SAQA - Atlantic Canada: 2023

28 November 2023

Darcy Hunter Christmas Markets

Darcy Hunter was one of the 18 juried artists at the first Craft NB Christmas Festival, which took place at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton on November 4th and 5th, 2023.

This year she also attended the Etsy Holly Jolly Holiday Market at the UNB Currie Centre on November 25^th and 26^th.

Darcy had a wide range of products such as artworks from her Slow Stitch Series and Overflow series. She also included ornaments, art prints, journals and textile art pendants.

Flower Art on Wood

Ornaments

Pendants

Stormy Seas (2022)

20 November 2023

Kristi Farrier - North American Hand Papermakers conference

Downtown Providence, RI.

Kristi Farrier was excited to be in Rhode Island, USA, at the North American Hand Papermakers (@nahandpapermakers) conference in October 2023. She was talking about growing fibre flax and demonstrating how to hand process it to access the fibre for papermaking

Hera are a few shots from her demonstration on Slow Craft and Sustainability: Growing and Hand Processing Fibre Flax for Hand Papermaking..

It was a gift to have this opportunity to share about her motivations and explorations for working with flax in this way. Being with this epic group of papermakers and paper artists in the setting and spaces of the Rhode Island School of Design was incredible and a wee bit surreal. Amazing conversations were had and connections made.

06 November 2023

Lee McLean Solo Exhibit

“Do not go gentle”

Lee McLean’s solo textile art exhibit germinated in a hospital waiting room. As she watched the minutes tick by, it struck her how much of her life was being spent on managing her health, of all the associated wasted moments, and of how control is chipped away as we age. She felt compelled to share these feelings using her skills working with fabric and thread.

Her series, inspired by the Dylan Thomas poem “Do not go gentle into that good night”, is shown at St. Thomas University Yellow Box Gallery, Fredericton, New Brunswick until Dec. 23, 2023.

In Tending the World, she used a traditional quilt block to suggest a person with back bent, reaching out.

Tending the World

Disposable

Isolation

Still here

23 October 2023

Bank Machine Blues by Kathy Tidswell

Kathy Tidswell submitted this piece:

I was very excited when on July 5 2021, I was notified by Martha Sielman that she had chosen one of my pieces Bank Machine Blues, for her book on birds. It has taken over two years for her to put this book together and have it published by Schiffer publishing but it is a beautiful book entitled Stitched Journeys with Birds.

You were allowed to submit 3 pieces for consideration.

Bank Machine Blues was created for the 2005 Grand National Quilt Exhibition with the theme: Airborne. I painted my background fabric and used free motion embroidery on warm and natural quilt batt to make the loons. I attached the loons so that they were 3-d. My inspiration was the $20 bill that was in circulation at the time but I wanted it in colour rather than the drab green that it was. I used my family initials and order of birth for the serial numbers. In my artist statement I said that you go to the bank Machine, take out $20 bills and they become airborne and fly away. The section above the $20 bill represents those that got away.

06 October 2023

SAQA Annual Retreat

SAQA Atlantic Annual Retreat

Members of SAQA Atlantic met at the beautiful Maple Inn in Parrsboro, NS Sep 29 - Oct 1, 2023. Participants came from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador to enjoy the weekend. There were lovely meals, great walks and opportunities to make new friends and catch up with old friends.

Many lively discussions took place on Saturday including how to price your art, targeting your audience and how to participate in teaching opportunities.

On Saturday afternoon Laura Chenoweth presented a session on sustainable fabrics and offered a few of her samples for sale. This led to an interesting discussion by members on their own sustainable studio practices.

Both Friday and Saturday evenings were filled with show and share. Experienced members presented their latest work and one even gave us a sneak peek into an upcoming solo show! New members presented examples of the overall styles of their art.

Darcy Hunter

Debbie Vermeulen

Kristi Farrier

Regina Marzlin

Beth McKay

Susan Lilley

Laureen van Lierop

Kathy Tidswell

Gillian Noonan

On Sunday morning the SAQA Atlantic Regional Update was provided by our co-chairs Lee McLean and Darcy Hunter. The main topics of discussion were the upcoming calls for entry - the Canada wide "Renewal" and the Atlantic region's "Navigating". Kristi provided some details of the galleries where the Atlantic show will be hung and noted that space is still being looked for, particularly in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. Brigitte Clavette will be the Juror for this exhibit.

Regina was thanked for her organization of this year's retreat and new organizers were agreed for next year. We look forward to next year's version.

12 September 2023

SAQA Benefit Auction

SAQA’s annual Benefit Auction will take place online from September 14 through October 8, 2023. With 380+ pieces of beautiful artwork available for bidding (including from some of our own talented members), there is something for everyone to enjoy!

All proceeds help support SAQA's exhibition programs, publications, and education outreach. Plus, your purchase helps increase the recognition for art quilts and the artists who make them.

SAQA Atlantic has 3 members that have donated to the auction! Check out their work.

Susan Lapham

Fiona Oxford

Regina Matzlin

For more details, visit www.saqa.com/auction.