Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye,

Zeitgeist by Kanti Jocelyn-Bisgard and James Lawrence is one of sixteen invitational works added to a subset of last winter's Changing the World One Thread at a Time.

That means fifteen more magnificent works that you have not had the opportunity to see. The Spider has done a magnificent design for this new catalog.

All artist's statements are trilingual. We have Elisabeth Fuchs to thank for the French and Karin Malzan of the Stone Avenue Gallery in Tucson, Arizona, for the German.

The catalog is being produced as a CD. You may have as many as you might like. The price is $12US postpaid to almost anywhere in the world. Please get your orders in quickly so that I may have time to do the work. There are no Christmas elves here. Whatever work gets done I am the one who does it.

I will be carrying a few copies to Val d'Argent; however due to the expenses involved in transporting an exhibition to Alsace the on site price will be €12.

A strange thing is happening here as I type. Zeitgeist is there laying out flat in the back bedroom. It is magnificent silk. However, sitting here looking at the illustration I see letters hidden. Messages that might be love and hope. I have no idea if they are really there or if the state of both the world and my longing for solitude and serenity are playing tricks on my eyes.

European Meeting Patchwork

Several days ago my program for No 12 European Meeting Patchwork, September 14-17, 2006 arrived in my mailbox. I recommend you contact them at
info@patchwork-europe.com
or go to their website at
http://www.patchwork-europe.com

Provide them with name, address, postal code, country, and email address. If you use a business name include it. Request a program of the 12th European Patchwork Meeting. It is absolutely gorgeous.

There are three lectures, two in french and one in english. Four additional exhibitions will be held in off site museums. Twenty six classes are offered in three languages. I count thirty separate exhibitions plus three fashion shows and three meetings in both english and french.

I hope you have seen the link on my blog to photos an artist took last year. Impressive as the photos are the program trumps them.

Lastly, I suggest that any of you who might make the opportunity to travel this fall come by, introduce yourself, and enjoy what looks to be a good venue.

Does Textile Art Reflect Its Environment?

I participate on a few lists and monitor a lot more. One of the current questions is why is American Quilting so non reflective of it's origins. One of my theories is that the corporate world spreads a sameness over communities much as we would take a spatula and put frosting on a cake. Here's my response to one such query:

I can not speak for the rest of the american textile world. However, there is not one america nor even fifty states. The physical geography is so varied. The cohesivness of individual communities creates many cultures. Even the cities are quite distinct from one another if you really look. The northeast, to me, has a lot in common with Europe in the old sections due to the rowhouses.

Add to that that nineteenth century agrarian america has passed through the industrial revolution and is well into the technological revolution. I do not know the statistics. My intuition tells me that over the last two hundred years one of the things that has not changed markedly is the radius of travel of the common man.

Cities, metropolises, have citizens who have never left their general surroundings, usual neighboroods, for several generations. The ability to SEE is an inborn skill. Our society tends to pummel it out of us as we crow. I cynically call my own upbringing the three monkeys upgringing: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. It was prescription for dumbing down a questioning youth to create obedience and apathy. I did not escape unscathed but escape I did.

I can hear all the murmurs of dissent; but I go here, there, and elsewhere. Yes, maybe so; but do you take the eyes of our ancestral surroundings or do you go with the wonder and innocence and questioning of a small child?

None of this is meant unkindly. It is based in part on my observations of my husband. Remember as I say this that I do truly love the man. He is a pattern of many people: stoic, placid, unquestioning, unseeing, apparently unwilling or unaware of the possibility of change. There is nothing wrong with a life lived in that mode. I am incredibly fortunate that he is note only supportive but acts as the patron who allows me my art.

All this in rumination about how art reflects not only what we see but how we perceive what is around us. The image is a detail from a work called All Is Right With the World. It is an agave, or in my fey sense of humor, the tequila plant. The coatimundi in the lower left corner is at it's northernmost habitat here in Sonora. The yellow flowers of the brittlebush remind one that they grow wild even where man has tampered with the environment. You see the band of blue? It has beads to remind us of the lupine. The band of red reminds you of Indian Paint Brush. The background shows you the undulations of the valley giving way to the mountains.

Yes, American quilting and American art does sometimes reflect it's environment. One of these days I'll get the whole image of All Is Right With the World up on my website. Probably in October as I am preoccupied with taking the current exhibition overseas.

Report On A Lovely Day

In 2000 I met a woman who assisted me in getting Solar Flare and Deep Space displayed in the main terminal of the Tucson, Arizona, International Airport.

I had called and made an appointment to see her. Her confidence in me six years ago made a big difference in my life. I needed to tell her that and to thank her. It was the most delightful hour I have spent in a long time.

I handed her the book of all the tear sheets of newspapers and catalogs. She took the Flint, Michigan, news article and the saqa article about the exhibition at The National Civil Rights Museum. We pulled them out of the sleeves so she could have them. I have more.

Then I handed her The Left Turn Lane Portfolio. She asked for the artist's statement from that one.

Then, what joy, having conquered the iPhoto software that comes with my Macintosh I took all the slides that are going to Europe and set them in a 3 second slide show. She objected; I told her she could look at them individually in a moment. We did look at a lot of them closely, particularly some of the invitational works that haven't been seen yet. I promised that the CD catalog was almost done. I was able to load a CD and show her maybe 15 pages complete with the tri-lingual artist's statements.

I talked a lot about what I suppose you might call "coming of age" as an artist and a curator. Looking at the European Edition images, she said, "You are a curator." Nothing like validation from someone you respect, is there?

Her board meeting had been moved half an hour earlier. So we got a lot done in an hour. I had offered a local non profit the LTL years ago to loan for a fund raiser and they declined. Jan took the tryptic postcard, the statement, the Flint press, and set off to her board meeting.

I had told her that Alan Zinn at the Buckham Gallery in Flint had free hung the works. Although I did not get there I was told that he had hung the works so that you had to run the gauntlet to get into the gallery. Then you could wander among them seeing the line drawing stitching on the hand dyed backs.

The Tucson Pima Arts Council Grant Committee meeting is tomorrow at 4pm. The www had eaten the post so I just got the notice. The Cc said and "39 others." Oh brother, that means a very late night. Have to stand my ground and deny age discrimination and callow youths.

Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork

I've added another bit of excitement for those who either websurf travel or armchair travel. The Museum of Textiles. This will be one of my study side trips once Carrefour is complete. Click on the word museum on the home page; it will take you to an English language page.

We have been talking lately about my trip to France. Val d'Argent is east of the city of Selestat which is between Strasbourg and Mulhouse in Alsace. Visit the Carrefour Website. Click on the language of your choice. You will gain a lot of information here to compliment last week's post.

Do go to thelmasmith.com to place your pre reservation for the European Edition: Changing the World One Thread at a Time. The state of the world and the condition of airline travel these weeks means that I will not have the weight allowance to carry many catalogs with me. The price at the exhibition will be €12. You may pre-order them via the link above for $12US postpaid.

Yippee, Hurrah, Bon Chance, Bon Voyage

Carrefour European du Patchwork
European Patchwork Expo
Sainte-Marie aux Mines, France

I've mentioned that I am taking Changing the World One Thread at a Time, European Edition to this exposition this September. If you are anywhere within driving distance I do suggest you indulge yourself.

If you cannot travel to Alsace this fall check this: a dear friend sent me this link to Val d'Argent.

An Artist's View

I often read just for the sheer escape from reality. Most often that escape brings me right back to face ideas about growing into myself. I am a late bloomer. I find that I am learning much more in the sixth decade of my life than I did in the second.




Eating Fire and Drinking Water is set in a foreign, tropical place; yet one that I know never having been there. I find so many parallels with my life and with my concepts about life and art as I age that I can recommend this as some of the best escapist reading.

Art is about many things. This particular book has helped me explain me to myself. That is good. It will continue to illluminate the work of my hands.

European Edition Changing the World Catalog

Today is THE day.

The European Edition Catalog is available for reservations.

Fifteen new invitational works have been added to a subset of last winter's Changing the World One Thread at a Time exhibition. Artists' statements are included.

If you will be attending Val d'Argent, please let me know so that you may pick up your catalog in person. I will be at the exhibition most of every day. I would enjoy meeting as many artists and quilters as possible.

I need as many reservations as quickly as possible. I am the only person working on burning, labeling, and getting the shipment ready for posting. Reservations received by September 1 will be shipped to arrive in your mail box by the opening day, the 14th.

Reservations received after September 1 will wait for my return from France. They will be made up after September 29. First come, first served; each day's work will be posted the same day.

Life here has been a bit chaotic. I have many demands on my time right now. I'm sure you can all appreciate the constraints I deal with.

Work shown is Zeitgeist by Kanti Jocelyn-Bisgard and James Michael Lawrence. ©2006

Mi Barrio

What follows is a photo snapshot survey of Twenty Ninth Street in South Tucson. Masks and roses and miracles. The miracles, los milagros, bear an explanation; these are golden charms purchased to pin to the image of a saint in plea for an answer to a prayer. All the other images are simply a recreation of the value of daily life.

Every one of these pieces of street art is high fired, hand painted, ceramic tile. One hopes the life span will be all the workers expect.

Los Milagros

Las Rosas

Vasias De Barro

Mascaras

El Coyote y Los Conejos

Twenty Ninth Street Station