(Above: Detail of Large Stained Glass LVII. Click on any image in this blog post to enlarge.)
I started this blog post over a week ago. I meant to return to it, finish it, and publish it ... but Thanksgiving in Slippery Rock, PA with my parents, sister Sonya, brother-in-law Vipin, nephew Vinnie, my Grandma (who will turn 97 in a matter of weeks), and my nephew Tony's new wife Mara managed to delay things. (Where was my nephew Tony? Well ... as assistant defensive coach for Duquesne, he went with the team to the play offs! They unfortunately lost ... but we were all very excited!)
It's been over a week since Steve and I drove dozens of back roads through the Georgia countryside. We started at 6 AM and went to Tifton, GA to check out the Georgia Agriculture Museum and Historic Village. Why? Well, this is the site for my solo show next April!
I will be mounting Last Words but in a new way. The space is very flexible, accessible, and the director is open to all sorts of new ways in which to present artwork. As a result, I'll be bringing The Canopy!
For me, this is VERY exciting because it will be so unlike how it looked at ArtFields in an extremely large space. It will be much more intimate and obviously in relationship to the other work under and around it. This upcoming opportunity will blend the final words and motifs of my grave rubbings with the concept of keeping memories alive through the love and use of vintage textiles. I plan to make it rather obvious that caring for family textile treasures is important and a legacy worth pursuing.
Best of all, Polly Huff, the gallery director and curator, is allowing me to construct an installation using the many (often yet-to-be-cataloged) items in the collection! I plan a public response component as well.
From Tifton, GA Steve and I drove to Douglasville, GA to take down my solo show there. By the time we arrived back in Columbia it was after 9 PM. It was a long day ... but it was followed by STUDIO TIME! I've recently finished several new Lancet Windows!
I got them finished just in time to deliver to the Grovewood Gallery in Asheville. We went on our way north for Thanksgiving. I have eight more under construction!
I'm always happy when the Grovewood Gallery asks for "new work"! It means there's a check coming in the mail for what recently sold! Plus, it's a good excuse to figure out a few new designs. Several of the new pieces borrow on older ideas but more of them are totally new!
Since returning from Pennsylvania I've managed to submit a proposal for a public art project slated for one of the Richland County Public Libraries, applied for a couple art residencies, uploaded images for a national juried show, custom framed several holiday orders (day job), and accepted a cool commission that I'll blog about later. It's been a busy time!
Despite the hustle and bustle of the season, I also finished another "Large Stained Glass Window". My plan is to have four new, large pieces ready to go to the ACC (American Craft Council) Baltimore and Atlanta shows (Feb. and March.) It's a lot of work but I love making them.
Other news includes the fact that my episode on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims recently aired. For the next few days there's a link to WATCH FOR FREE. Also, Steve and I are off traveling again! This time we are headed to Washington, DC for the National Tree Lighting Celebration. I was selected to create the twelve ornaments representing the National Parks (this year's theme) in South Carolina! What an honor!
1 comment:
The space for your upcoming solo show in Georgia really looks awesome. I am excited to see the "new way" Last Words will be mounted. The Stained Glass Window pieces are gorgeous. It never ceases to amaze me just how you keep them fresh and new and different. I'm anxious as well to hear your thoughts and see your images from the National Tree Lighting Celebration. What an honor! It means so much...to be there, to be a part, to be PART of it all. I am living it through you! Thank you!
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