Every week for one full year, artist and SDA member Ellen Schiffman created a different work of art in a standard size shadow box. Having worked as a fiber artist for over thirty years, Schiffman set out to explore materiality in ways that stretched and redefined not only herself as an artist but her use …
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Winner of SDA’s Small Events Grant, mended: A Traveling Exhibition of Contemporary Textile Art featured the work of twenty-five SDA members from British Columbia and Yukon sharing their stories through creative expressions of mending and repair. Over the course of a year, the exhibition traveled to three different locations, each featuring demo sessions to engage …
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Founded by Olivia Jane in 2014, Lady Art is an intersectional feminist group for creatives. With over 1,000 members in NYC, Nevada, and Chicago, each chapter uses online platforms to share art projects, articles, and coordinate events and meet-ups. Lady Art acts as a safe space—encompassing all ethnicities, genders, and creative endeavors. Today we’re spotlighting …
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Carol Westfall, an artist known internationally and a retired Professor of textiles in the Art Department at Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, died December 11, 2016. She was 78. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (BA) and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) (MFA), Westfall was also an instructor at Teachers College, …
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When researching some of the top books for the year, I starting thinking about the main themes that surface when people talk about contemporary textiles. Some of the main ones that have arisen include: digital textiles, natural dyeing, and sustainable fashion. This roundup features the best books to give (and get) in 2015 and includes critical dialogues around textile culture, …
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Contextile, a biennial exhibition featuring contemporary textile art, was recently held in Guimarães, Portugal. Surface Design Association is fortunate to have Jessica Hemmings write a review of the exhibition after attending, as well as sharing images of some of her favorites works in the show. The 2016 Contextile exhibition was held in the Portuguese town of Guimarães, …
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SDA Member Cameron Anne Mason recently had the wonderful experience of being selected as the first fiber artist to take part in the Chateau Ste Michelle Winery’s annual Artist Series. Below, she details the selection process, turning her work from dimensional fiber pieces to two-dimensional labels, and the wine release party. The Artist Series wine …
Read More »Every other year Surface Design Association hosts a conference bringing members together for workshops, lectures, and exhibitions. Our 40th Anniversary Intensive, Making Our Mark, will be hosted in Portland, OR on August 3-6, 2017 in partnership with the Oregon College of Art and Craft, and Portland State University. SDA is currently looking for conference proposals for …
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This moment is an exciting time to be working in the field of fibers and textiles. More so than any other time in history makers, craftspeople, and artists are able to access information about a multitude of different techniques, processes, and materials. Classes, books, and YouTube tutorials are readily available to learn how to make …
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Jo Hamilton is our cover artist for “The Body Embellished” Summer 2016 Issue of Surface Design Journal. Editor Marci Rae McDade and I recently enjoyed a studio visit with Jo to see and discuss some of her new crocheted portraits. The beautiful home studio Jo works from in Portland, Oregon, is filled with thousands of …
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