Well, that was fun!!

We did the bazaar.

Pat Spillane, Karen Sturtevant, and Barbara Vanselow spent a fun weekend in Sherborn, MA recently with a bevy of bazaar treasures created by their fellow ARTAA members. Sponsored by the Friends of Sherborn Council on Aging, the traditional gourmet cookie sale in Sherborn was expanded for the first time to include arts and crafts for the holidays. The venue was wonderful, with vendors comfortably displaying their wares in a lovely New England, historical building and an army of kindly volunteers to help us all move in.

The day was bright and sunny, bringing in lots of shoppers and plenty of curious browsers. As a first time adventure for Friends (and ARTAA), it was certainly a successful event for this depressed economy. ARTAA members realized a nice return for their efforts and most of all enjoyed the fruits of working together on a huge, long range, long distance project.

ARTAAfacts: Kris Gregson Moss recently gave a gallery talk for the Fiber Revolution show in Hunter, NY at the Kaaterskill Fine Arts Gallery.

ARTAAfacts: Joanna Monroe and Pat Spillane are participants in the "Fiber Celebration" exhibit at the Chappaqua Library, Chappaqua, NY sponsored by SAQA-NY.

ARTAAfacts: Diane Evans and Pat Spillane will be featured in a two-woman show, "The Threads That Connect Us" at the Social Gallery, Family and Children's Service of the Capital Region, 650 Warren Street, Albany, NY. The exhibit runs January 7 - February 18, 2011.

ARTAAfacts: Donnalynn Milford, Joanna Monroe, Kris Gregson Moss, Karen Sturtevant and Patti Turi of ARTAA were hosts at The Shirt Factory Open House (December 11 and 12) in Glens Falls, NY. Holiday shoppers browsed the many shops and studios for those special, one-of-a-kind, gifts.

It's been a busy few weeks!!!!!

ARTAA Plans for the Holidays

[Lace Pendant and Snowflake: Barbara Vanselow]

* * * * *

ARTAA members are busy these days preparing items for a Holiday Bazaar and Gourmet Cookie Sale sponsored by the Friends of Sherborn Council on the Aging, Sherborn, MA. The event will be held December 4, 2010 between 10 AM and 4 PM at the town's Community Center and feature over 34 fine artisans. ARTAA is pleased to be counted in their midst.

[Embroidered wool pillow: Lucille Makrin]

Whenever ARTAA participates in an activity, one of its members takes a coordinating role in planning and executing the event. This time, three members will head east to Sherborn to greet the public: Pat Spillane, Karen Sturtevant, and Barbara Vanselow.

If you should travel near Sherborn, MA on December 4th - do stop by between 10 AM and 4 PM for some exquisite holiday shopping, a tin of gourmet cookies and look for us in the crowd - wearing our ARTAA aprons.

Awards Addendum

You know the feeling. You no sooner tell a story when you learn more detail that you wish you had included at the onset. So, with that in mind, your humble correspondent would like to share some additional information from my last post:

Nancy DiDonato is shown here at the 24th Annual Northeast Quilts Unlimited Show, standing alongside her Best of Show quilt, "Square Dance in the Log Cabin". The color white you see in this quilt is the wall, for Nancy has created a circle in a square in a square. She is an engineering wizard, and yet, this was a traditional, log-cabin pattern.

Nancy also won a First place ribbon for "The Devil Made Me Do It', her stained glass quilt depicting the Garden of Eden.

Diane Evans won a Second place ribbon for "Pieces of Dreams" at the 24th Northeast Quilts Unlimited show, and it had also taken a 2nd place ribbon, Wall Quilts, Innovative at the 2009 AQS Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. Diane's quilt has also represented AQS on much of this year's 2010 promotional materials, including magazine ads and decks of playing cards available at the AQS shows.

And since our last post, judging at LARAC (Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council) for the Black and White Juried Exhibition is complete with Joanna Monroe receiving an honorable mention for her quilt, "End of the Road". This piece has also been a winner previously.

Stay tuned for more news of ARTAA members and be sure to leave us comments.

It's FALL in the Adirondacks

Dateline: October 9, 2010

Today marks the opening of the 24th annual Northeast Quilts Unlimited show at Old Forge, New York. ARTAA members are proud to be this year's invitational exhibitors and have offered a "Best of ARTAA" display for visitors, with many prior ribbon-winners in the mix. The show runs from October 9, 2010 through November 11, 2010 and would make a wonderful foliage trip.

ARTAA is also proud to celebrate the talents of two of its members: Nancy DiDonato and Diane Evans. Nancy is this year's "Best of Show" winner at Northeast Quilts Unlimited. Nancy's entry, "Square Dance in the Cabin" was created in 2009 for the Polly Briwa Challenge at the Wings Falls Quilt Festival, Glens Falls, NY. It was a winner at that time, as well, and represents a non-traditional approach to a traditional Log Cabin design.

Diane took 2nd place at the show with "Pieces of Dreams", a colorful quilt that has graced many of the AQS promotional materials of 2010 and has been a ribbon winner in other venues throughout the country.

ARTAAfacts Nancy DiDonato, Joanna Monroe, Kris Gregson Moss and Pat Spillane have several pieces currently displayed at the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, NY for the 2nd Annual Great Adirondack Quilt Show. This exhibit is scattered throughout the museum and will be shown through October 17th.

ARTAAfacts Joanna Monroe has been notified that her SAQA Auction Quilt, "Cathedral in the Pines" was sold at the $350 level. A wonderful benefit for the organization and a lucky new art collector. You can see the quilt on Joanna's blog.

ARTAAfacts Joanna Monroe is exhibiting with LARAC Lapham Gallery, Glens Falls, NY at the "Black and White Fine Art Exhibit" now through October 30th.

Plenty of reason to take that FALL FOLIAGE trip to the Adirondacks.

The NEXT OF Several Shows

Members of ARTAA are busy these days planning several upcoming events.

First on their agenda is a day-long display at the Adirondack Fabric & Fiber Arts Festival held annually at the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, NY. This event coincides each year with the fall foliage tourism season and has seen increasing attendance as it's popularity spreads. During the show, ARTAA members demonstrate a variety of techniques and talk with visitors about their wall art and how it is done. This year's ARTAA theme of "flight" will be featured along with a variety of other pieces by the artists.

Here is a sneak peak at what you'll find:

September 25, 2010

Adirondack Fabric & Fiber Arts Festival

Adirondack Museum

Rt. 28N/30

Blue Mountain Lake, NY

10 - 5

(518) 352-7311

FENEEX Art Boutique Opens in Saratoga

One of our ARTAA members, Francelise Dawkins, has announced the opening of her new gallery and art boutique, named "FENEEX", located in the arts district of Saratoga Springs, NY. Filled with lovely pieces from the art community, FENEEX offers the sophisticated and fine arts collector an extraordinary opportunity for leisurely, discriminating shopping.

Francelise is a collage artist. With roots in France, she has taught or exhibited her work in countless venues around the United States (e.g., see below). FENEEX incorporates collages and wall art, clothing, handbags, jewelry and finely crafted cards in a constantly evolving display, much of it created by the artist/owner herself. The shop is intimate and airy with an eye appeal worthy of the most particular art connoisseur. Francelise hopes to develop collage classes and inspire community in her gallery/workplace setting.

Please make a point to visit FENEEX at 30 Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs, NY.

ARTAAfacts notes that ARTAA member Pat Spillane just returned from the AQS Quilt Show, Paducah, KY where she enjoyed personally meeting Ricky Tims, Laura Wasilowski, and saw many noted quilt artists in the crowd. A wonderful display of the works of Hollis Chatelain was on display at the National Quilt Museum, where Francelise Dawkins also has a piece she calls "Discovery" in the permanent collection there.

ARTAAfacts also reports that while at the show, Pat was thrilled to find memorabilia based on quilts by ARTAA member Diane Evans featured on luggage tags and decks of playing cards being sold at all of the AQS booths. There were piles of these 2010 keepsakes based on Diane's beautiful pieces, "Color My World" and "Pieces of Dreams". Pat couldn't help but tell perfect strangers that the artist was her friend!

ARTAAfacts is proud of ARTAA member Donnalynn Milford, also owner of the Northeast's most well known tea shop, "Sensibiliteas", for her part in earning a ribbon at the MQS Show in Providence, R.I. this month. The group quilt made by Donnalynn and several friends was called, "Girlfriends and Sunshine". Congratulations all.

Expressing our successes through ARTAAfacts

ARTAA members meet twice a month to share their latest projects, discuss the next group effort, relate a personal success and to recharge their batteries together. One of the best motivators for any group of artists is the success of one of its own and how expressing that joy is often contagious. Therefore, "ARTAAfacts" will be a frequent feature of our postings, permitting us a bit of group pride in the artistic accomplishments of our members.

Above, as Karen describes her quilt and process for the Road Kill project, others got a laugh at her found objects and title.

ARTAAfacts this month recognizes Nancy DiDonato for her article in the February/March 2010 issue of Quilters Newsletter magazine. "Pin Woven Fabric" was the easy lesson for that issue. Three of Nancy's quilts are shown in the magazine: "Lake View", "Fish in Space", and "Click II".

ARTAAfacts also recognizes Diane Evans for her 2nd place win - Wall Quilts, Innovative category - at the 2009 AQS Des Moines show. Diane's quilt, "Pieces of Dreams" is shown with other winners, including gracing the table of contents page, in the March 2010 issue of AQS American Quilter.

Launching Our Dreams

The Adirondack Regional Textile Artists' Alliance (ARTAA) has decided to join the blogosphere!

With the opening this month of our latest exhibition "Under Cover" at the Spring Street Gallery, Saratoga Springs, New York -- ARTAA members are ready to share their successes.

The group was organized in 2005 by six women who wanted to share their interest and experiences with the art quilt. The membership soon grew to 20 with some changes along the way.



ARTAA has already enjoyed several large displays of our work at venues such as the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, the Widlund Gallery at North Creek, the Wings Falls Quilt Guild bi-annual shows, the Guilderland Library, and the Shirt Factory of Glens Falls. Members sometimes show random, individual efforts (as at Spring Street)..... and at other times, thrive on the interpretation of a theme - such as our 2009 "Road Kill" project (below), a spoof on found objects that were incorporated into the artquilts. The road kill show was inventively displayed and well received!

We hope you will follow what we've been doing and stop by from time to time.