A New Spin: Fiber arts at the Art Gym

Encoding-SchemeI-EditEncoding: Scheme I, 58 x 56 inches, acrylic paint on stitched textile, ©2015 Deidre Adams

July 7–30, 2016
Opening reception: July 14 5-8 pm

1460 Leyden St, Denver, CO 80220
Hours: Tues-Sat  |  9am – 6pm

Art Gym Denver is excited to present A New Spin, a fiber arts exhibition curated by Jo Fitsell. A self-taught artist, Jo Fitsell’s work explores internal rhythms and unseen connections. In this show, Fitsell connects a wide range of works related to the fiber medium and modern innovations in fiber art. A New Spin features artwork from Deidre Adams, Christi Beckman, Susan Brooks, Heather Doyle Maier, Patty Emmons, Jo Fitsell, Pam Fortner, Mary Horrocks, Tom Lundberg, Barb Olson, and Jennifer Pettus. According to Jo Fitsell, “I tried to remember pieces visually, without thinking of the artists themselves. I chose pieces that connected on a personal level that would be intriguing to the general public. We have a history of idealizing art from the far past and diminishing those of the present. This was an opportunity to reveal what is happening in the fiber art world.”

Art Gym Denver is a membership-based community and creative workspace with shared access to tools and equipment for a variety of artistic disciplines including painting, printmaking, sculpting, design, culinary arts, dance, and more. It includes a gallery space with new shows opening every few weeks.

In association with A New Spin, there will be several events of interest:
July 7, 2016, 5-8 pm: Exhibition Opens

July 14, 2016, 5-8 pm: Artists Reception  |  Artists will be present, light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres served

July 16, 2016, 3-5 pm: Artist Talk with Mary Horrocks about Rust Printing Technique – free and open to the public

July 20, 2016, 5-7 pm: Artist Talk with Jo Fitsell about Fiber Art History, Techniques and her own Creative Process – free and open to the public

July 27, 2016, 5-7 pm: Artist Talk with Thomas Lundberg about his Stitch Techniques and Inspiration taken from the History of Textiles and from Everyday Life.

July 2nd, 2016|Exhibitions, Fiber / mixed media|Comments Off on A New Spin: Fiber arts at the Art Gym

A lovely little gift arrived today

File-May-23-6-18-39-PMCheck out this awesomeness that arrived in today’s mail. This is a catalog of the work currently at the American Embassy in Tirana, Albania. That’s my piece Detour on the cover!

Ambassador Donald Lu & Dr. Ariel Ahart wrote an introduction saying,

[We] are delighted both to welcome you our home but also to introduce you to some of the best of contemporary art from the United States. … In our exhibition you will find the works of American artists that echo some of the themes and materials found in the works of Albanian artists and craftspeople, including modern adaptations of the ancient forms of quilting, embroidery, and glass blowing.

I’m proud to be in the company of these other artists: Lucy Arai, Linda Beach, Lanny Bergner, Karen Kamenetzky, and Matt Seasholtz. I don’t know if the Art In Embassies program produces one of these books for every exhibition, but it was certainly a wonderful surprise!

May 23rd, 2016|Art, Fiber / mixed media|Comments Off on A lovely little gift arrived today

Patchwork Professional article

My work is featured in this month’s issue of Patchwork Professional, a beautiful publication from Germany. The small image left center is mine, a detail of Reflections (full image below). I wonder if my high-school German will be adequate to the task of reading the articles? Hmm, probably not.

The gorgeous quilt on the right is Seaside Town by Alicia Merrett, part of her Mapping and Recording series in which she interprets landscape from a bird’s eye view. Alicia says, “I explore colour from a variety of sources – the urban and natural environment, mapping, literature, music, the world around us – and reflect it in the textiles that are my passion.” Visit her web site for more luscious color and line work.

Reflections, 38 x 92 (diptych), ©2008 Deidre Adams (click image for larger view)