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Ahhhh Spring!
Winter in Connecticut was very hard this year. We had an enormous amount of snow, more than I have ever seen, even in my childhood. It felt as if we had to tunnel out of
 the house to shovel snow, just to have even more fall the following day.
It was a time of hibernation and intense work for me as I prepared for spring shows. Gazing out the window at huge icicles I thought I should be documenting the scene by creating grey, white and blue works of art. Instead, my mind created what I needed - hope for an early spring, the bright green of new shoots, and a rebirth of spirit (see Featured Work below).
I have been thinking a great deal about the functionality of a rug and wondering why its shape must be a rectangle, square, circle or oval. Is it just another standardization that makes mass production so much easier? Our lives become so accustomed to such standards that we seldom stop to think about them. Why also must a rug be a solid covering for the floor? I think it's much more fun to find the unexpected and maybe even wiggle your toes in and out of holes!
I welcome you to view my latest work on my website.
Thank you for your continued interest.
Sincerely,
Liz |
| Featured Work | |
My latest creation: "Early Spring: Fiddleheads and Flowers"
44" by 74", Recycled wool and cotton, chenille yarn, on linen.
Hand hooked, (circular shapes) cut and bound.
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| Mobilia Gallery - Cambridge, Massachusetts | |
"Tree Skirt" Gallery Exhibition in June | |
I am very excited to announce my upcoming exhibition at Mo bilia Gallery in Cambridge, Massachusetts taking place during the month of June. The show, called "Tree Skirts," will include a combination of hooked textile art for the wall along with mixed media sculpture. This will be the first time this body of work will be displayed in its entirety and offered for sale.
Established in 1978, Mobilia Gallery features 20th and 21st century decorative arts, sculpture, paintings, and studio jewelry with an emphasis on installation. The gallery provides a schedule of innovative, curated exhibits showcasing American and international artists.
An opening reception will take place on Thursday, June 2 from 6 to 8 pm. I hope you can join me! Mobilia Gallery is located at 358 Huron Ave, a charming street of small shops, restaurants and galleries located within walking distance of Harvard Square and Harvard University. Visit their website for directions. |
| Fiberart International | |
"Food for Thought" Featured in Traveling Show | |
 My piece "Food for Thought," is part of the "Fiberart International 2010" show, which is now traveling to the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York. Dates of show are April 30 - July 3. The gallery (which is really a wonderful museum) is located at 500 University Avenue. More details available on their website.
Fiberart International 2010 is the 20th in a series of triennial juried exhibitions sponsored by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Inc. Chosen by a distinguished panel of artists and curators, the show features works by established and emerging artists. It provides a unique opportunity to see current trends and innovations in this constantly evolving medium.
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| Upcoming Shows - two in Washington D.C. | |
Smithsonian Craft Show 
I am honored to exhibit at the upcoming Smithsonian Craft Show. Widely regarded as the country's most prestigious juried exhibition and sale of fine American craft, the 29th annual show takes place April 14 - 16, 2011 in the historic National Building Museum in Washington, DC.
Exemplifying innovation, creativity and technical merit, the Smithsonian Craft Show features over 100 superb craft artists. The artists are selected by a panel of three jurors, who review over 1,300 applicants.
Green: the Color and the Cause | |
 I am also pleased to have my piece, "Ring of Fire" included in a slide presentation that is part of the upcoming show, "Green: the Color and the Cause," at the Textile Museum in Washington DC. The Show, which runs from April 16 - September 11 examines the evolving symbolism of the color green.
Many cultures traditionally associate the color green with nature and its attributes, including life, fertility and rebirth. In recent years, green has become the symbolic color of environmentalism. This exhibition will celebrate green both as a color and as a cause, exploring the techniques people have devised to create green textiles, the meanings this color has held in cultures across time and place, and the ways that contemporary textile artists and designers are responding to concerns about the environment.
The exhibition will include a selection of work from the Museum's collection along with extraordinary work by contemporary artists and designers from five continents.
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| I'm Glad You Asked! | |
Can you explain your association with the Newtown Hooked Art Shows? | 
In 2001 I was approached by Sherry Paisley who runs the Newtown Meeting House, a beautiful historic building located in the center of our town. She was looking for an idea for a fundraising event, and after some discussion we decided on a hooked rug show.
Sherry and I produced the annual "Newtown Hooked Rug Show" for eight years. As Show Director, Sherry's primary interests were in raising money for the Meeting House, and producing a quality show. As Artistic Director, my concerns were geared towards promoting rug hooking as an art form.
With the down turn in the economy we decided to discontinue the annual event, and began to concentrate our efforts on a juried "hooked art" show, presented on CD. This juried show is now called "Pushing the Limits: New Expressions in Hooked Art" and has become a not for profit endeavor, geared towards the promotion of contemporary hooking artists and their work.
"Pushing the Limits" is a place to show innovative textile work. Entries must include some hooking, demonstrate originality, and push the boundaries of what has previously been thought of as rug hooking. The accepted entries are presented on CD along with information about the artists and their work. The CDs are then sent to prospective venues in search of gallery shows. Our goal is to provide exhibition opportunities for creative artists and to educate and expose the public to the exciting work being done in the medium today.
Each August the show is juried by two new jurors. This year's jurors are Susan Gomersall and Azy Schecter of Kea Carpets and Kilims in Brooklyn NY.
We welcome new artists! If you or someone you know might be interested in applying, or if you know of a venue that might be interested in showing this work, please take a look at our web site. www.NewtownHookedArtShows.com.
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