YOUR AH HAA MOMENT: CRAFT JUDGES FIBER ARTS SHOW

22 Jan YOUR AH HAA MOMENT: CRAFT JUDGES FIBER ARTS SHOW

Out of the box: orange & yellow silk weaving, Nancy Craft

In July, 2011, fiber artist Nancy Craft was part of a group show at the Ah Haa School for the Arts. “Road to Xanadu” also featured husband, writer/painter Rob Schultheis, and their friend Renee Swire.

The work for that show reflected Nancy’s love of nature, expressed through abstract marks on wash paper with black and indigo inks and discharged silk organza inspired by Japanese, Tibetan and Arabic calligraphy.

A mouthful? Yes. Out of the box. Yes again. As with all artists, Nancy’s work is an extension of her life. “Out of the box” defines the artist, who started weaving followinga trip to Japan in 1982. She fell in love with Japanese textiles and Kyoto, where she lived for six years, studying weaving, indigo dyeing, paste resist stencil dyeing, paper making, basket arts and the like. Despite the fact Nancy’s day job became planning and leading art tours to Japan, fiber art remains a passion.

Which makes Nancy the perfect pick to judge Ah Haa’s upcoming Out-of-the-Box Fiber Art Show, scheduled to hang in Ah Haa’s Daniel Tucker Gallery, Thursday, March 7 – Thursday, March 29, 2013. The deadline for submissions is Monday, January 28, 2013.

Note to would-be participants. The fiber art show is not about showing off your sewing skills. It is about creating a unique piece of art – functional or not – using fiber. It is meant to inspire people to go beyond what is typical in the genre – be it wearable art, art quilts, fabric sculpture – taking fiber arts to an exceptional level. Because this special, show is all about pushing the envelope, the jury will be looking for works that are not just beautiful, but also show real ingenuity.

Potential exhibitors might consider investing time in Lucy Boody’s Nuno-Felted Scarves workshop, Saturday, January 26 – Sunday, January 27.

Lucy might well inspire you to go wild and give you the tools to create a unique wall piece using shibori silk dying techniques or perhaps a fantastic scarf. You might even wind up fashioning a 3-D sculpture by felting together loose wool and other fabrics.

More inclined toward quilting? Go for it. Just make sure your design is totally your own. No commercial patterns please.

Calligraphy on organza, Craft

Nancy Craft is joined as a judge by fellow fiber artist and Ah Haa instructor (like Nancy) Kathy Green.

Submit digital images no later than Monday January 28. Include dimensions (maximum exhibit space per person is 5’ x 7’), description, materials, plans for execution, and contact information.

Jury selection of pieces for the show takes place Friday, February 8.

For more information on the Out-of-the-Box Fiber Arts Show, or to sign up for an upcoming fiber arts class, call the Ah Haa School at 970-728-3886 or go to ahhaa.org.

AND

To find out more, please listen to my chat with Nancy Craft. Just click the “play” button.