Recall Lou Rawls singing that song, Groovy People? It describes my time spent in Athens, Ohio and an impromptu visit into Yellow Springs with 3 good friends. My brother and his partner, Crystal, have been telling me about Yellow Springs for a few years. I left here on Thursday for Athens thinking that Yellow Springs was on the opposite side of Cincy and out of the way. I picked my friend Bev up and the first thing out of her mouth was "would you be interested in going to Yellow Springs?" A quick flash of Thelma and Louise in my head and the answer was yes. Yellow Springs was too short but we did make a couple of gallery connections thanks to Bev come what may marketing style. Bev is not a fiber/textile/quilter but she is a highly imaginative artist who works in several mediums.
We arrived in Athens Thursday night and just chilled out. On Friday, Kel, clay artist who is currently working in precious metal clay, and Dee, masterful story teller and poet joined us on Friday. Whenever we're together there is always plenty of gab and laughter. Family, art, health, politics, movies, tv, work, books, the usual.
Friday's highlight was the bead shop Kel took us too and it was a pretty damn awesome shop with wonderful customer service (the shops here leave me cold when it comes to customer service) and the diversity of items this bead shop has is lacking in Louisville shops. I'd have to run around 3 shops locally to find half of what this shop had in inventory.
Saturday morning we spent hours at The Diary Barn oohing and ahhhing...After the first round of viewing Bev had us go back around and pick our favorites for 4 catergories...of course I took notes but since then, they are lost...but from what I'm recalling, I had selected these 3 for the 3 of the 4 categories (can't remember them either): Tunicates 1 by Andree Fredette, Nothing to Fear by Susan Else, and Architectural Squares by Christine Tedesco. As a group we spent a considerable time in discussion on Africa Scarified IV by Sue Ackerman, Ruffled by Jessica Jones, Communicating with the Past by Aaron McIntosh, Little Fish in a Big City by Kathy York, Nothing to Fear by Susan Else, Quilt Drawing #9 by Daphne Taylor, When Nature and Industry Collide by Christine Milton, and one that I thought was entitled Eating Roses that made a direct feminist statement but I do not see it on the QN page.
Bev most frequent question was "what makes this a quilt?" and pushed the question about what materials she could use to push the definition further from the center and toward the edge. Sunday morning Bev posed the question to us about which quilt was still the most memorable and for me it was Nothing to Fear by Susan Else (at the base of my memory lies humour), for Kel it was Ontario Quest Triptych, for Dee it was Ruffled by Jessica Jones, and for Bev it was Quilt Drawing #9 by Daphne Taylor.
I did not buy the book but I'm trying to recall 3 quilts...one was done in shades of gray and had a pyramid and a cross as motifs and the other was a close-up portrait (small size) of a friend who passed away from cancer and another portrait (large size) done in yo-yos that had been painted over...if anyone can tell me the names of these 3 pieces it would be appreciated.
The bead shop is in a house in a residential looking neighborhood off the path of downtown Athens but close by a church turned art center. Another must stop gallery is Passion Works Studio which is a studio/gallery of works by disabled and non-disabled artists. Having been intimately involved with the start-up of a similiar group in New Albany, Indiana, I'm always most interested in artists who are disabled as well as how arts programs reach out to non-traditional audiences. The highlight of dining was The Star of India which was right across from a Mexican restaurant that we ate at the day before. This is the only photo that immediately struck me for a blog post since photos are not permitted of QN.
This is turning out to be a season of opportunity...I'm considering an invitation to do some demo'ing at a gallery in Yellow Springs along with showing some of my work during gallery hop night...just have to weigh the initial investment cost over exposure and potential sales. Also, Lisa Engelbrecht, author of Modern Mark Making will be here in October leading a 2 day workshop, and I'm going to be a resource artist for Kentucky Foundation for Women August 6 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky...for more info, go to their website at www.kfw.org .
As far as taking time to rent studio space to dye fabric for a month, I'm now undecided...just have to repriortize. Is this the time to place my resources in process and materials, education, or exposure??? I'm giving myself 10 days to weigh it and will then make my decision.
oh, wow!!! what a great trip...and wonderful choices to make. can't wait to read the direction you'll take.
Posted by: myste (mi-stee) | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Sounds like a great trip. i need to get myself to the Dairy barn one of these years.
Posted by: Kristin L | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 04:38 PM
There is such awesome creative and intellectual energy in this post! I want to see what you got at the bead shop. Actually I want to paw through it - whatever it is, but seeing a pic would be good, too.
Posted by: ARS | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 08:55 PM
when you do...better let me know! this was my second time and i'm planning on making it at every qn year!
Posted by: Karoda | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 10:03 PM
hi myste, its the indecisive/undecided that places the pressure on me...once my mind is made at least i can be guided by my decision.
Posted by: Karoda | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 10:04 PM
the beads are at my workshop already...look for a picture sometime before the weekend is over.
Posted by: Karoda | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 10:05 PM
Lots to think about- sounds like a plethora of good things have come your way! As for Athens, I am jealous, jealous, jealous! I will get to see part of QN when it is split up and travels, a little museum in northern Utah books it. But to see the whole show at the Dairy Barn!
Posted by: Beverly | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 10:19 PM
home again and catching up with my blogs. Quilt National - aaaahhh - what a treat in person! And the Indian food makes me jealous - it is my favorite - I could eat it every day.
BTW - my shirt was discharged a few years ago in a thiox bath. Thanks!
Posted by: rayna | Sunday, August 02, 2009 at 12:45 AM