Sometimes I use the phrase fiber art or textile art to tell someone what I do. That often leads to the question, “what’s that?” My answer usually is something like, “I use traditional sewing and quilting techniques to create art to hang on the wall,” and I’m thinking of images like the one you see here. But I know that the minute I say “quilt”, the listener’s mind often brings up an image of a quilt his grandmother made.
Since I’ve made plenty of quilts to cover beds, that image of my work is not wrong, it’s just incomplete. Textile artists typically use fabric and techniques like dyeing and sewing to make items which can be practical or not. So that definition fits me.
Fiber artists are defined as those who may use those same skills but whose work prioritizes aesthetic value over utility. Some of my pieces certainly fit that description.
I recently entered some work in a juried show of fiber artists and we went to see the exhibit a few days ago. There were a few other pieces that included quilting, but there were other pieces that included woven tapestries, mixed media, even some millinery examples.
This exhibit is the Fiber Arts Show and Sale at the Monroe – Walton County Center for the Arts. The juried show displayed some 20 entries in this, its second year.
The Art Center is filled with other interesting mediums, too. There’s jewelry, pottery, paintings, photographs, and other appealing choices.
This exhibit will be up for another week if you want to check it out. Upcoming events at this venue can be found at their website: monroewaltonarts.org. Check them out and look at local art venues near you for similar events. Textile art and fiber art are now frequently part of the display at many galleries.
And, no, I didn’t win any ribbons from these judges this year, but I learned a lot. And I had fun. What else is there?
