Tying Up the By a Thread Exhibition

On Saturday, October 11, The Art Center bid farewell to By A Thread, our contemporary fiber arts exhibition. It was a unique show, so we had to give it a unique send-off. Thanks to artist Laura Leiden (as well as several other of our exhibiting artists), we had one of our most interactive closing receptions to date.

Laura Leiden Demonstrates

You may recognize Laura Leiden’s work from the postcard image that promoted the show. Her process for creating her painterly quilts is a true nod to the contemporary, utilizing a blend of modern technology and traditional quilting techniques to blend her love of painting with alcohol inks with her passion for the fiber arts.

Laura Leiden explains her process

Laura brought several samples of her work to the closing reception to help illustrate not only her original approach to quilting but also the evolution of that approach. She performed a live demonstration of her alcohol ink painting, explaining to the audience what she sought in a piece that she would eventually get printed onto fabric for her quilts. She followed up her demonstration with an artist talk that took us on a journey through her history as an artist and walked us through her quilt collection. She made a point to share the backs of several of the quilts so that the audience could appreciate the hidden complexities of the stitching, particularly in the quilts that feature subtle figures and faces threaded throughout the design.

The intricate threadwork of Laura Leiden's quilts

Several other artists were present at the closing reception and gave their own impromptu talks. Latifah Shakir explained her own nontraditional approach to quilting, which includes mixed media items and pieces that create a soundscape when the quilt is moved. Sam Moore discussed her mixed media collection of pieces that combined printmaking techniques with mulberry silk embroidery and cotton, all a nod to the history and materials of Georgia. Victoria Seals spoke about the inspiration behind her portrait quilts and the hidden symbolism within them. Sandy Teepen, whose solo quilt exhibition was held concurrently in the Annex gallery, also gave a lovely talk about her own quilting history and the quilt collections she has exhibited around the country.

Victoria Seals shows her quilt depicting herself and her sister. Behind, Sam Moore stands by her Affluence series

As with our other exhibitions, we had a juror visit and award exceptional pieces within the show. Charlie Enscore was our juror for By A Thread.

First Place went to Sam Moore for Affluence IV: Glenn Building. This piece in Moore’s Affluence series features an etching of the historic Glenn Building on Japanese bark paper, incorporated into blueberry-dyed cotton and mulberry silk embroidery. The series explores Moore’s southern lineage, using imagery and materials important to Georgia’s history to confront the hidden labor that went into its cultivation and pay homage to victims of enslavement.

Second Place went to Between the Lines by Catalina Gomez-Beuth. This piece combines Gomez-Beuth’s beautifully crafted ceramic vessels with intricate fiber knitting that connects them. Earth tones dominated the piece, with a shock of fiery orange thread that pulled warmth and life into the fiber.

Third place went to Sky by Patricia Coleman-Cobb. This framed sculptural piece depicts a figure in clay swathed in batik fabric, accented with stones and jute twine. The vibrant batik adds texture and movement to the piece that catches the eye from across the gallery.

We had two Honorable Mentions for this exhibition. Angela Ferguson took one for her mixed media sculpture Plain Ol’ Joe, an expressive and whimsical character made of fabric and polymer clay. Jess Self took home the second honorable mention for Conductive Dynamism, a life-size abstracted figurative sculpture made with mixed textiles woven together and suspended around a steel humanoid frame.

Congratulations to all of the winners in By A Thread, and our heartfelt thanks to all the artists who participated and made our exhibition space so stunning.

Viewing Adore by Latifah Shakir

By A Thread may be closed now, but our walls are filling up with fresh artwork. Our next exhibition is Fall Into Art: Autumn Student and Member Showcase, featuring the work of The Art Center’s own adult students and contributing members. We hope you will join us on November 7 for our reception celebrating the exhibition. Mingle with the artists and enjoy free refreshments in a lovely atmospheric evening. If you can’t make the reception, you can still see the exhibition from October 27^th- November 20^th.