SAQA trunk show at Fibrefest 2016

Mountain/Fields II by Jill Jensen

The SAQA 25th Anniversary Trunk Show, a collection of 51 small art quilts on tour around the region, was recently on display at the 2016 Fibre Arts Festival in Amherst NS.

Joann Dnistransky reports on the event:

"The trunk show was well received, with approximately 170 visitors, and people were amazed! The exhibit was at the Four Fathers Library, which was instagramming the info out to the public and getting a lot of traffic in. Visitors from Germany, France, California, BC, Alberta, Ontario and all over the Atlantic are now more familiar with SAQA and what we're all about." 

View all the quilts in the collection online.

We are All Africans takes first place at MBQG

We are all Africans by Linda Mackie Finley,  w49" x h63"

Our congratulations go to SAQA Atlantic member Linda Mackie Finley.  Her art quilt, We are all Africans, placed first overall for the Viewer's Choice Award and the CQA Ribbon at the 2016 Mahone Bay Quilt Guild Show & Sale. Linda's quilt was machine and hand appliqued, machine pieced, embellished with both stitch and paint, and hand quilted.

We asked Linda to tell us about her award-winning quilt.

Linda, you've made several, magnificently detailed quilts on a variety of topics. Would you tell us about your inspiration for We are all Africans?

My "inspiration" was the crisis in Africa brought on by the AIDS epidemic, in which an entire generation of teachers, caregivers, artists, etc. was wiped out, leaving thousands of children bereft and without the basic requirements to build a future.

Because I have a love for African art, I was able to draw upon it for the figures in this quilt. The two child-laden women in the centre are based on ancestral Nigerian maternity figures that are called upon to preserve the health and welfare of the community. The grey 'monolithic' figures are also ancestral representations, probably funerary in nature, as are others in the piece. 

We are all Africans (detail) by Linda Mackie Finley 

The caryatid bearing the large bowl, in the centre of the quilt, draws on a tradition in Benin. Such carved figures were placed outside of villages to ward off evil. The bowl in my piece is thus filled with Aids viruses, disarmingly beautiful.

We are all Africans (detail) by Linda Mackie Finley 

The pairs of animals are representations of the Ark, as the San people in South Africa, systematically eliminated by European colonization, have recently been proven to be the forbearers of the entire human race. Thus the title of the piece.

And finally, the beadwork along the bottom is my effort to represent a Luba divination board, a highly sophisticated document from Zaire.









How did you turn your inspiration into this marvellous quilt?

The process for this work was a long one. It sat on my design wall, in various incarnations, for over a year. Just as I was about to abandon it, I saw Val Hearder’s collection, "African Threads", work by contemporary women artists from South Africa. It was heartbreakingly beautiful, and I loved the way they used their simple yet sophisticated embroideries to convey the story. They were totally my inspiration and gave me permission to abandon my conventional way of storytelling. I threw my heart into the work instead of my head. I think it worked.

See more of Linda Mackie Finley’s work on her website, Kite-Borne Threads.

Art Hits the Wall 2017 Call For Entry

Atlantic Canada’s Art Hits the Wall Committee invites rug hookers and quilters to enter Under the Influence, a juried exhibition of hooked rugs and art quilts, open to all year-round residents of Atlantic Canada.

Under the Influence

Who or what inspires your work? A great master? A teacher? Your beloved granny? Perhaps it’s the medium itself: the colours, the textures, the rhythms of your craft. We want to know what inspires you. Create an image or a collage that reflects the people, place or thing that has inspired or continues to inspire you. This is a personal introspective journey that we invite you to have fun with and produce a wonderful piece of art for this event.

Deadline

Completed application forms, with photos, will be accepted between March 1 and March 31, 2017. Applications postmarked after March 31 will not be accepted.

Criteria

Width: 16-24 inches (no less, no more) 
Height: 16-30 inches (no less, no more)
All pieces must be 2 dimensional. That is, any embellishments must not exceed 1” from the surface.

Each artist may submit up to two pieces.

Location  

Official Launch: Rug Hooking Museum of North America (Mid May to Mid October 2017).  Additional locations and dates will be announced. If you are aware of any venues interested in having this show, please contact Art Hits the Wall.

Application forms will be available through organizations that support the creation of art through rug hooking and quilting. For additional information or to request an application form, please contact Art Hits the Wall by email or visit Art Hits the Wall on Facebook.

Two fibre art exhibits in Fredericton!

SAQA Atlantic member Kathy Tidswell invites you to two exhibitions of fibre art currently on view in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Kathy has several items in each of these shows.

Autumn Splendour

Transitions 1 by Kathy Tidswell, 2016, w8" x h11"

What: Autumn Splendour
Who: The Fibre Arts Network (FAN)
Where: Fredericton Public Library, 12 Carleton St, Fredericton NB
When: Until the end of October, 2016

Fibre Arts Network (FAN) is a Fredericton-based network of fibre design artists who produce fine craft items for the fine craft market. This exhibit includes weaving, basketry, thread painting, felting, knitting, quilting, sewing, sculptural pieces and more! It will be on display until the end of October.

Fibre Expressions 2016

What: Fibre Expressions 2016

Who: The Fredericton Guild of Fibre Artists

Where: Government House, 51 Woodstock Rd, Fredericton NB

When: October 7 - November 29, 2016

The Fredericton Guild of Fibre Artists is a somewhat eclectic group that meets once a week to share a love of all fibre arts. Interests range from all types of needlework to weaving, rug hooking, felting, bobbin lacemaking and more. The Guild has been in existence since 1979 and held their first exhibition in 1980.

Call for artwork of a spiritual nature

A detail of Creation by Paul Krampitz; part of the Common Threads Indigo Quilts at Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver. Photo: Martin Knowles

Christ Church Cathedral, in Vancouver B.C, is mounting a juried exhibition of textile art of a spiritual nature, including perspectives from First Nations artists and a range of faith traditions. The Canada-wide call for entry is now open.

(in)finite: exploring the finite limitations of humanity
and the ineffable, infinite nature of the Divine.
A Canadian Textile Exhibition
May 25 to June 4, 2017
Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver, BC


Submission Deadline: Friday, February 17, 2017


For details, see (in)finite: a Canadian Textile Exhibition.