American Tapestry Biennial 10, San Diego

I spent the weekend in San Diego attending the first opening of the American Tapestry Alliance's premier tapestry show, American Tapestry Biennial 10. I was one of the co-chairs for this show so it was quite gratifying to see it hanging after all the hard work to get it there.

The reception was a great deal of fun. There were three New Mexico artists who were accepted to the show this year and all three were at the opening. Way to show up New Mexico! (myself, Cornelia Theimer Gardella, and Linda Giesen) Also, Canada made a good showing with both represented artists coming to the opening. Thanks to Christine Rivers and Suzanne Paquette for making the long trip south. Michael Rohde of California was able to represent California and a few other artists had visited the show the weekend before.

Note: These are snapshots I took at the opening. The lighting was low and I was not always able to get a square shot. Please purchase a catalog of the show to see the artist-approved images of their work. You can do so from the American Tapestry Alliance HERE.

Below is a video walk-through of the show. There is a long section of stills near the end of the video that give you some shots of the gallery and opening reception.

I was able to take some photographs when the gallery opened and enjoyed hearing visitor's reactions to various pieces. One of the greatest a-ha moments I overheard was about Michael Rohde's piece, Contemplation. I heard a group of fiber enthusiasts talking about the beautiful naturally dyed colors and the interesting way the squares were put together.

Then perhaps a half an hour later as the group was leaving the gallery, a few of them turned around and saw Contemplation from 20 feet away and there were large exclamations about the image in the piece. The thrill of discovery.

Cecilia Blomberg, Birch Rolls, detail

Joanne Sanburg, Home Sweet Home, detail

One of my favorite pieces in the show (though there are many many favorites) is Anna Kocherovsky's Wishing Well.

Anna Kocherovsky, Wishing Well, 24 x 47 inches, wool, metallic, cotton

Wishing Well, detail

Elke Otte Hulse's Tempos Heterogeneos 2 was such a fascinating piece in person. Of course I had seen the images of the piece often because this piece won the Second Place Teitelbaum award, but I didn't understand the weave structure until I saw it in person. She used a doubled warp and the faces are much more detailed than the rest of the piece. She also makes interesting use of fuzzier textures with what must be the fabric strips she lists in the materials.

Elke Otte Hulse, Tempos Heterogeneos 2, 26 x 31 inches, cotton, fabric strips, linen

Tempos Hetergeneos 2, detail

Another piece with some wonderful texture and structure changes was Jennifer Sargent's Shadow Warrior. I was fascinated by the double warp sett and the sections of plain weave. The textile was airy and completely gorgeous.

Jennifer Sargent, Shadow Warrior, 36 x 32 inches, linen, cotton, silk

Shadow Warrior, detail

Another favorite work in the show which I did not manage to get a good full shot of is Cornelia Theimer Gardella's Untitled #2 (Red, Blue). I really love her amazing use of color and you have to see this piece in person to completely appreciate its simple beauty.

Cornelia Theimer Gardella, Untitled #2 (Red, Blue), 26.5 x 40 inches, on left. (Other tapestries are by Elke Otte Hulse, Mary Lane, and Dorthe Herup)

Suzanne Paquette had come down from Quebec for the opening and it was wonderful to be able to to talk to her about her piece, Maisons. The color blending in this piece was lovely and the sett was large to accommodate many colors in the weft bundle. She talked about this piece being about her "second home" in Morocco and her home in Quebec.

Suzanne Paquette, Maisons, 54 x 20 inches, wool and synthetic fibers on cotton warp

Maisons, detail

Clare Coyle and Tommye Scanlin both had fascinating pieces and these photos don't do them justice at all.

Top: Clare Coyle, The Land Gives Us..., 4.25 x 22.25 inches, cotton, silk, linen, wool; Bottom: Tommye Scanlin, In Spirit, 26 x 23 inches, wool, linen

The Land Gives Us..., detail

In Spirit, detail

Here are some more works from the show. I would love to show you all of them as they are all marvelous in different ways. Go see the show or buy a catalog!

Connie Lippert, Wakulla (red line series), 32 x 24 inches, linen, wool, natural dyes

Lialia Kuchma, BluRose, 64 x 71 inches, wool weft, cotton warp

BluRose, detail

Joan Griffin, Forest Edge, 24 x 48 inches, wool, cotton

Christine Rivers, North Coast Reflections, 14 3/8 x 46 inches, wool and rayon weft, cotton warp

Margo Macdonald, Little Deschutes, 38 x 35 inches, wool over cotton

Kathy Spoering, October, 18 x 18 inches, wool weft, cotton warp

Annelise Kofoed-Hansen,  The Flying Umiaq 2, 39.4 x 45.3 inches, wool and flax

Inge Norgaard, Net Triptych, 10 x 49 inches, wool on cotton

This piece by Anna Olsson won the First Place Teitelbaum award. I love the simplicity of this piece and the social questions it asks.

Anna Olsson, Where have you been living since we last met? --Here and there, 31.5 x 39.4 inches, linen

Mary Lane, Untitled #140, 15 x 18 inches, wool, cotton, linen

The entrance piece for this show was Ulrikka Mokdad's Floating in Blissful Ignorance.

Ulrikka Mokdad, Floating in Blissful Ignorance, 50 x 33 inches, wool weft, linen warp

Floating in Blissful Ignorance, detail

And I felt very fortunate that my own piece was accepted to the show.

Rebecca Mezoff, Emergence VII, 44 x 44 inches, hand-dyed wool weft, cotton warp

And then I went and walked on the beach.

Christine Rivers, North Coast Reflections, detail

ATB10 will be traveling for the next year. If you can't make it to San Diego before the show ends July 20, it will be at Kent State University Museum in Kent, Ohio September 25, 2014 to January 4, 2015 and at Kaneko in Omaha, Nebraska February 6 to April 24, 2015. There is more information on the American Tapestry Alliance's website: http://americantapestryalliance.org/exhibitions/atbiennials/american-tapestry-biennial-10-2/