First of all, Stitching California, SAQA( Studio Art Quilt Associates) NorCal/Nevade Regional Show is in Pleasanton,Northern California. Currently at Museum on Main http://www.museumonmain.org/ until August 14, 2021. Likewise,my piece is in the main room. Further,each Saturday of the show, an artist participant will be there to greet you and answer any questions that you may have. However,the city closes down Main St on Saturdays for an incredible open market. Lot of food and fun. But GPS maps are not aware of the street closure.
In short,Stitching California was curated by Holly Brackmann and Jennifer Landau of Studio Art Quilt Associates, a nonprofit organization whose members challenge the boundaries of art and change perceptions about contemporary fiber art. Furthermore,the show started at the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah, CA in 2019.Above all, it will travel through Exhibit Envoy in partnership with Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA)around the state until 2023.
Location and dates for the final year of Stitching California.
Jurors Katie Pasquini Masopust and Karen Holmes talked about the process of selecting the pieces for the show. Moreover,they focussed on a wide variety of art styles and professions that make up the diverse state of California.
In Short, SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
Most importantly,checking out the art work
Then, CALIFORNIA SOJOURN – JERRIE COGDON
SEE MORE ART!
Blue Collider Event Display Ann Baldwin May
Furthermore,Blue Collider Event Display represents the work of scientists at the many major universities all around the state from CalTech,Standford and the UC campuses.
Subsequently,Pink Coneflowers – Jan Soules
Then and Now: Connectong Waterways – Donna Brennan
California Topo – Lin Schiffer
Above all,Oak Leaves and Acorn – Aileyn Renli Ecob, art quilter
California Cuisine – Laura Fogg
For instance, a doublelayered quilt, the diligent workers behind the Farm to Table Movement.
Certainly,Jenn Hammond Landau, curator engages the public.
In addition, conversations ensued.
Then Museum Director David Burton spoke.
Furthermore,Susan Kelly – Second Wind – Fort Point
Furthermore, Fault Line – Pixeladies Deb Cashett and Kris Sazaki.
In short,here is the schedule of the venues that the show will be at through 2023.
Recent Random But Good Acts demonstated how divergent parts of one’s life can come together and make sense.
Recent Random But Good Acts
Shelter in Place
During the recent Shelter in Place, I was horrified,like many Americans, to see the murder of George Floyd. How to process forward from such a horrific event! Not an easy task! How to even begin distilling my views? Yet I felt compelled to create something. A decade had passed since I had created political quilts. It had been so long. I hadn’t even remembered that I had made them.
Finally, I created an art quilt with two black figures, a man and a woman dressed in African fabrics, appliqued on a variety of skin toned fabrics in the background. Red and blue hearts on their chests represented the love the black people have this country in spite of the fact that the love is not always returned.
Let Us Breathe, Ann Baldwin May,2020We are the Story , art quilt show venues.
In the past several years, I had refrained from entering national shows. My focus became local. I choose to show at the juried county Open Studios, local shows and First Friday Art Tour.These events have all been cancelled . When I saw a call for entry, Racism: In the Face of Hate We Resist, I considered entering. Yet, I hestitated. My piece is subtle. Maybe it it time for black artists to shine and take the spotlight. Then I remembered the slogan, White Silence is Violence. I needed to enter the show to show my support to the issue. This slogan rang true to me because that is exactly the way I feel about good men who are not vocal enough about women’s rights. So I entered my piece and was accepted.
Dr. Carolyn Mazlotti, curator
Dr. Carolyn Mazlotti, founder of Women of Color Quilters Network, is the curator. I had heard her speak at a Studio Art Quilt Associates(SAQA) conference several years before. She has done an incredible of curating and promoting the show. There will be seven or more venues. However at the time of my acceptance, many were still being arranged. So I was not made aware of the venues at all. That was not a problem for me as I sent my art quilt off. But it set the stage for the random event.
wild fires
Plans for the show in Minneapolis continued while wild fires raged in California. Many fires started due to a spectacular lightening storm with lightening strikes hitting dry foliage. Unfortunately, one large fire was nearby in my county. The large property adjacent to my house was on mandatory evacuation. Firefighters were in short supply due to the overwhelming number of fires through the state. Another lightening storm was predicted in several days. We moved special items to my studio located in a safe spot, downtown. I self evacuated myself to a friend’s house 12 miles away. Luckily, more firefighters arrived and the forecasted lightening storm was uneventful. In general, the weather cooperated. I returned home after the second storm passed over us. Even though we were all fine, it took a week to readjust and recover from the disorientation.
Random Act #1
It was during that first week back home that the first random event happened. I received an email from an old friend, Heidi. She included a photo of my artwork in a Swedish newsletter. What? How did she get my art? How did my art get into a Swedish Newsletter? Heidi and I went to high school together. We had reconnected at a previous high school reunion. As far as I knew she was not Swedish. She graciously slugmailed me Posten,the newsletter of the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. Then the random pieces fell together.
Announcement in Posten,the newsletter of the American Swedish Institute.
Random Act #2
Heidi had previously worked at the American Swedish Institute so she was on their newsletter mailing list. She informed me that in fact she was half Swedish and half Finnish.The American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis is the site of the first venue of the shows. My art quilt was the photo chosen to advertise the new show.
Random Act #3
The newsletter had chosen my art quilt out of many. That is random.
Random Act #4
Then they printed my name along side of the quilt. This doesn’t often happen. If the name had not been prominently shown, my friend wouldn’t have even suspected that it was my art.
As an aside the Textile Center of Minneapolis is one of the major sponsers of this show. The Textile Center’s gift shop was one of the first places outside of my local area that I had shown my work. Unfortunately, it was during the Great Depression of 2006-08. The Textile Center will be final venue of the show in June,2021.
In conclusion, if my friend had not worked at the Swedish Institute, she would not have received the newsletter. If the Institute had not placed my name center stage and very visible, my friend might not have noticed it. So it was with much relief that I finally undertood how the different parts of my life had come together recently through rather random connections.
Ann Baldwin May Art Quilts proudly announces that the following abstract art quilts are now on display on the website of New York Art; Beach Umbrellas, Sand Between My Toes, and Sunlit Boulders. They will be displayed in the future in the New York Art Gallery, 7 Franklin Place , TriBeCa, New York,10013.
How to make an Abstract Art Quilt with Sunset Through the Forest as as an example.
How to Get Started
choose Your colors
First, I prefer to choose a few contrasting colors. Then I search through my materials for fabrics, decorative yarns and threads in those colors. Sometimes I also choose lighter and darker hues of the same colors.
Make details with decorative threads.
Next, it is fun to make patterns with the decorative threads. For this piece I used the decorative threads to make several parallel lines on the fabric. I cut long strips and sewed the decorative threads in long lines.Then I randomly cut the long strips into 3 or other odd number of pieces. Creating texture- done!
Several different examples of decorative details
On the Design Wall
Next, I display the potential finalist fabrics on my design wall. My favorite choices are fabrics with movement and interest. Then, I also make sure that they are places for eyes to rest by including solid colors.
Trying out green and yellow bits of fabric randomly placed on the design wall
Balancing Colors
Next, balance out the colors and textured pieces so that they are not all on one side of the piece. Don’t be afraid to take a break to come back to view the work with fresh eyes. A fresh look is always helpful in looking for ways to improve a piece. How will one’s eyes move around the art work? Elimination of fabrics can still take place.
Balancing the fabrics and colors
Sewing Smaller Pieces Together
Continue to sew small pieces of fabrics together. Then remember to balance colors and fabrics so that they are equally spaced about the piece. Use this advantage of a design wall to view your whole piece.
Small pieces are sewn together
Sewing More Pieces Together
Continue sewing pieces together and checking for balance.
finished top, Sunset Through the Forest
Finishing
Lastly,I scribble quilt the three layers together to create an added level of movement. Scribble quilting is a technique I named using a flowing quilting line created by moving the quilt side to side while quilting with a walking foot.
Brad Burkhart, clay artist participated in the Collaboration between Art and Physics. He is a lover of Physics as well as clay scultpure.Brad recommended that I read Art and Physics a book by Leonard Shlain. It truly opened my eyes to the science of art.
Brad Burkhart shares his process-clay and physics
Since finishing my sketches for the project, I have been turning them into clay relief form. Due to time issues,not all sketches could become sculptures for the group show on March 1. My goal was to finish 4 of the 6.Notwithstanding this goal was daunting. Each of the clay pieces require over a month of slow drying before firing. By necessity, I sped up the drying process. I used an electric heater in the studio. Moreover, I devised an open lath support under the sculptures to allow them to dry faster. Finally, I found local potters,Steve and Bonny Barisof. They agreed to do this firing for me.
The process-
Below are a few photos of the transformation from sketch to sculpture.
Firing is always an unpredictable process. This one was no exception. The three top pieces came out beautifully. However, apparently I had not dried the bottom one enough. Unfortunately, it fell apart in the kiln.
But the disintegration of piece #4 led to some new insights. My wife and I discussed the broken piece. We decided to mount the main pieces on a board. A quote on Chaos Theory is its show title. After that, we named the other pieces in a similar way. As a result, using physicist quotes or theories added to the exhibit.. I invited Hendrik to participate. In the end we went with my wife’s suggestions for the show. In other words,her suggestions were easier to understand by average viewers. However, I present them both below because they are both insightful. I am still deciding on final names for the pieces. Although I have definitely embraced Hendrik’s name for #3.
Hendrik’s Suggestions:1.) Superconductivity by John Bardeen, Leon Cooper, John Robert Schrieffer2.) What is it? Fermi-Dirac or Bose-Einstein3.) Einstein, Soccer and Gravitation Waves4.) Parity or no Parity, Noether, not Hamlet will answer this question.
Wife Ann’s Suggestions:1) “Things” Can Be Regarded on One Level as Structures and on AnotherLevel as Processes —-T. R. Young
2) By Making Everything as Small as Possible the Waves Become MuchMore Agile and Faster —-H. Ohldag
3) Are You the Observer or the Observed?
4) The Final Outcome…Is Radically Affected by Tiny Changes in theInitial Conditions —-S. Morgan
Complexity theory also denies the concept of the objectivity, or separation of the observer from the observed (Young 11).
4) Steev Morgan: Applying Chaos Theory to Artistic and Cultural Practice
Continuing Work at Hendrik’s New Lab
In addition to preparing sculptures for the show, I have continued to interact with Hendrik at his new lab. I am awaiting his comments about having my piece “What’s Your Sign?” in his new lab at the Berkeley Cyclotron. He is just getting started there.
In the meantime, we discovered that the research conducted at SLAC resulted in a significant breakthrough in understanding the speed of magnetic waves. Previously it had been thought that 1 mile per hour was the limit. But they discovered through the experiment that if materials were made small enough, this speed could increase up to 500 miles per hour. This is particularly significant because computer memories use magnetic storage. With the right design, it now appears possible to significantly increase storage. Moreover,while lowering energy use significantly.
Naming a Piece at the New Lab
I try to name my works through a group consensus process. We have been attempting such a process at Hendrik’s new Berkeley Lab location. We hung an unnamed piece in the researchers’ lounge with a suggestion box nearby. See the piece below with set of suggestions. Feel free to participate in the process by e-mailing Hendrik or myself your suggestions. I envision sorting these out along with names for the show pieces later this spring.
Come and be surprised yourself! Most importantly, a lobby full of abstracts and fabric trees! See lots of new small minimalist assemblage made during the shutdown in addition. A studio full of underwater fantasies and Mexican inspired fiber art. Similarly also available are throw pillows, artful king sized pillow cases, art on mouse pads and mug rugs, Mexican inspired fabric collages or abstract wall art. Certainly,found objects and redirected materials are always a possibility.
Other smaller items available. For example, very large fabric gift bags, $20. or free with purchase over $100.
Open Studios 11-5pm second and third weekends in
Oct.9-10,Oct. 16-17,2021
Santa Cruz Art Center 1001 Center St. Downtown Santa Cruz,CA.95060
greys,pinks and purple fabric in this astractFun with Fiber, Mexican inspired artPaddling Along, 10″ x 3.5″
Open Studios 2021
In short,artists from all over the county open up their studios for three weekends in October. In addition there are so many artists that the county is divided in half. First,one part participates on the first weekend of the month. Next,the second part participates on the second weekend of the month. However,any artists can choose whether to open their studios for the third weekend called the encore weekend. Furthermore,there is a free app to help people navigate all of the artists. You can find the location of other nearby studios. The app tells you how far away another studio is.
In the Beginning
In the beginning,Mexican inspired fabric collages drew me to begin my art career. I use fabric, details and found objects that I identify with the Mexican experience. Moreover,these art pieces are mostly machine pieced together. However,some embellishments require hand sewing. Whimsical, unusual effects are certainly fun to include.
Artist Bryson Bost (left) and UCSC graduate student Johnny Davenport.Courtesy of Stephanie Bailey
Art and Science
Humanities, Arts, Crafts and Design Practices (HACD)
Stephanie Bailey, a Ben Lomond resident, nuclear physicist, and physics lecturer at UCSC, teaches introductory physics for life science majors. As part of her classes, Bailey attempts to bring in humanities, arts, crafts and design practices (HACD). The aim is to incorporate other skills into the classroom to make a well-rounded student.
“It is important our students build bridges between disciplines in order to address real world problems in order to span disciplinary borders,’ Bailey said. “Incorporating HACD into our physics curriculum makes better scientists. Just as it leads to improved educational outcomes for undergraduates, HACD experiences have value for STEM researchers as well.”After introducing these practices into my classroom, I saw it did make for better learners. I thought it does not have to stop here, so I imagined it could help researchers as well.”
Twenty Pairs-UCSC Lecturer Leads Collaboration
As a result, Bailey got the idea to pair 20 physicists with local artists to create a piece or pieces of work. In addition the art would be shown in an art gallery in March.
“I worked to pair each physicist with an artist,” Bailey said. “I wanted each physicist to explain to their artist what work they were doing. Most importantly, it was then up to the pair to express the work visually.”
The Art Community Joins In
Through an open solicitation to the art community, Bailey said she was shocked at how many artists responded interested in the project. One of the artists was a Santa Cruz native, Tauna Coulson. Coulson and first year UCSC graduate student Arturo Quezada worked ogether. Quezada worked previously in the Velasco Lab.
One Pair
“We had this great conversation and then he took me to the lab where he is essentially studying a type of microscope,” Coulson said. She explained the two worked together to explore the artistic beauty of graphene. For instance, graphene was one of the materials Quezada is looking at using the microscope.
Engagement of People with Physics
The objective for the collaboration is to enable access and engage people with physics through art. Similarly, to think about the role physics plays in their lives and in the world at large. The final pieces of art will be displayed at the Blitzer Gallery in Santa Cruz. Bailey is hoping to organize an opening reception with panel discussions with the artist/physicist pairs.
Panel Discussions
“It will be a moderated panel where the artists and physicists can talk about the creative process in addition to what was learned working together,” Bailey said. Bailey said she is still looking for donations to organize and fund the exhibit. Those looking to help fund the project can visit: https://slbailey109.wixsite.com/fusion/donations
In addition to being one of the artists, Coulson is also the curator of the exhibit. According to Coulson,the pairs in addition to the artwork, will write up a short piece explaining the physicist work.
In Conclusion
“Physicists do not normally interact with artists. Those circles rarely cross paths,” Bailey said. “For me this has been a wonderful opportunity to meet other people while at the same time bringing me closer to a whole other community in Santa Cruz.”
Most importantly,the City of Fremont’s Olive Hyde Art Gallery offers a glimpse into the textile world with textile creations.The show is the 50th Annual Textile Exhibition. Furthermore,it runs from August 3 – September 5, 2018. This annual exhibit began in 1968. It started in recognition of the Art Center’s original benefactor and Textile Art enthusiast, Olive Hyde. In its early years it was primarily a quilt show. However,this annual exhibition features works of both traditional and contemporary quilt artists. In short,these artists use textiles and fibers to create unique artworks and designs.
Most Popular Exhibition
Above all, this is one of Olive Hyde Art Gallery’s most popular exhibitions. Therefore, the show includes a diverse group of Northern California’s best and often most recognized textile artists.
Participating artists include: Adriane Dedic, Alice Beasley, Ann Baldwin May, Catherine Kelly, Denise Oyama Miller, Dolores Miller, Drew Matott, Emelie Rogers, Gail Sims, Ginger Summit, Giny Dixon, Ileana Soto, Jennifer Landau, Karen Balos, Kris Sazaki, Lin Schiffner, Linda Waddle, Martha Wolfe, Maureen Langenbach, Melba Vincent, Patricia Porter, P. Kay Hille-Hatten, Rashna Sutaria, Susan Helmer, and Zona Sage.
Local Wonders
Alice Beasley
Sunday On Lake Merritt by Alice Beasley
Above all,Alice Beasley has been making portraits of people and objects since 1988. In short,fabric is her chosen medium of expression. However,she incorporates the same light, shadow and realistic perspective used by artists in other media. Like the classical painter, her art is absorbed by an interest in the human figure and in our objects as they are presented in still life.
Dolores Miller
Facets 2 by Dolores Miller
Above all, Dolores Miller supposes that her love of textiles is in her blood. In short,both of her grandmothers were seamstresses. For example,she threaded needles for her paternal grandmother for her job as a fine hand finisher. Furthermore,as a young adult, she made most of her clothes. Hence,Dolores dabbled in most of the textile arts over the years.
Denise Oyama Miller
Montage 2: Strata by DeniseOyama MIller
Certainly, Denise Oyama Miller is a frequent and respected exhibitor at the Olive Hyde Art Gallery. As a result,she shows her unique, contemporary take on quilt-making using strong forms and contrasting colors. Moreover,Miller works in a variety of styles from representational scenes to intense abstractions.
Karen Balos
Chroma Two by Karen Balos
Karen Balos shows her mastery of creating visual explosions of color, patterns, and movements with textiles.
Ileana Soto
Ileana Soto looks into the history of human culture. She sees herself reflected by the complexities of life with her mixed media creations. She adds alternating layers of dye, paint, and fabrics.
Bark Codex by Ileana Soto
Martha Wolfe
Weekend by Martha Wolfe
Inspired by the natural world, Martha Wolfe gathers photographs. She uses them as a guide to create finely-detailed works. She often recreates the images of everyday life with colorful patterns.
Venture by Zona Sage
Zona Sage
Pushing the boundaries of textile sculptures,Zona Sage
assembles different found items and fabrics.
Kabuki Warrior by Adriane Dedic
Adriane Dedic
Adriane Dedic highlights the art of the figure. Inspirations from both Eastern and Western art have led her to create a wide variety of stylized figures, from traditional Japanese Geishas to figures painted by Klimt.
Opening Reception
Furthermore,the opening reception will be held on Friday, August 3,2018 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Olive Hyde Art Center, 123 Washington Blvd. (at Mission Blvd.) In addition,parking is available at the municipal parking lot ½ block north of the Olive Hyde Art Center on Mission Blvd. The exhibition runs through Saturday, September 5th,2018. Gallery Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 12noon to 5pm.
American art by Black self taught artists from the 20th and 21st centuries is a broader and better form than previously admitted. Currently,museums struggle to become more inclusive. Above all,they give new prominence to neglected works. Moreover, William Arnett and his Souls Grown Deep Foundation helped to shine a light. Their focus is the important achievement of black self-taught artists of the American South. In other words,these artists were born of extreme deprivation and social cruelty.
About the Photograph
Thornton Dial’s two-sided relief-painting-assemblage. “History Refused to Die” (2004) gives this Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition its title. His work is in conversation with quilts. From the left, Lola Pettway (“Housetop,” circa 1975); Lucy T. Pettway (“Housetop” and “Bricklayer” blocks with bars, circa 1955); and Annie Mae Young (“Work-clothes quilt with center medallion of strips,” from 1976). Credit 2018 Estate of Thornton Dial/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Agaton Strom for The New York Times
Souls Grown Deep Foundation
The Souls Grown Deep Foundation is in the process of sharing the entirety of its considerable holdings. Meanwhile,some 1,200 works by more than 160 artists are sent to museums across the country. In short,this will have a substantial impact on black self taught artists.
An Electrifying Sense of Change for Black Self Taught Artists
The Met’s curators took nearly two years and several trips to Atlanta to finalize their selection. Moreover,they chose well. In short,the show seems nearly perfect in art, installation and greatness. Randall R. Griffey and Amelia Peck, curators, organized well.
Lonnie Holley’s 1982 sculpture “Ruling for the Child,” at left, and Thornton Dial’s “The End of November: The Birds That Didn’t Learn How to Fly,”
Majestic Effect
Furthermore,the effect is majestic. In short,the show validates the art’s stature. It transforms the Met’s footprint of African art and American folk art. Nine of Thornton Dial’s fierce, self-aware works are here. Mostly his relief paintings. Three extraordinary drawings commemorate Sept. 11, Florence Griffith Joyner and Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.
Gee’s Bend Quilts
A dozen of the geometric quilts are here. Both muted and boisterous, they challenge the conventional history of abstraction. Furthermore,they reflect the talents of the Gee’s Bend collective, especially those of the Pettway family. Truly, black self taught artists.Nearly everything included is made from scavenged objects and materials, scraps of the shameful history of black labor in the South. One of the most valuable lessons here is the works’ inherent sense of defiance. In short,their beauty in itself as an act of resistance.
Gee’s Bend, Abstract art, black and white , violet and orange
Two very Different Galleries
The show’s two galleries have very different emotional and visual tones. After beckoning you from down the corridor with the bright colors and joyful asymmetry of Loretta Pettway’s “Medallion” quilt (circa 1960), the exhibition starts with a room of works nearly devoid of color.
“Shadows of the Field”
Dial’s “Shadows of the Field” (2008) evokes haunted expanses of cotton plants with the help of strips of synthetic cotton batting. Along one wall, the “work-clothes” quilts of Lucy Mingo and four other Gee’s Benders reflect lives of hard labor and scrimping. Their fabrics are almost exclusively blues and gray denim whose worn textures and faded colors are masterfully played off one another.Emma Lee Pettway Campbell’s Blocks are strips work-clothes quilt from around 1950.All things considered they are accomplished black self taught artists.
Thornton Dial’s “Shadows of the Field” (2008)
Joe Minter’s 1995 symmetrical arrangement of rusted shovels, rakes, hoes and chains, seems to bless the whole room. Regal and severe, it suggests both a group of figures and an altar. Moreover,its title pulls no punches: “Four Hundred Years of Free Labor.”
Joe Minter’s “Four Hundred Years of Free Labor”
Second Gallery of Black Self Taught Artists
The second gallery erupts in color brilliant in palette as in use of materials. Gee’s Bend quilts deliver. Lucy T. Pettway’s traditional housetop and bricklayer patterns are in a quilt from around 1955. Annie Mae Young’s 1976 work brings together the quilt tradition of a medallion of burning stripes of contrasting corduroy with a broad denim work-clothes border.
A dozen of the 18 geometric quilts included in the Souls Grown Deep Foundation gift are here, including Lucy T. Pettway’s “Housetop” and “Bricklayer” blocks with bars, left, and Mary Elizabeth Kennedy’s “Housetop-nine-block ‘Log Cabin’ variation.”Credit2018 Lucy T. Pettway/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Agaton Strom for the New York Times
Jaw-dropping Dial
Blessing the artworks here is a jaw-dropping Dial: a two-sided relief-painting-assemblage. It is the source of the exhibition’s title, “History Refused to Die.” One side shows a couple chained to, yet sheltered, to a white metal structure. Surrounded by a wild expanse,pieces of fabric knotted seem to billow and blow like a stormy sea or clouds.
The Other Side
The other side is a rough weaving of the straight stalks of the okra plant. Okra came to the United States from Africa during the slave trade. Its scattered colors are primarily the red, black, green and yellow. The same colors as the 13-striped Afro-American flag. At the upper right, the simple silhouette of a white dove of peace or freedom. At the top, a row of short steel angle beams are spray-painted with horizontal dashes of browns and black.
Similarly Simply Masterpieces
Several other works here are similarly simply masterpieces. In “Locked Up Their Minds,” Purvis Young offers his own version of James Ensor’s “Christ’s Entry Into Brussels in 1889.” Young’s large painting on wood shows a group of black figures. Some of the figures have halos. Others are holding up padlocks signifying their freed minds to flocks of angels. Two immense white horses add to the drama. The show’s final piece is Dial’s ironically titled “Victory in Iraq,” a painting from 2004. It hangs just outside the second gallery. Its barbed wire and twisted mesh against a field of fabric defines and holds the space.
Currently,(2018)a World of Fiber Art at the Santa Cruz County Building is on view at the Santa Cruz County Building on Ocean St. Above all, fifteen art quilts by Santa Cruz artist, Ann Baldwin May are currently on exhibit at the Santa Cruz County Building. In addition,the exhibit is at the 701 Ocean St. facility in Santa Cruz. Furthermore, the show runs through July 27, 2018.
A World of Fiber Art at the Santa Cruz County Building
Under the Savannah Shade using African fabrics
From Bed quilts to Art Quilts
Vacant Lot
Fabmo Materials
Firstly, May gets her material from the non profit group known as FabMo.http://fabmo.org It is an all volunteer run organization. Moreover,the group provides high-end materials to artists, teachers and others for creative reuse. A statement of the website, FabMo.org, reads: “These exquisite textiles, wallpapers, and tiles are from the design world.They are usually only available to you through a designer. FabMo makes them available on a donation basis. Our work keeps about 70 tons a year of them from the landfill.” PreCOVID FabMo also typically came Harvey West Clubhouse about four or five times a year. In addition, special selection dates occur in Sunnyvale, California.
Award Winning Artist
In 2019,She entered her first art piece in Pajaro Valley Arts exhibit titled “Los Pájaros.” Her work was titled, “Great Blue Heron at Dusk.”
The following year it won a merit award at the Olive Hyde Gallery in Fremont,California. https://olivehydeartguild.org/
As a result, Ms. May was encouraged to continue her art quilt adventure.
Great Blue Heron at Dusk
Color! Texture! Movement!
Overall,May has completed about 350 art quilts and counting.. Furthermore, her work has also been shown at the R. Blitzer Gallery in Santa Cruz, in Chicago, San Francisco, and at New York Arts.
“Above all,I’m all color, texture and movement; that’s what I have to do,” Baldwin May said. “Furthermore,it takes me to another place. In other words, it feels very comfortable to build on skills that I already know, that I am confident in doing.”
Once more, May will take part in the annual Open Studio Art Tour in October,2018. Meanwhile, she does most of her work at her studio in the Santa Cruz Art Center. In other words,for Open Studios her art fills the lobby at the Santa Cruz Art Center at 1001 Center St. She also participates in First Friday Art Walk.Similarly,this is an informal, monthly art tour where artists and galleries open their doors to the public.
Ann Baldwin May was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. Moreover,she began sewing in junior high. Later,she received her education from University of California, Irvine (History, BA Elementary Teaching Credential, Masters in Teaching Spanish) Meanwhile, her first quilting class was in 1975. After that,she basically never stopped making quilts.After she retired in 2012 After working 36 years as a bilingual teacher and Bilingual Resource Teacher, she retired. As a result, in 2012,she turned her attention to making art fulltime.
Purchased art
Over the years,Kaiser Permanente bought five art quilts.for their facilities in Scotts Valley and Watsonville, California. Again she participates in the juried Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour. Furthermore,her work is currently being shown at New York Arts in TRIBECA, New York City. https://newyorkart.com/
Contact info
Ann Baldwin May Santa Cruz Art Center, 1001 Center St.#4 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 baldwinmay49@yahoo.com 831.345.1466 annbaldwinmayartquilts.com Facebook- AnnBaldwinMayArtQuilts@annbaldwinmay Instagram-annbaldwinmay
Finally,Some of Ann Baldwin May’s favorite artists.
Sea Dragons in the Golden KelpUnder the Shady Tree 27″ x 38″
Color! Texture! Movement!
Art quilts by Ann Baldwin May are all about color, texture and movement. Her inspiration comes from the natural world as well as from Mexican and Native American Influences. Motivation stems from how the materials play with one another. Her materials of choice are redirected fabrics from the San Francisco Design Center.
The artist’s portfolios includes abstracts, seascapes, landscapes and Mexican inspired fabric collages. Artist created fiber details, tucks or found objects add texture. Flowing quilting lines and curved line piecing creates movement . Techniques include curved line piecing, free motion quilting, and fabric layering.
Bio
Ann Baldwin May was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. She received her education from University of California, Irvine. She has a BA History,anElementary Teaching Credential, and a Masters in Teaching Spanish. Her first quilting class was in 1975. She retired in 2012. She worked 30 years as a bilingual teacher and Bilingual Resource Teacher in Watsonville, California.
Being an Artist
After making over 300 bed quilts, she turned her attention to art quilts. Ann is passionate about using repurposed materials often from the San Francisco Design Center. She has won several awards for her work. Five pieces were recently purchased by Kaiser Permanente for their Santa Cruz County facilities. Her work reflects her inspiration of materials, nature and her love and respect for the Mexican culture. Ann Baldwin May Art Quilts participates in the juried Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour. Visit her studio and gallery in the Santa CruzArt Center, 1001 Center St. #4 Downtown S.C.
Organizations
Pájaro Valley Quilt Association (PVQA),a past president, secretary and parliamentarian. Santa Cruz Art League Pájaro Valley Arts Council Studio Art Quilt Associates(SAQA)-international art quilters organization New Fiber Group of Santa Cruz County
Simply,my art quilts may be abstract, whimsical or impressionistic. Furthermore,inspiration comes from the natural world as well as from Mexican and Native American influences. In addition, materials of choice are redirected fabrics and found objects. They come from the San Francisco Design Center. In addition,art quilts let me to play with color and texture. My technique, Scribble Quilting allows me to create movement on many of my pieces.
A Short Bio
I was born and raised in Palo Alto, California.In high school I studied sewing and clothing construction for two years. Later,I continued to sew much of my wardrobe. As a newlywed, I took my first quilting class at a neighborhood fabric store in Huntington Beach. My husband and I lived and traveled in Europe for a year.Then we moved to Santa Cruz, California in 1980. I continued to sew clothes and make quilts for my family.I stopped counting bed quilts at 300. After teaching 30 years in Watsonville as a bilingual teacher, I retired.
Above all, Art at the Santa Cruz County Building offers incredible art to a place where the public actually goes. Moreover, it brightens the day for people that are paying their taxes or just inquiring about a property. Some pieces just bring a smile to your face. However, sometimes people are truly at the county building for a serious item. They may choose to engage or ignore the art.
Above all,I am pleased to have my art quilts seen by such a random group of the public. All citizens visit the Santa Cruz County Office Building at 701 Ocean St. The display was up in July,2018. There are a variety of media to enjoy. Art at the County Building, First Friday Reception was Friday, July 2, 2018.
Underwater Fantasy by Ann Baldwin May, art quilter
Ann Baldwin May
My art quilts may be abstract, whimsical or impressionistic. Moreover, inspiration comes from the natural world as well as from Mexican influences. Furthermore, my materials of choice are often redirected fabrics from the San Francisco Design Center. Art quilts free me to play with color and texture.
Bio
I was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. Later,I studied sewing for two years in high school. After living and traveling in Europe for a year, my husband and I moved to Santa Cruz, California in 1980. Then,in 1975, I took a quilting class. From then on,I continued to sew clothes and make quilts for my family. Finally, I stopped counting bed quilts at 300. After teaching 30 years in Watsonville as a bilingual teacher, I retired. After that, I began to spend more time on my art quilting career.
Groovin High by Faith RinggoldTar Beach , an art quilt by Faith Ringgold
Faith Ringgold Quilt Artist
Sacramento, Calif –UPDATED December 22, 2017 –
On February 18, 2018, the Crocker Art Museum will bring to Sacramento Faith Ringgold: An American Artist. This exhibition features Ringgold’s famous story quilts. In other words, tankas, inspired by thangkas, Tibetan textile paintings. Also included are Ringold’s oil paintings, prints, drawings, masks, and sculptures. Furthermore, on view are the original illustrations from the artist’s award-winning book Tar Beach.
Harlem-born Artist and Activist
After a trip to Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum in 1972,Harlem-born artist and activist Ringgold began working with textiles. After that,a gallery guard introduced her to Tibetan thangkas. Above, all,thangkas are traditional Buddhist paintings on cloth, surrounded by silk brocades. After returning home, Ringgold enlisted the help of her mother, a professional dressmaker.Importantly, Ms. Ringgold made politically minded thangkas of her own. Certainly,she sewed frames of cloth around depictions of brutal rape and slavery. In 1980, Ringgold crafted her first quilt. Again,with some sewing help from her mother. Ms. Ringgold created Echoes of Harlem (1980).Moreover,she portrayed 30 Harlem residents in a mandala-like composition.
Moreover,these works combined visual and written storytelling to explore topics. In addition, the underrepresentation of African Americans in art history stands out. Moreover, she explored her upbringing in Harlem. After that, the legacy of Aunt Jemima. According to the artist, the textile medium allows her political messages to be more digestible. “When [viewers are] looking at my work, they’re looking at a painting. Certainly,they’re able to accept it better because it is also a quilt,” she says.
OCTOBER 13, 2017 BY MARCIA YOUNG (edited for space)
Georgia O’Keeffe and Textiles
First of all,the Peabody Essex Museum presents one of America’s artists in a new light. Georgia O’Keeffe: Art, Image, Style is the first exhibition to place artwork along side of her wardrobe. For example,these textile pieces have never before been shown. Similarly,there will also be photographs of the artist. This unique show is organized by the Brooklyn Museum and guest curator Wanda M. Corn. She is Professor Emerita in Art History at Stanford University. This exhibition is on view at Peabody Essex Museum from December 16, 2017 through April 1, 2018. Then it continues on its national tour.
For more than 70 years, Georgia O’Keeffe shaped her public persona. Above all, she defied labels and carved out a truly progressive, independent life. This was necessary for her to create her art says Austen Barron Bailly. Bailly is the organizing curator. Above all,O’Keeffe dressed as a way to unite her attire, her art, and her home. Fo example,her aesthetic legacy of organic silhouettes, few decorations and restrained color palettes continues to capture the popular imagination. Above all, it inspires leading designers and tastemakers of today.
Georgia O’Keeffe Style
Above all,Georgia O’Keeffe: Art, Image, Style includes 125 works. Furthermore,it examines how the famous artist carefully formed her public image. For example,O’Keeffe considered her clothed body as another canvas for her work,says Bailly. Similarly,the exhibition of O’Keeffe explores how she expressed her identity and artistic values. That is to say,O’Keeffe’s androgynous persona, feminist outlook, stark fashion sense and skill as a seamstress combine to create a new understanding of her role as an artist and an individual.
A Life Long Style
Throughout her life, O’Keeffe had strong opinions about how she wanted to look. It didn’t matter what the dress codes of the era were. O’Keeffe’s distinct aesthetic sensibility started young rebellion against feminine strict roles. In the 1920s and 1930s in New York, her black and white palette dominated much of her art and dress. Later years in New Mexico, her art and clothing changed in response to the Southwestern landscape. O’Keeffe sewed some of the clothes herself. Some clothes were custom made or bought off the rack. Always she consistently favored the simple lines and abstract forms that followed through her artwork and home design.
Then, CALIFORNIA SOJOURN – JERRIE COGDON
Subsequently,
California Topo – Lin Schiffer 
Above all,Oak Leaves and Acorn – Aileyn Renli Ecob, art quilter 
California Cuisine – Laura Fogg 
California Cuisine – Laura Fogg 
Certainly,Jenn Hammond Landau, curator engages the public. 
Furthermore,Susan Kelly – Second Wind – Fort Point 
