Tag Archives | Exhibits

Chihuly in St. Pete

I imagine you’re already familiar with the work of glass sculptor, Dale Chihuly. He makes extraordinary sheer pieces that seem lighter than air. Many times, he creates elaborate installations in public gardens.

I got to see some of his work in St. Petersburg, FL at Chihuly Collection. Here are a few of the pieces we saw.

Chihuly in St. Pete. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

A typical “chandelier.” Many are about 10 times this big.

 

Chihuly in St. Pete. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

An installation of “platters.” Notice the shadows, too.

 

Chihuly in St. Pete. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

“Platter” detail.

 

Chihuly in St. Pete. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

As you can see, the lighting is an important part of any Chihuly exhibit. Don’t you love it?

 

Chihuly in St. Pete. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

A typical Chihuly ceiling: MANY “platters” face down on a plate glass support. This was shot looking straight up.

Aren’t they amazing? If you ever get the chance to see his work  you’ll definitely want to. Especially if it’s an outdoor installation. In the meantime, enjoy perusing his website.

I hope you get to see some awesome art soon!

Ellen Lindner

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Gio Swaby, “Fresh Up”

I was really blown away when I saw the work of Gio Swaby, in her “Fresh Up” solo show at the Museum of Fine Art, in St. Petersburg, FL!

The introductory text for the exhibit says “Swaby’s work functions as love letters to Black women.” I think that’s it, exactly! Just take a look.

Gio Swaby, "Fresh Up." Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Isn’t this woman confident and powerful?

Gio Swaby, "Fresh Up." Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

As you can see, Swaby uses black stitching to draw her subjects on canvas. The pieces are life-sized, which gives them a lot of presence.

Gio Swaby, "Fresh Up." Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Gio Swaby, "Fresh Up." Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Swaby states that the exhibit subtitle, “Fresh Up,” is “a Bahamian way to describe someone who is particularly stylish – also used to give props to the wearer. I love the uplifting nature of this phrase.”

In some cases Swaby has shown the back of the piece, allowing the viewer to see thread lines that have been carried from feature to feature.

Gio Swaby, "Fresh Up." Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Those faces!

Gio Swaby, "Fresh Up." Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Those poses!

Gio Swaby, "Fresh Up." Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I am totally smitten with this work!

Unfortunately, the exhibit has moved on, but you can see more with these resources:
The exhibit book
An ABC news video
A Fox 13 news video

Ellen Lindner

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“Black Pioneers” on Display in St. Petersburg, FL

Cathy Williams wanted to serve in the ranks of the all-black Buffalo soldiers, but was not allowed to do so because of her gender.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

So she disguised herself as a man and joined the army as William Cathay. She served for two years before being found out.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Her story was just many of the ones I saw when I visited the “Black Pioneers” art quilt exhibit in St. Petersburg, FL. It was a very interesting exhibit, curated by noted black historian, Dr. Caryolyn Mazaloomi. As you might expect, I was very unfamiliar with most of the people and events depicted. Thankfully, the artists’ statements filled me in.

Artist Rosy Petri depicted Thomas C. Fleming, America’s longest serving black journalist.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Tierney Davis Hogan depcited another black writer: poet Langston Hughes.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Some quilts had a very folksy quality, like Trail Blazers, by Marion Coleman. Her quilt depicts a time when 25% of all American cowboys were African-American.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Other quilts were very realistic and sophisticated. Carolyn Crump was especially good at this. Here is her piece, Game Changer. It depicts Lt. Charles Young, who served in the Utah frontier.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

I hope you can see that this quilt has several 3D aspects.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

And here’s Stagecoach Mary, made by Dorothy Burge. Mary Fields (her real name) was a Wild West Legend because she was the first black woman to deliver mail by stagecoach. She was known for her speed, her marksmanship, and her hard drinking.

Black Pioneers on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

This was probably my favorite quilt in the exhibit. I love the way Burge has made the quilt in the shape of the person.

Men of Valor – Sergeant Benjamin Brown and Corporal Isaiah Mays was made by Tomasita Louviere-Ligons. It features these two frontiersmen who served “above and beyond” in Arizona Territory, earning each of them a Medal of Honor.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Although most of the quilts depicted people, several focused on events. Carolyn Crump’s The Truth Hurts: Riches, Resentment, Revenge, RIOTS speaks to the anger and resentment of white Tulsa citizens which casued them to massacre a group of prosperous blacks who lived across the railroad tracks.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Again, she has emphasized her message with 3D areas.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Viola Burley Leak’s piece, Watts Riot, depicts not only the chaos of the riot, but also some of the underlying issues that led to it.

"Black Pioneers" on Display in St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

There are about 50 quilts in this exhibit, so my photos have just scratched the surface. “Black Pioneers” will be on display through January 8th, 2023 at the James Museum, in St. Pete. There’s also some other wonderful art in this museum. It’s well worth the visit.

Ellen Lindner

 

 

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“Textile Trends,” in Melbourne, FL: Part One

“Textile Trends,” and exhibit in Melbourne, FL is winding down in the next few days. (The last day is the 27th.) It was the first time Fifth Avenue Art Gallery has had an all-textile call for art, and the resulting show was pretty impressive.

This large weaving was made by Lois Mittleman.

"Textile Trends" in Melbourne, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

She found LOTS of interesting things to include! Measuring tape and bundles of yarn:

"Textile Trends" in Melbourne, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Electronic cables, and an Amazon Prime mailing bag:

"Textile Trends" in Melbourne, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Nearby was this fabulous piece by Gabriele DiTota, called Bothered. 

"Textile Trends" in Melbourne, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

The palm is done with cyanotype. Made during the pandemic, she used a serendipitous dyeing technique for the background fabrics and included words like “Fear” and “worry,” reflecting her mindset at the time.

I also liked Moondance, by Doris  Hulse.

"Textile Trends" in Melbourne, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

And here’s a great mixed-media piece from Jo-Ann Jensen.

Textile Trends in Melbourne, FL. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

More images coming soon.

Ellen Lindner

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Textures and Tales in Ormond Beach

The “Stitched, Stamped, and Sculpted” exhibit, currently on display in the Ormond Memorial Art Museum, has some really fabulous work.

Liz Canali has several felted and highly textured pieces in the show. They are all done in neutral colors of cream and grey. This is her piece The Lore of the Stones – Granite.

Texture and Tales in Ormond Beach. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

And a detail shot.

Texture and Tales in Ormond Beach. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Pretty cool, right?

Normajean Brevik’s embellished piece is also very intriguing. It’s called Seeing Red Again #5.

Texture and Tales in Ormond Beach. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

The most mixed-media and 3D piece in the show is Gertrude, by Sandy Shenker. This piece is about 5′ high, with a gourd as a head, fabric-covered PVC pipes as legs, and many more unusual and ingenious uses of materials.

Texture and Tales in Ormond Beach. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Sandy has also included a photo book showing how it was all put together. It’s very informative and definitely worth perusing.

My art group, Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists, was invited to show our group work, Measure of a Woman. These are self-portraits, each the height of the maker. The museum did a fabulous job hanging them, as you can see. Being the shortest in any group, mine is the red one on the left. (See a better image)

Texture and Tales in Ormond Beach. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

L-R artists: Ellen Lindner, Marilyn Seibring, Ruth Anne Parker, Dij Pacarro, Laura Ruiz, Jill Brown, Sandy Shenker, Gabriele DiTota, Becky Stack, Kathryn Robinson

On opening night the audience was very interested in the art. Here, Regina Dunn is talking with a few admirers about her Transformation pieces.

Texture and Tales in Ormond Beach. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

But, this photo gives you a better idea of the energy and enthusiasm in the room. (This is one of four rooms in the exhibit space.)

Texture and Tales in Ormond Beach. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

The exhibit will be up through August 14th. I hope you get to see it!

Ellen Lindner

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Story Telling Through Textile Art

At the current “Stitched, Stamped, & Sculpted” exhibit, in Ormond Beach, FL, many of the pieces tell stories.

Some of my favorites were made by Teddy Pruett, who works exclusively with vintage clothing and linens. Just look at this piece, called Whatever Happened to Baby?

Each block features vintage baby clothing. Teddy has added a little story telling with text, and each of the panels are held together with diaper pins.

Story Telling Through Textile Art. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Story Telling Through Textile Art. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Here’s another of Teddy’s pieces, featuring a Christening gown. Isn’t that a special thing?

Story Telling Through Textile Art. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

It’s called I Have a Birb on Myself. (Yes, that’s the correct spelling.) The writing is childlike. Can you see the “birb?”

There was so much to see in these detailed pieces! I know I didn’t look long enough.

Other artists also showed off their narrative chops. The museum hung these works together which increased their impact. These were made by Maggie Dillon, who loves to use vintage photos as her reference material.

Story Telling Through Textile Art. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Bobbi Baugh had five powerful pieces hung together.

Story Telling Through Textile Art. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

It was fascinating to see these works up close and to read the artists’ statements. I  hope you’ll visit these artists’ websites and see more of their creations.

Teddy Pruett’s website
Maggie Dillon’s website
Bobbi Baugh’s website

Ellen Lindner

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Opening Night for “Stitched, Stamped, and Sculpted”

I was really impressed with the “Stitched, Stamped, and Sculpted” exhibit opening, which was recently held in Ormond Beach, FL.

The pieces were hung nicely and lit beautifully. And, in most cases, all the work by one artist was shown together. This made for a lovely and interesting display.

Here I am with a couple of my pieces, Bounty Down Under and Croton Trio.

Opening Night of "Stitched, Stamped, & Sculpted" was a Success! Ellen Lindner, AdaventureQuilter.com/blog

Plus Cantilever.

Opening Night of "Stitched, Stamped, & Sculpted" was a Success! Ellen Lindner, AdaventureQuilter.com/blog

This was my view as I posed for the photo above: two more of my pieces in the far corner. And don’t you love the Temperature Quilt by Audrey Butler? What a colorful room!

Opening Night of "Stitched, Stamped, & Sculpted" was a Success! Ellen Lindner, AdaventureQuilter.com/blog

Here I am with my remaining two quilts. This one is called Indian River Fruit.

Opening Night of "Stitched, Stamped, & Sculpted", Ellen Lindner, AdaventureQuilter.com/blog

And A Little Bit Tart.

Opening Night of "Stitched, Stamped, & Sculpted", Ellen Lindner, AdaventureQuilter.com/blog

There were MANY interesting pieces in this exhibit. Stay tuned and I’ll show you more in upcoming posts. (Or go see it in person by August 14th.)

Ellen Lindner

 

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Upcoming Exhibit: Ormond, FL

There’s a textile exhibit coming up in which I’ll have SIX pieces. I’m super excited!

Ellen Lindner exhibits in Ormond, FL. AdventureQuilter.com/blog

The exhibit is called “Stitched, Stamped, & Sculpted,” and it will be at the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, in Ormond, FL, starting this Friday, June 10th. The exhibit will run through August 22nd. And, if you’re in the area, the opening reception will be this coming Friday, June 10th, at 6 PM. This is also the first reception/exhibit to be held in the newly renovated gallery! I think it’s going to be wonderful.

What will I be showing, you ask? Check out these six abstract(ed) pieces.

Croton Trio. 3D art quilt by Ellen Lindner. AdventureQuilter.com

Croton Trio. Although this triptych has three components it’s considered one piece of art.

 

 

 

I’m looking forward to seeing these pieces hanging together!

I’ll also have my piece She Looked for Blessings and Found Them, as part of a group display called “Measure of a Woman.” You can read more about that and see all ten pieces here.

I hope you get to see this exhibit sometime this summer. If you make it to the reception on Friday, please introduce yourself!

Ellen Lindner

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More Work from the Dirty Dozen Exhibit

In order to be in the Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists, you have to make a self-portrait. This has worked really well as a litmus test of how good the fit is between the prospective member and the group. Those who embrace it with minimal trepidation are likely to be a good fit, while those who are scared off are not likely to be.

We often show these self-portraits when we have our exhibits, especially if we have never members and, therefore, new quilts.

Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists: Live and On Stage - Small Self-Portraits, Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Although somewhat out of focus, you can see the diversity, above. These were made by:
Top row, L-R: Sandy Shenker, Andrea Luliak, Ruth Anne Parker, Perlie (Phyllis) Petrillo, Jill Brown
Bottom row, L-R: Joan Engel, Becky Stack, Kathryn Robinson, Marilyn Seibring, Gabriele DiTota, and me.

Continuing onto the next panel are two more. Top: Dij Pacarro, Bottom: Laura Ruiz.

Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists: Live and On Stage - Small Self-Portraits, Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

We also provided “How To” information about cyanotype, ice dyeing, and weaving.

The final two panels of our exhibit featured some of our favorites.
They were made by, Top Row, L-R: Jill Brown, Gabriele DiTota, Kathryn Robinson, Dij Pacarro
Bottom row, L-R: Sandy Shenker, (Gabriele DiTota,) Marilyn Seibring, Joan Engel

Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists: Live and On Stage - Favorites, Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

These were made by, Top Row, L-R: Andrea Luliak, Perlie Petrillo, Becky Stack
Bottom row, L-R: (Andrea Luliak,) Ruth Anne Parker, and me

Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists: Live and On Stage - Favorites, Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

In addition to our quilts, we also had a table of 3D work. I’m sorry I don’t know exactly who made what. However, I think all these pieces were made by Gabriele DiTota, Marilyn Seibring, and Jill Brown.

Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists: Live and On Stage - 3D and mixed media, Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

What a creative group we have! We were very happy with our exhibit which included 47 quilts and about 10 3D items. We greatly appreciate the Seaside Piecemakers for offering us this opportunity.

Ellen Lindner
P.S. We’ll be offering our “Measure of a Woman” and “In the Style of” challenges as traveling exhibits. Need something special for your quilt show?

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The Tentmakers of Cairo, Part Two

More photos from the amazing Tentmakers of Cairo exhibit.

The Tentmakers of Cairo, Part 2. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

If you look closely at this detail shot, I think you can see that the design is appliqued. The stitches are very shallow so they don’t even show on the back of the background fabric, (the white/cream canvas.) There’s no batting or added backing fabric, but still the stitches don’t show through the canvas.

The Tentmakers of Cairo, Part 2.

Many of the designs are inspired by historical motifs. However, more contemporary images are also used.

The Tentmakers of Cairo, Part 2.

Embroidery is sometimes added. This is often done by wives and sisters, at home.

The Tentmakers of Cairo, Part 2.

At one time such wall hangings would have been used to decorate the inside of royal tents and outdoor settings. Today, in Egypt, they’re used mostly for important ceremonial events, such as weddings and funerals. But, they’re also sold in the West as home decor.

If you ever get a chance to see this work in person, I think you’ll enjoy doing so!

Ellen Lindner

 

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