in Art Quilts About Racism" by the Fiber Artists for Hope. You can read and see more about the exhibition Here.

Jeanette says her top goals for the Illinois chapter of the SDA are:
1. To get Artists together and facilitate communication and the building of relationships
2. To Have at least 4 quarterly meetings per year in various locales (to be held in January, March, June, and September).
3. To plan a few group excursions to various fiber and textile shows/events (i.e. Fiber Focus 2011 in St. Louis)
4. To look into getting an exhibit of Illinois SDA member art together.
You can find out more about Jeanette by taking a look at her blog here.

Below you will find a couple examples of Jeanette's work. Welcome Jeanette!


("A Quiet Place" by Jeanette Thompson)




("Staying in the Light" and "Keeping Balance" by Jeanette Thompson)

A Fond Farerwell to Darcy Berg as the Illinois State Rep for the SDA

We wish to say a fond farewell to Darcy Berg as the Illinois representative of the Surface Design Association. As many of you know Darcy Berg decided to step down as the SDA's Illinois representative at the end of June to pursue other projects. A new representative has been found in Jeanette Thompson from Chicago. Although Darcy has stepped down as the Illinois rep. she says she will still see us at the meetings. I look forward to seeing you Darcy. Many thanks!

Hi!
If anyone in the Chicago area is interested in taking a class at the LillStreet Art Center's Textile dept. the classes start the week of July 11th 2011. I finally (with the help of my husband) figured out how to get blogger to put in a link. I can't tell you how excited I am about this. It truly is the little things in life and all that...lol. I have taken many classes at LillStreet in their Textile Department and I can highly recommend all of the teachers (I can also highly recommend the cafe and gallery on the first floor, particularly the pie from the cafe...lol).

LillStreet Textile Department Classes

If you are interested in any other classes at LillStreet their main page is linked below.

LillStreet Art Center Home Page

Some Coming Up Art Fairs To Visit

Hi!
I hope everyone reading this post enjoyed their spring. Today is the first day of summer and to celebrate I thought I would post links to a few Art & Craft Fairs coming up as well as a link to an art exhibition (and reception) for two very fine ladies who have both taught for the LillStreet Art Center (Akemi Nakano Cohn & Lindsay Obermeyer). First, here are the links for the coming up Art & Craft Shows:

http://www.randolphstreetmarket.com/

http://www.amdurproductions.com/f-goldcoast-public.html

http://www.chicagobotanic.org/artfestival/index.php

(sorry you will have to copy and paste links since I can't get blogger to link directly)


And, here is the information for the "Creation and Co-Existence: The Respectful Interdependence of All That Is" exhibit.

(click on photo to see larger image)

I hope all of you have a great summer!

Spring Craft Sale & First Friday Event at LillStreet Art Center in Chicago

Hi!
Sorry for the late notice, but if anyone is interested, there is a First Friday event going on at LillStreet Art Center (on the corner of Montrose & Ravenswood) tonight, as well as a Textile Sale on the third floor in the Textile Dept. The Textile Sale will also be running tomorrow afternoon (check out the flier above...just click on it to see a larger image).

New Fiber Exhibit at the Packer Schopf Gallery in Chicago Running Till June 18th 2011

Hi!
I thought those reading this blog who are in the Chicago area would like to check out this fiber/embroidery show called 'Red Sky at Night' featuring the works of Rebecca Ringquist. Rebecca works with vintage embroidered items of which she cuts up, pieces together, and machine and hand embroiders over. Her work has a lot of texture and depth. I highly recommend seeing it if you are in the area. Information is as follows:

The Illinois Chapter Of The SDA Meeting This Sunday Has Been Cancelled

Hi,
The SDA Illinois chapter meeting this Sunday May 15, 2011 has been canceled. Please stay tuned for information on the next scheduled meeting.

Thank you

Merge & Flow Bee Accepted into SDA Show

Merge & Flow Bee, has been accepted into the SDA Conference Show, Merge and Flow. Darcy Berg

Pictures from the last meeting and Info on the next meeting

Hi!
I just wanted to put up some of the pictures I took at the last SDA-IL meeting back in January. Our last meeting was held at the Fine Line Creative Art Center in St. Charles, Illinois. We had a great time looking at each others artwork and got a wonderful tour of the Fine Line's class, gallery and store spaces. There were some wonderful quilts being displayed at the time. Anyway, we had a good crowd of about ten or eleven people. Here are some examples of the artwork seen during our Show & Tell:



Fabric Collage by Frances Temchin (the above two photos)



Nuno Felt by Ausrine Kerr (the above two photos)


Various works of felt and silk by Frances Krueger-Jackson (the above photo)



Beaded work on fabric by Marianne Biagi (the above two photos)



Garments by Sara Hochhauser (the above two photos)



Quilt by our Illinois Representative Darcy Berg (the above two photos)



Felt works (hats, vest, bags, etc.) by Camilla Krueger (the above two photos)

Everything shown was truly lovely and better than my pictures for sure! Our next meeting will be held on Sunday May 15th at 11:00am at Marianne Biagi's studio. Everyone is invited to bring a dish for a potluck lunch. Sign in to the yahoo group for SDA-IL for all the particulars. I hope all you Illinoisans near and far will try and make it.