Programs for 2009-2010

Every year the Guild features a lecture and workshop series featuring regional and national artists, curators and educators, presented from September through May. Member critiques are scheduled for two times this guild year: October and March; and Fiber Conversations are back by popular demand. All GUILD lectures are open to the public for a $5 fee. Events are free for members with the exception of workshops, which carry varying fees with an additional materials fee paid to the instructor during the workshop. Space permitting, the public is invited for an additional $15.00.

Meeting Locations

Sixth Presbyterian Church
1638 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 (At corner of Forbes and Murray Avenues in Squirrel Hill.)

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
6300 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 (At corner of Fifth and Shady Avenues in Shadyside.)

For more information about programs contact fiberartspgh@yahoo.com

Calendar

Programs 2009 – 2010

Please note that dates with ** indicate that there will be a critique that afternoon usually 3-5pm at the same location with dinner in the neighborhood (optional). Check your monthly emailed Update each month for the latest information.

September 3 Thursday 6 – 9pm
Welcome Back Potluck
Norma Lipscomb’s home, 1318 N. Sheridan Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206 / 412-362-6562 (See below for directions)
Start the year off right with a party, great food, friends and talk. Bring a dish of food and tales of your summer exploits to share while catching up with the up-coming activities.

Directions: From the East, South or West via Fifth Avenue,
Turn on Highland Ave. and continue through East Liberty, pass Home Depot on right, through the light (East Liberty Blvd.), Continue on Highland through next light (Stanton Ave.) to a stop sign (Bryant St.). Turn RIGHT at Grafton St. (the next street past Bryant). The first left off Grafton is the 1300 block of Sheridan (1318 is on the right). Park on Grafton or Sheridan. From the North, cross Highland Park Bridge. Stay in right lane to exit on Butler. Turn LEFT at first light and drive up through the zoo, bearing right at the animal-decorated wall. Turn LEFT at first intersection onto Bunker Hill. At the top of hill (Park entrance on left), turn RIGHT onto Highland Ave. Go three blocks to Grafton St. and turn LEFT. The first left off Grafton is the 1300 block of Sheridan (1318 is on the left). Park on Grafton or Sheridan.

September 10** Thursday 7 – 9pm
Lecture, Vibeke Riisberg, juror for Fiberart International 2010
Society for Contemporary Craft, 21oo
Ms. Riisberg is textile designer and Associate Professor at the Designskolen Kolding, one of Denmark’s two leading design institutions. She received her Ph.D. from the School of Architecture Aarhus, Denmark, studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York and the Art and Crafts School in Copenhagen. Her professional experience includes fiber art, design and consulting for the textile industry in addition to teaching. She has exhibited and lectured internationally and is represented in many publications, including Techno Textiles 2, Fashion, Design, and Sustainability and Surface Design Journal. Currently she is collaborating with textile engineer Joy Boutrup on new decorative solutions to adjust daylight in office spaces.

September 19 Saturday 10am –1pm
Workshop, Part 1 - Digital Photography of Fiber Art
Pittsburgh Filmmakers, 477 Melwood Avenue. Pittsburgh, Pa 15213, (412) 681-5449
Workshop topics will include tips/tricks, instruction on lighting and backdrop procedures for digital photography of fiber art. Participants will be encouraged to bring works and their own cameras. Though they can't guarantee all will be selected, the goal is to provide many examples for maximizing digital image quality-both 2D and 3D.
Fee: $30
Note addition of phone number

October 1 Thursday 6:30 – 8:30pm
Workshop, Part 2 - Panel Discussion on Exhibiting
Borelli Edwards Gallery, 3583 Butler Street, Lawrenceville, PA 15201, 412.687.2606 or begalleries@mac.com.
Joy Borelli, gallery owner/curator, will speak on jurying and selection. Laura Tabakman, artist/teacher, and Martha Wasik, fiber artist/graphic designer--both Guild members--will speak about preparing one’s work for jurying and hanging and what is involved in hanging a show.

October 9** Friday 7 – 9pm
Lecture, Saihou Omar Njie, Batik Artist
The Chapel at Sixth Presbyterian Church
Mr. Njie was born in Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa and brought up by artists. His mother was a craftswoman who loved and worked miracles with fabric. He helped her in her work discovering the magic of color and patterning on textiles. His favorite times were when his father and he spent time discussing imagery they saw in the cloud formations in the African evening skies.
He came to the USA in 1971 when he was twenty-one years old. He studied Art and Architecture at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, was a dancer/ percussionist with the African Arts Ensemble of Boston, and photographer for The New Pittsburgh Courier. Art is his calling, Batik his medium. Doing Batik has allowed Saihou to spiritually connect to his roots and beyond; to cultures and people who have practiced it for centuries. He is on the roster of Teaching Artists for The Pennsylvania Council on The Arts and The Pittsburgh Center For The Arts. Check the wording for Njie as it has changed a couple times.

October 10 Saturday 9am – 4pm
Batik Workshop, Part I, Saihou Omar Njie
Basement, Sixth Presbyterian Church
Batik is a process in which you apply molten wax as a resist in fabric design. The process will involve layering of wax and dyes. Saihou’s imagery is colorful and often abstract with many interpretations. We will pay attention to rhythmic patterning, as in dance and music. Techniques and inspirations for images will be influenced by such rhythms
Fees for both Part 1 and 2: $50 for members, $65 non-members. Materials: $35.

October 28 Wednesday 6:30pm
LAST REVIEW for Sleight of Hand art work only, not a general critique.
Tobey Wolken’s home, 5817 Elmer St., Shadyside, thwolken@gmail.com / 412-261-4242

October 30 Friday 7 9pm
Lecture and Tour, Susan Tsu
Carnegie Mellon University, Costume Department, Purnell Hall, CMU Campus
Ms. Tsu is an award-winning Costume Designer who has designed for many of this country’s major Regional Theatres, Broadway, off-Broadway and Internationally. She has designed for theatre, opera and television, including the award winning hit musical Godspell and The Joy Luck Club. This was a first-time collaboration between the US and China. She has clothed many luminaries and her designs are represented in numerous books and publications. Awards include The NY Drama Desk, NY Drama Critics, NY Young Film Critics, LA Distinguished Designer Awards and a Kennedy Center Medal of Achievement. Her work was recently shown in a group exhibit at Lincoln Center Library called Curtain Call: Celebrating A Century of Women Designing for Live Performance. She headed the costume programs at Boston University and the University of Texas at Austin before coming to CMU, her alma mater.
Note change of date on this one.

October 31 Saturday 9am – 4pm
Batik Workshop, Part 2
Basement, Sixth Presbyterian Church,
See October 10 workshop for description.

Novermber 14 Saturday 9am – 4pm
Dry Play Date
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts., Simmons Hall
Fee: Free for members, $5 for non-members.

January 21 Thursday 10am – 2:30pm
Potluck Fundraiser/Auction
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Simmons Hall

Invite a friend to get out and chase the winter doldrums away. Clean out your studio and donate your unused items along with a favorite dish to share. Enjoy the food—always delicious—and the great company, laugh a lot and restock your studios.
Wearable Art Fashion Show: This year we are adding a new “wrinkle” to this popular event! We all come to this party in our wearable art so this year we will make a show of it. We will have a fashion show of us in our best self-made finery. It can be something made just for the show or an old favorite as long as you made it yourself. There will be a runway, voting, prizes and rockin’ good fun! So start your imaginations and surprise us.

February 11 Friday 7 – 9pm
Fiber Conversations
Laura Tabakman’s home, This program has been canceled.
Laura was selected to participate at the 5th International Biennial of Textile Art in Buenos Aires, Argentina last April where she had the opportunity to attend the opening. There was a conference as well as many fiber shows associated with the biennial, a few of which she was able to visit. She took many pictures and brought some international information back to share. You can see the award winners at http://wta-online.org/ING/ but come and hear about Laura’s experience first hand.

March TBA Thursday 7 - 9pm
Lecture and Tour, “Gods, Love and War: Tapestries and Prints from the Collection”
Lucy Stewart, Assistant Curator of Education, Carnegie Museum of Art and Dr. Richard Simmons, M.D., Patron and Collector
Carnegie Museum or Art, Decorative Arts Department, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080 / 412.622.3131
Features large scale tapestries woven in Europe from the Middle Ages through the 18th century. These engaging pictures in textiles depict the seasons of the year, religious icons, and mythological and allegorical subjects. The exhibition shows the transcendence of motifs and styles all over Europe during the “Golden Age” of tapestry production.
Museum Admission: Adult, $13; Senior, $10 (group rates)

March 5** Friday 7 – 9pm
Lecture, Mary Ruth Smith, juror for Fiberart International 2010
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts., Simmons Hall,
Ms. Smith is a Professor of Art at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She holds a Ph.D. in Art Education from Florida State University and a MFA in Fabric Design from the University of Georgia. Ms. Smith’s work has appeared in Fiberarts Design Books, Surface Design Journal, Embroidery Magazine, and Art Crowd. Recent national and international exhibitions include The Artist as Quiltmaker XIII, Obsessively Stitched Art by Mary Ruth Smith (solo), Quilt National 2005 and 2007, Visions 2006, Small Expressions, From Lausanne to Beijing: 4th International Fiber Art Biennale (China), Man+Woman=Creation (Costa Rica) and Pojagis From American Friends (Korea). Ms. Smith teaches workshops and lectures extensively throughout the United States.

March 13 Saturday, 2pm - 5pm
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Simmons Hall
Join in the fun for an Alice in Wonderland themed card party brought to you by the Fiberarts Guild and PCA! This festive event will feature a special appearance by the Queen of Hearts herself! Attendees will participate in interactive card games, and are welcome to assemble a group to host their own game of choice as well. Children are welcome to attend and will be encouraged to design their own deck (materials provided). Be sure to stop by the Creative Card table for our Castle Challenge to build a tower of your own. Prizes awarded.
Attendees are encouraged bring a tray of cookies or tea sandwiches to share. Costumes/festive apparel encouraged, but not required.
The Sleight of Hand deck of playing cards was created as a fundraiser for the Fiberarts International 2010. Each of the 52 cards feature reproductions of fiber works by guild members. Decks of cards will be available for purchase at the time of this event at PCA (attendees are welcome to bring any deck in lieu of the Sleight of Hand deck.)
For information contact Stefanie Moser smoser@pittsburgharts.org saltm513@hotmail.com
724.244.7443

March 20, 2010
SLEIGHT OF HAND
Opening reception 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Card decks go on sale
Location: Borelli-Edwards Galleries
3583 Butler St., Lawrenceville, PA 15201
Dates: March 20 - May 8, 2010
412-687-2606
BE Galleries
Hours: Tues.-Fri. 11-6, Sat. 11-5

April 17 Saturday 9am – 3pm
Fiberart International 2010 Forum
Speaker: Rebecca A.T. Stevens, juror for Fiberart International
Phipps Garden Center/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, 6300 Fifth Ave., corner of Fifth & Shady Ave., Shadyside and Society for Contemporary Craft
Ms. Stevens is the Consulting Curator, Contemporary Textiles at The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., author of numerous articles on contemporary American textiles and two books: The Kimono Inspiration: Art and Art-to-Wear in America, with Yoshiko I. Wada, and Ed Rossbach: 40 Years of Innovation and Exploration in Fiber Art, with Ann P. Rowe. In addition to The Textile Museum, Ms. Stevens has curated exhibitions many other institutions including the Renwick Gallery and the Anchorage Museum of History and Art . She has juried many contemporary fiber shows including Art Quilts at the Sedgwick on the Square 2006, Quilt Visions 2002, Small Expressions 2000, and Contemporary Tapestry West Coast. Ms. Stevens earned her M.F.A. degree from The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC and her B.A. from Mt. Holyoke College.
The fee includes lunch and transportation between venues: $50.00 - General Public; $40.00 - Fiberarts Guild members & FI artist's guests; $25.00- Students/ Guild members volunteering for Forum and/or FI'10 Opening.

May 8 Saturday 2 – 4:30pm
Artists’ Talk
Borelli Edwards Gallery, 3583 Butler Street, Lawrenceville, PA 15201, 412.687.2606 or begalleries@mac.com
Artists will be on hand to talk about their art—how it was made, what inspired them, challenges--and to answer questions. Artwork will be claimed by 5pm.

May 21** Friday 7-9 PM.
Go Beyond Fiberart International: Laura Tabakman
Did Fiberart International whet your appetite for dazzling and provocative fiber expression? Come see Laura Tabakman present a slide lecture featuring additional work from many of the Fiberart International artists at the Sixth Presbyterian Church on May 21.
"It's really a conversation, not a lecture," Tabakman says, stressing that everyone who attended the Fiberart Forum is invited to contribute their insights from the artists' presentations they heard. And all are welcome to discuss the art.
An internationally exhibited artist and member of the FGP, Tabakman was closely involved in every aspect of Fiberart International 2010--from organizing the digital entries for jurying to uncrating the art and hanging the show.
Don't miss this opportunity to see more, more, more exciting work from Fiberart International artists and to share your thoughts and perceptions with other art lovers.
The exhibition continues through August 22, 2010 at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the Society for Contemporary Craft.

May 22 Saturday 9am to 4pm
Images on fabric: Laura Tabakman
There are many ways of getting an image onto fabric. From digitally printing directly onto the fabric to several techniques of transferring them; from transparencies, to iron-ons, etc. A range of results can be obtained using different fabrics with different textures. In this workshop we will try as many variations as time allows and students will leave with a rich sampler to apply to their future projects.
Students are encouraged to bring their own images.

May 21** Friday
Lecture, Diane Tuckman, Silk Painter
Cancelled

May 22 and 23 Saturday and Sunday
Silk Painting Workshop: Diane Tuckman
Cancelled

For questions contact
Susan Coen, Chair scoen@zoominternet.net 724-789-1184
Sue Schneider Sues151@hotmail.com 412-242-6751