Textile Meditations: "Mary & Friends" at the Armory Art Center
- WEST PALM BEACH, Florida
- /
- November 20, 2017
(WEST PALM BEACH, FL--) Textile Meditations: Mary & Friends, an exhibition spearheaded by renowned artist/activist Mary Fisher will be the Armory’s first international textile arts show, opening on January 19, 2018 and running through February 10, 2018. Artist talks, a keynote speech, and two workshops are scheduled in conjunction with the exhibition.
“Mary Fisher is a fascinating and commercially successful artist with great passion, drive, and sensitivity," said Liza Niles, Chief of Exhibitions and Education at the Armory. Like Mary, her friends and fellow artists are also accomplished experts, authors, and instructors in their fields. It’s exciting to be able to feature a show like this with such a particular diversity of work in textiles.”
From childhood to her current rank as an elder, Fisher has worked in media as diverse as photography, pencil, handmade papers, sculpture, constructed fabrics, and innovative stitching. Through the years her art has revealed a soul that greets real-life agony with quiet grace while it has earned the respect of global textile design leaders, including four of Fisher’s friends whose work will be exhibited with hers in this one-of-a-kind show. Fisher will exhibit a body of work entitled “Words to Silence” in this exhibition.
Exhibiting artists include Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn from London, and American artists Jane Dunnewold and Marsha Christo.
The exhibition kicks off with an opening reception on Friday, January 19th from 6:00 – 9:00 PM with Artist Talks from 7:00 – 7:45 pm. On Saturday, January 20th at 5:00 PM, Fisher will give a keynote speech entitled “Collaborative Creativity.” Two dynamic workshops are offered by the Armory Art Center and taught by Jane Dunnewold, Jan Beaney, and Jean Littlejohn on January 19-21, 2018.
“The timing of this show, in which the artists explore textile construction from five perspectives, perfectly complements the recent expansion of our fiber department,” Niles said.
PARTICIPANTS:
Mary Fisher
(exhibitor and keynote speaker)
As one of America’s premier AIDS activists, Mary Fisher gave courageous speeches and wrote books which furthered public recognition of the crisis. Tacitly Fisher has worked to establish her place as a distinguished artist that works in diverse media including photography, sculpture, prints, beading, and fiber art. She is known for combining and juxtaposing materials in groundbreaking mixed-media works that have earned critical acclaim.
Drawing inspiration from her activism, Fisher’s art is infused with texture and layers that evoke the beauty of life, visually and spiritually. In 2015 the release of her fabric collection by Kravet/Lee Jofa Groundworks created a buzz in the market. Her designs, which feature super-imposed organic motifs and intricate artisanal techniques, reflect her mixed-media approach. The collection is available exclusively in Lee Jofa showrooms around the world.
Fisher’s work, which has been featured in solo and group shows in major galleries around the world, is found in distinguished private and public collections in the United States and Europe and garners frequent mentions in art and mainstream media including The New York Times, Architectural Digest, The TODAY Show, People Magazine, Elle, Hand/Eye, Uppercase, More, Quilting Arts, The Quilt Life, art&culture, Adornment, Town & Country, and Textile.org.
Jane Dunnewold
(exhibitor, workshop instructor)
Jane Dunnewold teaches and lectures internationally and has mounted numerous one-person exhibitions, most recently at the Hardesty Art Center in Tulsa, OK. Her work won Best of Show in the exhibition Timeless Meditations at Tubac Art Center, 2013. She is a recipient of the Quilt Japan Prize, and Gold Prize at the International Textile Exhibition in Taegue, Korea.
Dunnewold is the author of numerous books including the classic Complex Cloth, 1996. Interweave Press published Art Cloth: A Guide to Surface Design on Fabric in 2010. In 2016 North Light Books published Creative Strength Training: Prompts, Exercises and Stories to inspire Artistic Genius. She is a former President of the Surface Design Association.
Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn
(exhibitors, workshop instructors)
Based in England and known as ‘Double Trouble,’ Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn are internationally renowned textile artists, authors, and instructors. Beaney was trained as a painter and lithographer before falling in love with textile art. She has been called one of Britain’s most influential figures in the world of embroidery.
Littlejohn’s work involves combining and integrating surfaces using hand and machine stitching. She is one of the foremost users of the needle punch machine in modern textile art. Together Beaney and
LIttlejohn have published 27 books and produced four DVDs about embroidery and allied subjects. They teach workshops all over the world and are also joint Presidents of the Embroiderers’ Guild.
Marsha Christo
(exhibitor)
https://www.facebook.com/AlbanianFlowerStudios/
Painter, printmaker, and textile artist Marsha Christo has lived in South Florida for 27 years and exhibited work since 1995. She taught printmaking, drawing, and design at the A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts and the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, and recently completed a month-long printmaking residency at the Vermont Studio Center.
Textile Meditations: Mary & Friends
January 19 – February 10, 2017
Opening Reception: January 19, 2017, 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Artist Talks: January 19, 2017, 7:00 - 7:45 PM
Exhibition Keynote Speaker: Mary Fisher
Saturday, January, 20, 2017, 5:00 PM
COLLABORATIVE CREATIVITY
East Gallery, Greenfield Gallery, and Montgomery Hall
Armory Art Center
811 Park Place, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 | (561) 832-1776
RELATED WORKSHOPS:
January 19 – 20, 2017 | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Vibrant color: Exploring MX Dye Crayons and Pastes
with Jane Dunnewold
https://public.armoryart.org/public/AdultPreview.faces?wrkid=3010
Celebrating Pattern
with Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn
https://public.armoryart.org/public/AdultPreview.faces?wrkid=3009
Link to high resolution images and captions:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rglg403utgkravo/AABXsoWOY-QzjzjHVibeMF9ia?dl=0
The Armory Art Center’s art school and galleries provide creative opportunities to enhance your life. The Armory has served the community for over 30 years. The mission of the Armory Art Center is to inspire the creation and experience of art and the Armory’s vision is to be the leading community resource for arts education. Serving over 3,000 students annually, the Armory Art Center offers 160 courses per term in six terms throughout the year to students ranging in age from pre-school to retiree. Classes in drawing, painting, photography, jewelry, fiber, ceramics, and sculpture are held in 12 state-of–the-art studios. Twelve exhibitions are hosted annually in three galleries. Exhibitions, lectures, and special events are open to the public. For more information, visit www.armoryart.org or call 561.832.1776.
