Saturday, December 21, 2013

2015 National SAQA Conference in Portland!

SAQA will hold its 2015 national conference in Portland, Oregon! The conference will be held April 30 to May 3, 2015 at the Double Tree in near Lloyd Center. There will be lots of activities and happenings around town. More info to come!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Textile Fiber Forum Features DeNicolis Meyer Art

Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer's quilt, Crucible, is on the cover of the Australian magazine Textile Fibre Forum this month, and her article, If This Then That: An Approach To Art And Teaching,  is featured on pages 34 and 35. She will be teaching at Grampians Texture, a fiber conference in a state park near Melbourne, Australia in February.

 

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Bonnie Bucknam to Speak at Northwest Quilt Guild, Portland, December 9, 2013

Bonnie Bucknam will be the featured speaker at the Northwest Quilters Guild meeting on Monday December 9, 2013, at 7pm.  The meeting will be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 7810 SE 15th Street, Portland, Oregon.

Here's a bit about Bonnie's lecture, Sticks and Stones:
Bonnie Bucknam’s art quilts have won national and international recognition, including Quilt National 2011 Best of Show.  Her quilts are abstract interpretations of the natural world.  Join her as she takes you through the design and construction processes used in her latest two series of works. You’ll see her evolution as an artist and follow her creative process through the step-by-step construction of some of her recent quilts.

Crater, by Bonnie Bucknam
 

Saturday, November 23, 2013

"Exploring Layers" Exhibitors Announced

Congratulations to the following Oregon SAQA artists for being accepted to “Exploring Layers:”

 Mary Arnold – Strata
Karen Bates – Layers of Influence
Suzy Bates – Riches to Rags
Catherine Beard – Aspen Lea
Diane Born – Santa Fe Fences: Sculpted by Time, Sand, Sun
Christina Brown – One Who Looks Back
Christina Brown – View from Rowena Crest
Nancy Bryant – Cascade
Gerrie Congdon – Walking with Scooter and Mr. C
Betty Daggett – Food Value
Anne Daughtry – Canyon de Chelley, 1973
Diane English – After the Fire II
Sheila Finzer – You are Unique!
Georgia French – Pathways
Betty Gientke – Polychromatic Pool
Mary Goodson – From Water to Ice
Carol Heist – Fractured Green
Jill Hoddick – South Rim, Grand Canyon
Laura Jaszkowski – Rift Valley
Paulette Landers – Ancient Memories
Paulette Landers – I Once Saw a Tree
Sheryl LeBlanc – The Tools of My Trade
Amanda Miller – Sahalie Falls
Amanda Miller – Sumer Harvest
Sara Miller – Swept Away
Sidnee Snell – Rivets 2
Sidnee Snell – Sliced not Diced
Mary Stiewig – Awakenings
Naomi Weidner – Bowl of Oranges
Jean Wells – Rejuvenation

 “Exploring Layers” drew a record number of artists and a record number of entries.  Just under half were accepted by our juror Renee Couture, who said it was a “DIFFICULT” job.  She approached it half from a juror’s perspective, and half from a curator’s perspective, and she used the criteria we noted in the Prospectus.

 We want to congratulate everyone who entered, because this makes SAQA Oregon strong.  All the work is worthy and we know that pieces not accepted for this exhibit will be seen somewhere else at some other time. 

We’ll post the venue schedule here in due time.  Note that the exhibit will debut in February at the Chehalem Cultural Center, and will be a centerpiece of the SAQA Oregon conference “New Horizons” on March 6, 2014.

Betty Daggett, Georgia French, Jean Wells, Co-Curators, “Exploring Layers”

New Horizons Conference Details Available

"New Horizons" will be our first statewide SAQA Oregon conference, and we have an exciting day planned, so we look forward to seeing you all there. Attendance is limited to 70 members, due to space limitations, so we would encourage you to register early to ensure your place.

To register, send a check for $70 (lunch included) to: The Stitchin' Post c/o New Horizons Conference, PO Box 280, Sisters, Or 97759. Make checks out to "SAQA" with the note "Oregon Conference" in the memo area of the check.

The conference will take place on Thursday, March 6th, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Chehalem Cultural Center, 415 E. Sheridan St.,  Newberg, OR 97132:
 http://www.chehalemculturalcenter.org. There is a parking lot right behind the Center; also street parking. 

Please see the Meetings and Events page for details of the conference program, lodging in Newberg, and the 12 x 12 quilts. 

Elizabeth Bamberger & Leotie Richards
Oregon SAQA Co-reps. 
Betty Daggett & Jean Wells
Conference Directors & Creators

Thursday, November 14, 2013

SWAN SONG for "OREGON: STATE OF DIVERSITY II


Flotsam by Nancy Kibbey of Eugene
 
The two-year run of Oregon SAQA's second state wide juried exhibition will come to a close on December 21st, 2013.  It opened October 22nd at the Heritage Station Museum in Pendleton.  The HSM is located at 108 SW Frazer in Pendleton, and the hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10-4.  This is your last chance to see our exhibit.  We will be contacting the artists about the return of their artworks after the holidays.  Congratulations and thanks to everyone for the success of this exhibit.  Co-Curators:  Georgia French gfrench@rosenet.net and Laura Jaszkowski joyincloth@gmail.com

Sticks & Stones by Quinn Zander Corum of Portland

What's Happening at the Conference

 
Click on the image to enlarge.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Quarterly Report from Our New Reps

Hallo, everyone, from your new Oregon co-reps, Leotie Richards in Sisters, and Elizabeth Bamberger in Portland. We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with you all on helping to continue SAQA Oregon’s role as a vibrant organization that provides  artistic and networking opportunities. Welcome to the first of our planned quarterly newsletters to keep you all up to date with Oregon SAQA news and what the three parlor groups – Central Oregon, Portland and Valley-South – are doing. If there are major announcements about special events or opportunities, we will send separate emails to make sure you don’t miss anything.  Jean Wells and Betty Daggett are now officially retired as Oregon co-reps, but are still spearheading the upcoming Oregon SAQA conference, and have been wonderful mentors for us as we figure out our tasks and responsibilities. Former rep Georgia French has also provided very valuable guidance. A big “Thank You” to all three. 
 
SAVE THE DATE! On March 6, 2014 the first Oregon SAQA Conference will be held in Newberg. We are working hard on setting this up, and a notice with all the details will be going out to you very soon. The conference will also mark the debut of the “Exploring Layers” exhibit; we received a grand total of 64 pieces from 43 artists, and they will all be in the hands of our juror soon.
 
The three parlor groups all meet regularly and are very active; they provide great opportunities for networking with fellow artists, learning new skills, and being involved in special projects. We understand that some of you prefer to work independently and don’t feel the need to participate in local meetings, but we want to be sure that everyone is aware of the groups and how to contact them if you wish:
 
Central Oregon: meets from 2 to 4 p.m. on the third Friday of each month at The Stitchin’ Post, 311 W Cascade St (Hwy 20/126) in Sisters, OR. Contact Leotie Richards at lotidesignworks@gmail.com
 
Portland: meets from 10 a.m. to midday on the third Wednesday of each month (tentatively the fourth Wednesday starting in February, 2014) at members’ houses. Contact Elizabeth Bamberger at elizabethbamberger@gmail.com
 
Valley-South: meets from 2 to 4 p.m. on the third Friday of each month, at various locations in Eugene. Contact Georgia French at gfrench@rosenet.net.
 
Here’s the latest news from each of the groups:
 
CENTRAL OREGON. In September the Central Oregon SAQA parlor group met for dinner before attending a talk given by guest teacher and speaker, Patti Hawkins at the Five Pine Lodge. Twenty four members showed up for dinner and had a good time meeting new people and checking in with old friends. 
 
In October we had an open group discussion about formulating artistic goals for 2014. Members had lots of great ideas to share about how to make the best personal choices for entering exhibits and participating in challenges, as well as how find direction in the creation of their art quilts.
In November we're all going to fabricate 7" x 10" art quilts for the SAQA Anniversary Trunk show. We're going to pin up all of the small quilts on the wall anonymously and practice our critiquing skills. Leotie Richards is going to present an overview of various grant opportunities for art quilters and we'll also talk about the New Horizons conference taking place in Newberg Oregon, March 6th in 2014.
 
We're taking the month of December off, but will be preparing our lists of goals for 2014 to share in the January, 2014 meeting. Leotie Richards will be sending out an online survey during December, to query members about preferences for the content for meeting in 2014.
 
PORTLAND. This year, the Portland group has focused on developing the professional skills we need as artists and making the most of exciting new resources available to us.  In recent months, Steve Kaplan gave a presentation on downsizing digital photographs of quilts and preparing them for show entry; Gerrie  Congdon and Terry Grant gave presentations on developing and using websites and blogs in ways that increase our professional opportunities; and  in October we addressed the unpopular but important question of writing artist statements. We will follow up on this at the November meeting: each member will bring two artist statements for critique - one that introduces the artist, the other designed to accompany a specific piece of art, which will also be brought to the meeting.  We will also start making plans for 2014. Upcoming plans include a December potluck lunch and social; and a January visit to the Portland Art Museum for a private docent-led visit to the Contemporary Northwest Art Awards exhibit. Also, two of our members, Diane Born and Chris Brown, will be helping  SAQA develop plans for the exciting 2015 national SAQA conference “Fiberlandia”, to be held right here in Portland!  More on that in coming months.
 
VALLEY-SOUTH. Valley-South is growing strong!  We are celebrating the successful SAQA Showcase Passion Forward, which was part of Quilt County and hung at the MU Concourse Gallery at OSU in Corvallis.  We're already thinking about a return visit....  Also in the works, a possible showcase at a venue in Eugene --- details to follow when we nail it down.  
At our recent meeting we decided to focus this next year on art --- the elements and principles.  We will continue to have constructive critiques at our meetings, as well as conversations about ART and how to look at it, understand it, make it.  We're also thinking about trying some "virtual jurying" and maybe a "virtual exhibit" for our Yahoo Group.  Our attendance goes up with each meeting --- remember, you are also welcome to bring a guest who might be interested in SAQA.  
 
That’s all for now. Keep on making art!
Elizabeth Bamberger

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

High Fiber Diet's Simply Red Opens in Coos Bay

Several SAQA members have work in the High Fiber Diet exhibit, Simply Red.  The reception at Coos Bay was lovely and artists Shirley MacGregor, Kimberly Connely, Diane Born, Elizabeth Bamberger, and Jill Hoddick (and husbands) were there along with 25-30 of the public. There was good food and wine and live period music. The gallery's board came and several made very gracious comments about the work.  Pam Pilcher's redwood quilt made the poster, and Jill's piece was featured in a local coast newspaper.  Shirley did a wonderful job hanging the show.
 
The gallery is a bit difficult to find. It is located at 1957 Thompson Rd, Coos Bay, just beyond the hospital. It is in the lobby of the Pacific Coast Medical Park, a medical building with no signs about a gallery or exhibit.  The hours are 7:30am - 5pm Monday through Friday.  The building is not open on the weekends.  The exhibit runs until January 17, 2014.
 
Lobby area of Pacific Park Gallery with Sara Miller's piece over fireplace.

Bonnie Bucknam's Dragonfly in the garden area of the gallery.

 
 

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

SAQA Winners at Houston

Paulette Landers, a SAQA member who divides her time between California and North Bend, Oregon, and who is a member of the Valley-South parlor group, won an Honorable Mention at Houston last night, in the category Art, Abstract, Small, for her quilt Cosmic Tango

Sherri Culver won a third place at Houston in the Art-People, Portraits, and Figures category for her quilt Emmy Tovo.  Sherri is fairly new to the Portland area and participates in the Portland parlor group.

You can see their quilts, and all the winners, here

Congratulations, Paulette and Sherri!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Common Threads Opens at the Portland Museum of Contemporary Craft

Just today, MoCC opened Common Threads, a collaborative exhibition of work by Columbia FiberArts Guild members and PNCA students. Information here:

http://cal.pnca.edu/e/916

We are thrilled to be pioneering this unique mentorship program. Despite a number of ups and downs, the exhibition looks fantastic and I know CFG will be curious to see the outcomes and hear the stories that were produced out of this summer-long collaborative project.

Please let all CFGguild members know that Museum of Contemporary Craft will be offering free admission to CFG members for the duration of the exhibition, October 22 - December 3. Also, there are a few events affiliated with this program that might be of interest to your guild:

Thursday 10/24, 5:30pm-7pm
Common Threads Opening Celebration
The Lab at MoCC
Free and open to the public

Saturday 11/2, 3-5pm
Spinning demo and gallery talk with Laurie Weinsoft
The Gallery Store
Free and open to the public

Thursday 11/7, 5-8pm
First Thursday collaborative rug braiding project. Drop in anytime between 5-8pm to participate!
The Gallery Store
Free and open to the public
 
Tuesday 12/3, 6:30 - 8pmCommon Threads panel discussion hosted by Marci McDade, editor of Surface Design Magazine, and closing celebration
The Lab at MoCC
Free and open to the public
Thanks for your assistance and support! Hope to see you here for one or more of our Common Threads programs.

Best,
Sarah Margolis-Pineo

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Innovations in Fiber Art VI

Trisha Hassler will have work at Innovations in Fiber Art VI, an international juried exhibit at the Sebastapol Center for the Arts.  The show runs October 24 - November 30, 2013.  Trisha says:

 
Two of my recent works will be traveling to CA to be part of the upcoming exhibit at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts just west of Santa Rosa. Juried by Susan Taber Avila, Professor of Design at University of California, Davis and Joan Schulze, International Quilt, Collage and Fiber Artist, the show includes works in various alternative materials using a variety of techniques.  The exhibit is a joint venture in cooperation with Surface Design Association and includes work from all over the globe.  Both of my pieces include steel and hand dyed/printed textiles with hand stitched accents.  I am excited and honored to be part of this innovative exhibit!

Will I Still Recognize Her When We Get There? 
Trisha Hassler 
 
The materials I have chosen to work with in these pieces contain individual voices. As they layer one upon the other, they build my own visual dialog and continue to tell my story. The piece shown below is a monoprint on vintage kimono lining with hand stitching and bead work.  The historical nature of repurposed materials really makes me feel brave when I cut it up!
 
I Would Like Next Year to Be Longer
Trisha Hassler
 
Opening October 24, 6:30 - 8 pm
282 S. High Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472
 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Quilts of the Sierra Nevada by Ann Johnston

 
See Ann Johnston's latest work October 17 - November 14, 2013 at Baylor University, Texas, and at the Festival Internacional de Patchwork in Sitges, Spain, March 20 - 24, 2014.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

EXPLORING LAYERS" Entry Period Opens TUESDAY, October 1st

Oregon SAQA moves into the 21st Century with our first statewide online entry exhibit.  We have contracted with national SAQA to provide this service.  We hope all of you are finishing up your entries for the exhibit, but you still have some time:  entries will be accepted anytime between October 1st and 31st, 2013.  You must go to:

There is no way to access this site through any other entry point, so be sure to use this url.  Once you're in, it should be pretty clear, and help is available if needed.  If you can't find help right at the site, contact me and I'll put you in touch with someone who can provide assistance.  Good luck, everyone!  We are looking forward to a stunning exhibit, which will travel in Oregon throughout 2014.  

Georgia French, gfrench@rosenet.net, Co-Curator, "Exploring Layers."

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Passion Forward: Studio ArtQuilt Associates Members' Showcase

 
Memorial Union Concourse Gallery
Oregon State University, Corvallis
September 9 - October 27, 2013

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Gerrie Congdon Is on the Cover of Quilting Arts

 
Gerrie Congdon's quilt is on the cover of the current Quilting Arts magazine, and also in one of the magazine's articles.  Congratulations, Gerrie!

Friday, September 6, 2013

Date change for the Oregon SAQA Conference in Newberg

The Oregon SAQA Conference date has been changed from March 13 to March 6, 2014. The previously scheduled date conflicted with the Kayla Kennington workshop on March 13-14 that will follow the CFG meeting on March 12. Please make note of this date change. Information will be posted on signing up for the Conference in the next few weeks.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

New DVD by Ann Johnston

COLOR BY ACCIDENT
Exploring Low-Water Immersion Dyeing

Two Disks: Total runtime: 4 hrs 19 min
English Audio Track with English and Spanish Subtitles

http://www.annjohnston.net/newvideo.html
 Color by Accident: Exploring Low-Water Immersion Dyeing is an extension of the techniques Ann introduced in her ground-breaking book, Color by Accident: LowWater Immersion Dyeing. In an orderly progression of topics with over 250 samples of fabric and 17 live demonstrations, Ann teaches how and when to vary her basic method, including how to:
  • mix colors without exact recipes
  • create a smooth value gradation across one piece of fabric
  • manipulate the fabric to create many different textures
  • manage large pieces of fabric in small spaces
  • see the differences in the singlechemical dyecolors
  • adapt the Procion® dyes to silk
  • follow up with your own explorations with dyes
 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Ann Johnston Exhibits

Ann Johnston has two exhibitions coming up. 

Her solo exhibit, The Contact: Quilts of the Sierra Nevada by Ann Johnston, can be viewed October 17-November 23, 2013 at The Martin Museum of Art, Baylor University, Waco, Texas.
Reception & Gallery Talk: October 24, 2013, 5:30-7:30pm
http://www.baylor.edu/martinmuseum/


The Contact:  Nevadan Orogeny, 84” x 53”, 2011 by Ann Johnston.

Her work will also be included in Exposicion Nacional de Patchwork, March 18 - 24, 2014, in Stiges, Spain. www.patchworkespana.es

Deep Blue Lead, 84” x 48”, 2012 by Ann Johnston.

 
Go to www.annjohnston.net  for more detail.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Elizabeth and Leotie Become SAQA State Reps for Oregon in September

Greetings,
Betty and I are retiring as your Oregon reps. We want to introduce you to the two women who will be taking on the job to represent you. Leotie is from Sisters and Elizabeth is from the Portland area. The four of us have met and will be working together on the upcoming conference March 13, 2014 at the Chehalem Cultural Center. We are in the process of forming committee to work on this first statewide Oregon conference. If you are interested in working on a committee please contact Jean Wells (jean@stitchinpost.com or Betty Daggett (bdavisdaggett@gmail.com). We have really enjoyed our two years time as your Oregon reps.

There has been some discussion about the measurements for the Exploring Layers exhibit. The total circumference for each quilt should be no less than 144” and no more than 240” for two dimensional quilts. We look forward to getting lots of entries from all of you between October 1st and October 31st . Coming soon will be the information on entering your quilts at the SAQA website. /Below you will see a short bio on each of our new reps.
Jean

Elizabeth Bamberger - Portland, Oregon SAQA Rep
Elizabeth Bamberger is a relative newcomer to the world of art quilting. Retirement from work as a sociologist in Washington D.C. in 2002, and moving to Oregon, which has so many talented artists working in a wide range of mediums, has opened up a whole new world of textile and fiber art to her, with time to pursue this exciting new area of interest. Living in Oregon has given her the opportunity to take classes and workshops from highly experienced and generous teachers, and to meet many talented and creative fellow fiber artists. Elizabeth is an active member of the Portland SAQA parlor group, and of High Fiber Diet, a special interest group of the Columbia Fiber Arts Guild, and is very much looking forward to the opportunity to serve as a co-representative for Oregon SAQA.

Leotie Richards - Central Oregon SAQA Rep
Leotie Richards became enamored with textiles while working as an Art Director for a major retail chain. In off hours she began to sew wall hangings without much knowledge of modern quilting techniques. After twenty years designing graphics and textiles for retail stores, she retired to Sisters Oregon and found many opportunities to continue her work with fabric. She found that her graphic design skills could be readily applied to art quilting. Studying intently for more than a year at The Stitchin’ Post, she became adroit with various fabrication techniques and began to experience a high degree of joy in her creative process with textiles. Leotie currently plans to continue to participate in various quilt challenges through the end of 2013; in 2014 she looks forward to designing and assembling a series of art quilts that will be a very personal expression of her views on life. Leotie has been active in several quilt guilds in Central Oregon and now welcomes the opportunity to focus both her artistic and organizational skills as a rep for SAQA.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Mark March 6, 2014 on Your Calendar! SAQA Oregon State Conference

SAQA State Conference will be held on March 6, 2014 at the Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg, Oregon. Set the date aside. More information about the details of the conference will be forthcoming. I hope everyone is working on a submission to the upcoming deadline for our next state wide exhibit, "Exploring Layers." Entry time for submissions will be Oct. 1-30 on the SAQA website. Enjoy your summer.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

SAQA Oregon Members to Exhibit at SurFace Forward

SAQA Oregon members Kathie Kerler, Mary Ann McCammon, Bonnie Bucknam, Sherri Culver, Jill Haddock, Laura Jaszcowski, Karen Miller, and Gerrie Congdon will have work in the exhibition SurFace Forward at The Arts Center in Corvallis, Oregon. The exhibition dates are August 22 - September 29, 2013.  There is a receiption from 5:30 - 7:30pm on August 22, and a Brown Bag Art Talk at noon on August 28.  The Arts Center is located at 700 SW Madison Avenue in Corvallis.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Patty Hawkins to Teach in Sisters, Oregon

Patty Hawkins, renowned quilt artist from Colorado will be teaching a week long workshop, Collage the Essence of Landscapes, Colors, and Shapes, at the 2013 Art Quilt Symposium in Sisters Sept. 23 - 27. I have heard Patty speak at two SAQA conferences and she is a delightful, accomplished instructor. The workshop will begin with the writing of a Haiku to introduce the subject. A detailed description of the workshop along with costs can be found at stitchinpost.com or contact Jean Wells jean@stitchinpost.com.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

High Fiber Diet's "Elements" Exhibit Comes to ArtReach Gallery, Portland

Mist Moonlight by Mary Arnold
 
The Elements fiber art show is coming to Portland in July! The classical elements - Air, Earth, Fire, Water - have captured the imaginations of countless artists. Come on a visionary journey with High Fiber Diet artists as they explore and imagine the elements. Please join us for the artists' reception on Thursday, July 11, from 6  to 8 p.m., as we celebrate with refreshments and live music.
 
Where: The ArtReach Gallery at the First Congregational Church on the South Park Blocks: 1126 SW Park Avenue, Portland. 
When: Thursday, July 4 to Sunday, July 28. The Gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Kathie Kerler Exhibits in Astoria, Oregon

Kathie Kerler has had her piece, Shore Pines in Mist, juried into the Coastal Fiberarts 2013 exhibition. Shows dates are July 18 - August 15th.  The exhibition is on display at Clatsop Community College in Astoria, OR.

SAQA Oregon Update from Our Co-Reps

June 2013
Greetings from Betty and Jean

We wanted to catch everyone up on SAQA happenings in our state. Both of us will be retiring in August but will stay on to work with the new reps. and put on our first Conference on March 13, 2014 in Newberg at the Chehalem Cultural Center in conjunction with our Exploring Layers exhibit.
Our parlor groups are very active as we found out in our reps meeting at the Santa Fe Conference. It made us feel good to have such good participation in all of our activities.

We will be attaching the prospectus for Exploring Layers, our upcoming exhibit. You will be able to begin the entry process the beginning of October. We are still working out the details for that process with SAQA. You will find sleeve instructions on the Yahoo Group site that MUST be adhered to unless you are doing a structural piece. There will be no exceptions. We will be providing the hanging devices so it is imperative that you follow directions.

Portland SAQA Group
The Portland group has developed into a lively and highly participatory group drawing extensively on members' talents and experience, which are shared with the group, as well as from outside activities such as hosted visits to art galleries and a workshop on quilt photography skills. In the first meeting of 2013, members reviewed their accomplishments and frustrations of the past year, and shared their goals and focus for the coming year, and we discussed the year's agenda. In recent months, the first hour of our meeting has focused on "help sessions": sharing knowledge to develop our professional skills. Members have contributed their expertise in the areas of the history of the sewing machine, the subtleties of needles and threads, pricing quilts for sale, and preparing work portfolios, and have reported on recent workshops and conferences they attended and on quilt-related volunteer activities. We have also practiced our artist "elevator speeches". In June the husband of one member will provide a presentation and hands-on practice about processing and resizing digital images for show entry. Summer meetings will be more casual show and tell and critique sessions, and in September, two members will give a presentation on setting up and managing websites and blogs.
Our members also participate in exhibits and other professional activities, including the following recent accomplishments (alphabetical order by artist).

  • Mary Arnold has two pieces in the Contemporary QuiltArt Association's exhibit, Salsa!, at the Mighty Tieton Gallery in Tieton, WA. 
  • Elizabeth Bamberger's piece, City Under Siege, is appearing in the online art quilt exhibit at www.infinityartgallery.com .
  • Bonnie Bucknam  is featured in a recent SAQA Journal gallery (Cavern appears on the Journal cover) and her piece Tangle has been acquired by the  textile museum of Neumuenster, Germany for their permanent collection. 
  • Karen Miller will have 15 pieces in the show Art in the Aquatic Underworld at the Giustina Gallery at OSU's La Sells Stewart Centre in June. 
  • Emily Stevens will have two pieces exhibited in the West Coast Wonders exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, California and Houston, Texas. 
  • The High Fiber Diet show Elements: Air, Earth, Fire and Water is currently at the Walters Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro.
  • Trisha Hassler's new work, Contrapunto, is on display at Waterstone Gallery in July  with the preview July 3 from 6 to 9.
  • Naomi Weidner is showing in Sacred Threads at Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, VA.
  • Christina Brown is showing in the High Fiber Diet Elements exhibit.
  • Gerrie Congdon is showing with the Twelve by Twelve, The International Quilt Challenge: ColourPlay; Chilcompton, UK; AQS Quilt Show, Grand Rapids Michigan; AQS Quilt Show, Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Gerrie is also in PAQA South: ARTQUILTS Water; Greenville, NC and Sacred Threads 2013-Herndon, VA. Pauline Landers, IQA Long Beach Festival, West Coast Wonders, Aug. 2-4, 2013.

 Central Oregon SAQA Group
The much anticipated reveal for the Whisper Project quilts was held in May, after six months of a silent and progressive sharing and mimicking of design processes. Each SAQA member studied and picked up on design elements of the quilt passed on to them without sharing any details with other members of the group. Five groups of six each participated in the slowly progressive process. Five new members formed a group on the spot and will complete quilts for the exhibit, which brings the total number of participants to 36. The results were quite pleasing and intriguing. Jean Wells is now going to exhibit the quilts at the Portland Quilt Expo in September.

Four different members gave enthusiastic reports on the Expanding Horizons Conference in Santa Fe in April. Several of these members were particularly impressed by Patty Hawkins's presentation on "Finding Voice and Consistency." Patty is going to teach a collage workshop in Sisters, Or in September of 2013.

Many members were forthcoming with ideas for the content and organization of future meetings. Going forward, we'll start the meetings with an in depth presentation of artistic processes by two members on a rotating basis. We'll then spend 30 minutes in carefully organized small group critiquing sessions. Guest speakers will take up about 45 minutes of meeting time and we will finish with a show and tell session for new work. We will be meeting monthly.

  • Shelia Finzer shared a very large stunning commission piece that is painted with dye and heavily stitched on. 
  • Jean Wells and renowned painter, Judy Hoiness, have a collaborative show at the Lodge Gallery at Black Butte Ranch until the end of June.  Jean will also have a show featuring her abstract landscapes the month of July at the Clearwater Gallery in Sisters.
  • Many of our members belong to a small group, Journeys, and we will have a show at the Redmond Public Library July 15 through August.
  • Oregon State of Diversity II is now showing in Bend at the High Desert Museum Gallery, Bend, OR through the month of July.
  • Catherine Beard has a piece in the Coastal Fiber Arts Show in the Astoria Visual Arts exhibit at Clatsop Community College July 18 to Aug. 16.
 
Valley-South SAQA
  • Members from this group will be showcasing their work, Passion Forward, at the M.U. Concourse Gallery, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon September 9 through October 27.
  • Laura Jaszkowski is showing work in Elements and in the SAQA on-line mini gallery, Images of Summer.
  • Deb Soren has a quilt in Pacific West Quilt Show August 23-25 and Sacred Threads July 10-28.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Bucknam Piece Acquired for Museum Permanent Collection

Bonnie Bucknam's work Tangle has been purchased by the Tuch + Technik Textilmuseum in Neumuenster, Germany to be part of their permanent collection.  The Museum was the last stop on the Color Improvisations exhibit itinerary.  That exhibit has now been dismantled and the unsold quilts returned to the artists.  Tangle has found a new, permanent home abroad!


Tangle by Bonnie Bucknam
85" w x 87" h
Photos by Mark Frey

Tangle, detail

Friday, May 17, 2013

SAQA Journal Features Quilt by Bonnie Bucknam

A detail photo of Bonnie Bucknam's quilt Cavern is featured on the cover of the Spring 2013 SAQA Journal.  The quilt is also pictured in the "SAQA member gallery: Earth" on page 17.  Take a look!



Cavern by Bonnie Bucknam
Photo by Mark Frey



May Meeting Report from the Porland Parlor Group


SAQA OREGON Meeting May 15, 2013      minutes taken by Jill Hoddick, who has volunteered to do this for each meeting. Thanks so much, Jill!

Diane Born, Chris Brown, Shirley MacGregor went to SAQA Conference in Santa Fe.  Workshop highlights:
• Carol Ann Waugh speaking about Marketing Yourself and Your Business
• Shelly Zegart’s lecture on Why Quilts Matter  (maybe part of this –What is an Art Quilt? - could be shown at the Conference in March??)
• Pat Holly discussing Hanging Shows
• Melissa J. White on Social Media
• Diane Nunez talking about Technology, Design, and Fiber
• Next conference will be next May in Alexandria, Virginia

There was a discussion about making a book of one’s work – as a portfolio, for clients, to sell etc.  blurb.com was a site that Elizabeth and Bonnie have used and they showed wonderful examples. Elizabeth’s was filled with journal entries and tons of photos about a trip to Turkey while Bonnie’s was based on her work in Guatemala. Costs around $40 for 20 color pages and you can use text as well.

Sharry O. volunteered to organize and moderate a YahooGroup for SAQA Portland.  Thank you Sharry!  The SAQA Conference folks will put some of their handouts on the site when it is available.

Mary Ann talked about her trip to the AQS Paducah Quilt Show, The National Quilt Museum and Caryl Bryer Fallert’s Bryerpatch Studio.

Mary A and Bonnie gave us a rundown of their recent classes with Nancy Crow (Mary did not cry and got a compliment on her sense of proportion!!).

Upcoming Exhibits:
Several SAQA members are part of the HFD Elements show at the Walters Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro. The show runs thru June 25. Reception on June 4, 6-8pm.  527 E. Main Street
Trisha Hassler will have an exhibit of the end of her steel work and showcasing new work at Waterstone Gallery in July. Reception is July 3.

Upcoming meetings:
• Wed. June 19 Steve Kaplan will give us a presentation on Resizing Digital Images and other issues in processing images for show entry
• July and August: Location TBA. Show and tell, critiques etc.
• September: Presentation by Terry Grant and Gerrie Congdon on setting up and managing websites and blogs.
• October: Presentation on writing Artist Statements by Trisha Hassler.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Several Members Exhibit at Walters Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro, Oregon

Misty Moonlight by Mary Arnold

Several SAQA Oregon members are a part of High Fiber Diet's Elements exhibit, now on display at the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro, Oregon.  The Center is located at 527 East Main Street.  503.615.3485.  The show runs through June 25, 2013.  There will be a First Tuesday reception on June 4, from 6 - 8pm, with refreshments and a house concert by the Intel Singers.  Please stop by!

Prospectus for "Exploring Layers" Is on the Exhibits Page


The prospectus for the SAQA  Oregon regional juried exhibit, EXPLORING LAYERS”, is now available on the Exhibits page of this blog.  Take a look!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Valley-South SAQA Oregon Parlor Group Update


All points south of Portland and west of Central Oregon have coalesced into the Valley-South SAQA Oregon parlor group, and we are growing stronger each month.  If you are a SAQA member who doesn't fall into the Portland or Central Oregon group, come join us!  We meet the third Friday of each month (mostly), in Eugene.  The April 19th meeting included discussion of our September exhibit:  Passion Forward.  We'll be part of Quilt County.  We also talked about pricing and putting a value on our work, and continued our discussion on ways to hang/display our work. And of course there was show & tell, and the sharing of much combined wisdom & advice --- we're good at that!


We have a Yahoo group for discussion and sharing between meetings.  For more information about the Valley-South group, contact Georgia French:  gfrench@rosenet.net

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Notes from the February Portland Parlor Meeting

Portland SAQA Parlor Meeting
Our February meeting for our Portland SAQA was held at Elizabeth Bamberger’s home. Twenty members attended the meeting. Our topic for the meeting was “Sewing machines, Needles and Threads.” Elizabeth had questions she had received from members, giving us a place to begin our discussion. Before the questions were presented, Jan Duke shared history about the sewing machine’s simple beginning to our present-day modern digital machines. Jan Story’s handout with illustrations and information about needles gave us valuable information on needle selection. Because of the broadness of our topic, we have decided to continue to explore it further in our March meeting. Jan Story has volunteered to share with the group more information on the different types of thread, needles and stabilizers. Jan teaches beginning free-motion classes and will share more information on free-motion and machines, if time permits. If you have any specific questions that you would like answered in our next meeting on the topic, please email Jan (jansews327@q.com).
Our next meeting will be at Gerrie Congdon’s on March 20th, 10-12 am. If anyone wants to contribute a snack for the meeting, please let Gerrie know. There will no longer be meetings after the Columbia FiberArts Guild meetings. We will continue to have Portland Parlor monthly meetings on the third Wednesday of each month.
As we approach our next meeting, please keep thinking about topics you would like to explore at our monthly meetings. Critique and sharing of our individual work is always encouraged. If you want to have a critique, let Gerrie (gericon@comcast.net) know as we limit how many critiques we can do at each meeting. Sharing projects is not limited.
Many thanks to all who attended our last meeting and all the information shared. Let’s continue to share websites you find enjoyable and informational. Thank you Elizabeth for hosting our last meeting.
Betty Daggett

Karen Miller Exhibits in Roseburg, Oregon

For those of you who may be in Roseburg or travelling through on the way to Medford, Karen Miller has a katazome piece, 3-D layered organza with jellyfish, in a invitational exhibit, Animal Attraction, at the Umpqua Valley Arts Association. The show runs March 8 to May 3, 2013, at 1624 West Harvard Avenue in Roseburg, Oregon.  Hours are Tuesday through Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Five SAQA Artists Open at Architectural Center



A year of planning and studio work culminated on February 1st in the opening of "What Comes Next? -- Fiber Artists Working in Series" at the Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand, Portland.  Five Oregon SAQA members created five new works each for the exhibit, which will run through February 26th.  They are Diane Born, Quinn Zander Corum, Georgia French, Elaine Millar and Hilde Morin.  On March 1st, a new exhibit will debut:  "What Comes Next?  A Different Look," and it will run through March 31st.  The five SAQA members conceived of the exhibit and took their proposal to the AHC, which accepted it as their first fiber exhibit.  The center has been having monthly art exhibits for four years.  Hours are 10-4:30, Wednesday - Saturday; admission $3.

Updates from Central Oregon SAQA Parlor Group


The Central Oregon Parlor Group met on Feb. 1 at Atelier 6000 in Bend which is a printing studio/gallery/workshop. Judy Hoiness, artist/educator talked with us about composition focusing on balance.....balance of line, shape, value, color, texture, direction....it was a wonderful meeting and her experience as an educator at Central Oregon Community College really came through. She then critiqued several of our pieces and we learned about new ways to look at our work.

Then two of our members Donna Rice and Barbara Bogges shared the calligraphy printing technique and talked about coming to A6000 in groups to print. There was a lot of interest in pursuing this. On March 15 we will have a work day at the Stitchin’ Post in Sisters and bring a potluck dish. We would like to have pieces mocked up and work on critiquing practicing what Judy laid out for us.

We are in the process of gathering up quilts to be shown at Expo this fall “A Central Oregon showing of SAQA quilt member quilts”.
--
www.stitchinpost.com
Jean Wells
The Stitchin' Post
311 W. Cascade/PO Box 280
Sisters, OR 97759
541-549-6061

Saturday, February 2, 2013

State of Diversity II opens at Grapevine Gallery, Oregon City


 A small but appreciative crowd joined SAQA members for the opening of State of Diversity II at the Grapevine Gallery in Singer Hill Cafe, Oregon City.  The show runs through February 27, 2013.  Stop by!


Friday, February 1, 2013

Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer Reports Local Corporate Commission and Upcoming Exhibit


Boones Landing Dental Center purchased four quilts for its new office in Wilsonville from Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer. They are on view throughout the suite, from the reception area to the dental bays.

Essential Maps 6
Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer
Photo by Bill Bachhuber


More of her work will be on view at the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center from March 5 to May 4. The opening reception for Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer's exhibit, If This, Then That,  is scheduled for March 10, 2013. Meyer's career has been fed by two creative streams: her studio work and her teaching, and this retrospective exhibit explores the If This, Then That decision-making process that structures her studio and classroom lives. Concept to image, image to design decisions, design decisions to choices of materials and material choices to construction decisions, each IF leads eventually to a THAT. This seemingly linear process branches into webs of possibilities as each If yields multiple choices of That; each That births a number of brand new Ifs. By inviting the viewer to share her design process --with sketches of works in progress, the dyed fabric essential to the work she makes, and finally, finished quilts from a number of her ongoing series—this exhibit aims to create both a classroom and an art gallery.

Essential Maps 6, detail
Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer
Photo by Bill Bachhuber


Thursday, January 31, 2013

Portland Parlor Meeting Notes


SAQA, Portland Parlor Meeting, Jan. 16, 2013

Our meeting began with meeting SAQA members new to our group, Marion Shimoda, Sherri Culver, Para Winingham, and Bonnie Bucknam's friend, Pat Sims from Alaska. Welcome to Sherrie, Para and Marion and we hope you will join us for future meetings. Twenty-three members attended the meeting.

Our focus for the meeting, using Alyson Stanfield's "Year-End Review" as our guide, each person spoke their accomplishments of 2012 and their goals and focus for 2013. It was wonderful to hear about the accomplishments and passions of each person. Members were juried into more shows, new techniques and media were explored, articles written for quilt journals and several members were feeling a stronger voice in their fiber art. Moving forward, members were going to take more classes, some less, and several wanted to continue their charity efforts, in Guatemala, Coffee Creek and Women for Veterans. In general, focus and moving forward were clear choices for the 2013.

From our discussion we aimed to move forward with the agenda for our future meetings. The group wants to continue critiques at the  monthly meetings. We will plan our meetings with the first hour for special topics and the second hour for critiquing, limiting it to five critiques per meeting. We would continue to sign up for critiquing. Our February 20th meeting at Elizabeth Bamberger's home, we will begin covering selected topics for each meeting, with a member facilitating the discussion. Elizabeth volunteered for the first discussion; sewing machines, threads and needles. She will be our point person for the meeting.  Please send questions on this topic to Elizabeth so she can organize the discussion. Future meetings will continue in this format with topics to be decided each month for the next meeting.

Bonnie reminded the group that Oregon SAQA activities can be found on the blog that she has organized for us on www.saqaoregon.blogspot.com. Gerrie Congdon reminded us as well, the group has a yahoo site, which is another way for the members to communicate. If you are not signed up for the yahoo group, contact Gerrie for an invitation.

Several announcements were made at the meeting.They are as follows.

The Oregon Region has been accepted for an exhibit and conference at the Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg in 2014. The exhibit will be on display from mid-February-March 31. The one day conference will be  held the second week of March. The theme of the show will be "Exploring Layers." A prospectus will be out in a few weeks for the parameters of entering the juried show.

Diane Born announced a show of five SAQA artists, titled "What Comes Next" that will be on display at the Portland Heritage Center (SE Grand & Alder) from February 1-28. A second Show will follow, March 1-31, called "A Different Look." Anyone interested in doing a future show at the Portland Heritage Center should contact Barbara Pierce.

Jean and my terms as co-representatives for the Oregon Region will be finished this fall. We are looking for replacements. We have agreed to stay through the organization of the conference and will help the new Oregon co-reps transition through the conference in March. Contact either of us if you are interested.

Pardon the length of the notes from the January meeting. Again there was great enthusiasm in the meeting and for our future meetings. We will continue to have our Portland meetings on the third Wednesday of each month, 10am-12noon, rotating between Gerrie's and Elizabeth's homes. A meeting “expense kitty" was started this month. Thanks to those who contributed and it will be continued.

Betty Daggett
Oregon Region Co-representative
Bdavisdaggett@gmail.com

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Two Educational Nights at the Architectural Heritage Center, Portland

The two shows at the Architectural Heritage Center will be opening soon. 
Work by Diane Born, Quinn Zander Corum, Georgia French, Elaine Millar, and Hilde Morin will be shown throughout February and March.

Fiber Artists Working in a Series
February 1 - 28, 2013
Opening Reception February 1, 6-8pm

A Different Look
March 1 - 31, 2013
Opening Reception March 1, 6-8pm

In addition, you are welcome to attend two artists' educational evening sessions:

February12, 2013, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, there will be a SAQA trunk show not previously seen in Oregon, along with artist demonstrations.
March 21, 2013 during the same evening hours, the film "Stitched" will be shown, followed by artist demonstrations.

Mark your calendars!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Oregon: State of Diversity II at Grapevine Gallery, Oregon City

Sticks and Stones by Quinn Zander Corum 

Oregon: Sate of Diversity II will be showing at the Grapevine Gallery, inside Singer Hill Cafe, from January 10 through February 27.  The artist's opening reception will be on Saturday, January 26, from 2 to 5:30 PM.  The gallery is located at 623 7th Street, Oregon City, OR.  Gallery hours are Tues - Sat, 9 AM to 3PM.  Note, that not all pieces will be used in this venue at the discretion of the gallery owner.

Flotsam by Nancy Kibbey

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

January 16th, SAQA , Portland Parlor Meeting

Happy New Year! It is nice that the holidays are at an end and we can begin to move forward. Many thanks for Elizabeth’s hospitality at our Holiday gathering at her home in December. We spent time talking informally and also held an informal meeting, sharing more about ourselves, our work and what we want to plan for our 2013 meetings. We fell short on the future agenda for our meetings. We did feel that the January meeting would be a great time for us to share our personal goals for 2013. Knowing one another’s goals can help us plan an agenda that will be supportive to the members in accomplishing their goals. Jill Hoddick forwarded Alyson Stanfield’s website http://www.artbizcoach.com/VIPs/year-in-review.pdf, for us to read, as it is a very helpful guide to examining ourselves and our journey as artists.

Our next meeting will put us back on the schedule of meeting every third Wednesday of the month. Our Meeting will be on January 16, 10am-12, noon,at Gerrie Congdon’s home. Please email Gerrie, gericon@comcast.net, if you are coming so she knows how many people to expect. Also email Gerrie for directions.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the meeting and be sure to come with a brief statement of your 2013 goals and ideas for future Portland Parlor meetings.

Betty Daggett
bdavisdaggett@gmail.com