TAFA Market Focus: Asian Art And Quilts

"Yellow Birds Among the Cherry Blossoms", Detail, Art Quilt by Barbara Harms of Asian Art And Quilts

TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.  We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website.   We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and a member exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors during the time leading up to our show.  You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link. 

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

Asian Art And Quilts

Visit Asian Art And Quilts on TAFA

"Yellow Birds Among the Cherry Blossoms", Detail, Art Quilt by Barbara Harms of Asian Art And Quilts, 38"x21", (A similar one will be in the show), $400.

These birds on a blooming branch could be anywhere here in Paducah right now, except replace the cherry trees for dogwoods.  They are everywhere and in full bloom right now, a shame because the blossoms will probably be gone by the time our TAFA Market and the Quilt Show take place at the end of the month.

Barbara Harms, the artist behind this beautiful quilt, excels at translating nature themes to fabric.  Coming from a background in painting, she now uses fabric, dyes and stitches as her brush.  She often uses silk, dyeing and painting backgrounds, appliqueing elements, and then finishing off with graceful quilting.  

"Two Sunflowers", Detail, by Barbara Harms, 38"x22", $375

"Two Sunflowers" by Barbara Harms

Barbara captures movement so well in her pictorial pieces.  You can almost envision growth, wind, sun, and warmth in the work.  The translucent qualities of her dyes along with the detailed quilting, thread work, and appliqueing all come together into a snapshot of a moment, caught still in the action.

Barbara is prolific and has a shop full of choices on Etsy.  Do take a look at the widget at the bottom of this post, click and visit.  She will have several pieces in our TAFA Market, and I can't wait to see them in real life!

When Barbara speaks about her work, she says that color is her driving force.  She explores many different styles and also likes to work with abstract designs, but color is her constant.  I would add that her quilting also contributes greatly to the texture and feel of her pieces.  I've seen many quilts that have good designs, but because they are not quilted well, the piece just looks unfinished and bare.  Barbara's quilting is dense and completes the design.  Solid.

Melting Rainbow is an example of Barbara's more abstract pieces.  It's hard to see the details in these images, but if you look closely, you should be able to see that the quilting replicates the shapes of the appliqued pieces, creating an echo of form, repeated over and over.

The image on the left shows the full length of Melting Rainbow, while the one on the right is a detail.  42"x13.5", $275.


Barbara has been very active on our TAFA Team.  We have a blog for our TAFA members who have shops on Etsy.  She is a regular contributor to the blog and especially enjoys interviewing other art quilters.  You will find most of her posts under the tag, "Art Quilts".  I am especially grateful for her joyous enthusiasm!


Barbara, native of Las Vegas, lives in Oregon, a green state teeming with nature.  I am sure that her inspiration comes from a full life brimming over with an interest in all that is around her.  Barbara shows determination in teaching herself new technical skills, both in her art and in technology.  It is a joy having her on board!

Here are a couple more quilts of Barb's which will be shown at our TAFA Market:

"Sunflower Garden" by Barbara Harms, 36"x 20.5", $375

"Under the Cherry Tree", by Barbara Harms, 35"x17", $350

  

If you are not coming to Paducah for our TAFA Market or the AQS Show, but would like to purchase one of Barb's pieces pictured here, email me.  We can ship it to you after the show.  Meanwhile, also explore Asian Art And Quilts on Etsy:  

TAFA Market Focus: Asian Art And Quilts

Adriene Cruz Sends Protection to Obama and His Family at the Quilts for Obama Show

Warrior of Light/Shield for Obama
Quilted Talisman by Artist Adriene Cruz
Photo by Art Alexander

Last Summer I posted about what a pleasure it was to have Oregon artist, Adriene Cruz, as a guest artist in one of Paducah's Lowertown galleries. Her beauty translates itself like a mirror reflection into textured works of art, reaching back deeply into her roots and soul. I was pleased to receive a notice from Adriene with a press release (below) saying that one of her works (shown above) was selected for the Quilts for Obama show.

Congratulations, Adriene!

Adriene Cruz, Oregon Artist

Here is the press release (posted with permission from Adriene):

Quilts for Obama:

An Exhibit Celebrating

the Inauguration

of our 44th President

Roland L. Freeman,

Guest Curator

January 11 – January 31, 2009
at The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
801 K Street, NW (at Mount Vernon Square);
Washington, DC 20001 202.882.7764
Gallery Hours: 10 AM-5 PM, Tuesday-Sunday
(Closed Inauguration Day, 1/20/09)

Adriene Cruz of Portland, Oregon is one of the Master Quilters whose work is included in this special celebratory exhibit at The Historical Society of Washington, DC. The Historical Society and the Women of Color Quilters Network have partnered with The Group for Cultural Documentation (TGCD) to present Quilts for Obama: An Exhibit Celebrating the Inauguration of our 44th President, opening Sunday, January 11 and continuing through January 31, 2009.

The exhibit contains approximately 60 art and interpretive quilts made to celebrate the inauguration and welcome the Obama family to Washington: 44 by master quilt makers from across the US, along with others honoring the Obama family from Kenya, Hawaii, Kansas (a quilt from the historical society of Augusta, KS), and South Carolina (a quilt from Georgetown, SC made by Mrs. Carrie Nelson, the oldest living member of Michelle Robinson Obama’s family). Adriene Cruz’s quilt, “Warrior of Light/Shield for Obama,” is a quilted talisman offering prayers and blessings of protection and peace for Obama and his family.

Guest curator Roland L. Freeman is a folklorist and photo-documenter whose career began during the Civil Rights movement. Since the 1960’s he has been documenting the continuity of traditional African-American cultural practices, and is currently a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Freeman has a special passion for quilts and quilt makers, and over the past four decades has crisscrossed the US, being the first to document the world of African-American quilters, culminating in a national tour and book called Communion of the Spirits, published in 1996 which also features Adriene’s work. He described the genesis of the Quilts for Obama exhibit as follows:

"This past November 4th, I was glued to the television watching the election returns, as were millions in this country and around the world. Around 11 pm, when it was announced that Barack Obama was the President-Elect of the United States, my emotions overwhelmed me. I could hardly speak. Then came the amazing images of worldwide jubilation. Almost immediately, my mind started drifting back to other seminal events that for me were just as emotionally life-changing: my participation in the voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery; the 1963 March on Washington and Dr. King’s “I have a Dream” speech; and my joining the Poor People’s Campaign as a photographer to cover the Mule Train caravan as it traveled from Marks, MS, to Washington, DC. In my lifetime, I’ve known three black men whose messages of peace, love, and racial harmony profoundly moved the masses: Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. King said, “We shall overcome;” Nelson Mandela forgave his oppressors; and now Barack Obama has inspired Americans to come together for change for a better tomorrow. I asked myself what I could do to help celebrate this victory and it occurred to me that a commemorative quilt exhibit was just the thing. And so it is."

For more information on the exhibit please visit The Group for Cultural Documentation’s web site, www.tgcd.org, or call TGCD at 202-882-7764.

Adriene Cruz Sends Protection to Obama and His Family at the Quilts for Obama Show

The Artist in Her Space: Creative Essence

Many years ago, my mother gave me a cute ceramic wall plaque that said something like "Creative Minds Mean Messy Spaces". Well, it's true in my case. I tend to let things pile up. And, I have a lot of stuff. Sometimes I think I would find freedom in just walking away from it all. If I did, I know that I would just start accumulating supplies all over again! A quilter needs her stash, a painter needs her paints, and we all find treasures that to someone else might just be trash.

I put the word out that I wanted to see people's creative spaces. I think it's important for everyone who is making things to have a space that is theirs for their work. I was extremely pleased with the response. It's so interesting to see how each woman (these all happen to be women) claim their corner, their room, their studio as her own. Some are neat and tidy. A few are so beautiful I would be afraid to sneeze in them. Others, like me, pile it up to the ceiling!

The photos are interspersed with quotes that have nothing to do with the images before or after them. I just thought it would be interesting to see these words on space and art mixed in, kind of creating a collage of thoughts and places. Visit the studio links to see what the final product is of each space! Can you guess what they make by how the studio looks?

Most of the photos will enlarge if you click on them...

Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.
Henry Miller (1891 - 1980)

ART CREATED BY AHNA & JIMI

Although I am no longer in this space, it is one that I loved for 2 years. What you don't see is the view onto my garden that I designed and created as well (rock walls and a small pond). The only down side was that this work space was in my bedroom that I took over for a small studio. I'm still in the process of moving so next time; new picture.

Links: http://ArtCreated.com
Location: Northern California, USA

Art is making something out of nothing
and selling it.
Frank Zappa (1940 - 1993)

There ought to be a room in every house
to swear in.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

KATHY MCNEIL

Well, it so happens that we are just finishing my new studio. You can see a large design wall in the back ground. There will be a light table and the cutting table will be on lockable wheels so it can move about the room. I will be teaching classes at home, so there is an outlet in the floor under the large cutting table where everyone can put their machines. Great lighting with track lighting and another wire fabric rack to still come.

Links: www.kathymcneilquilts.com
Location: Marysville, Washington, USA
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

At moments of great enthusiasm it seems to me that no one in the world has ever made something this beautiful and important.
M.C. Escher

CHARMAINE MANLEY DESIGN

As a firm believer in color therapy, I love my work space....bright, happy, and filled with artwork from women I admire. Sadly, it only looked this good for the photoshoot....normally it is chaos. When the desk is actually clear, I use it as my creative work space. Lately I've been messing around with jewelry, trying to figure out a good wire wrapping technique. The computer (an eight year old PC) sits to the right of the chair along with the printer/scanner/copier. Most of my correspondence and other computer work is now done on my MacBook found in the living room next to my favorite chair. With the addition of the laptop, the need to be in my real office has diminished considerably. It still makes me happy though.

Links: http://charmainemanleydesign.com
Location: Central Oregon
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

Believe it or not, I can actually draw.
Michelangelo

CATHERINE SALTER BAYAR/BAZAAR BAYAR VINTAGE TEXTILES & JEWELRY

I am definitely NOT a morning person. So, this light-filled, east-facing room with the adjacent outdoor terrace would fabulous to work in - IF I were truly awake and at my creative best! This room doubles as our living room, so imagine a sofa, table and overstuffed bookcases in the opposite corner of this 13' x 18' space. And plastic bins full of fabrics, beads, yarns and such stacked high behind a door in the next room. The old tile floors are great to spread things out on once I roll back the kilim, and that trunk in the corner is not usually that uncluttered! The worst thing about this room is that those double doors are the only source of natural light, so afternoons are too dark to work here. I don't open my shop in town until well after lunch, so I work here at home (along with a BIG pot of coffee) on various textile related projects til then. My Singer sewing machine, purchased here in Turkey about 8 years ago, actually has the option to run without electricity with an old fashioned foot treadle. Very handy if the power's out, or we decide to become real nomads one day and live in a goat hair tent...

Links: www.bazaarbayar.etsy.com
http://fiberfocus.blogspot.com/search/label/Catherine%20Salter%20Bayar
Location: Selcuk/Ephesus, Turkey
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

I see more and more that my work goes infinitely better when I am properly fed, and the paints are there, and the studio and all that. But have I set my heart on my work being a success? A thousand times no. I wish I could manage to make you really understand that when you give money to artists, you are yourself doing an artist's work, and that I only want my pictures to be of such a quality that you will not be too dissatisfied with your work.
Vincent van Gogh

CHRISSIE DAY

After years of finding space by an armchair or on a kitchen table whilst bringing up 2 children who seemed to take over ALL my house during there formative years I promised myself a studio in my garden with room for knitting yarn ,painting table ,etc etc you get the picture.

So now i have the studio in the garden the kids are grown i can Please myself what i do and guess where i do my best work ????? when sitting in my armchair or doodling at the kitchen table so there you go it makes a great store room but i do n ot work in there all the time .having said that i do love to be in there with the buttons ,silks, wools ,cottons, haberdashery bits ,jars of needles, sewing machines ,sketch books, paints and hearing the rain on the roof or the wind making the weeping cedar bang on the window and scare me.

'In truth be careful what you wish for you just might get it'

Links: http://www.chrissieday.wordpress.com
http://www.chrissieday.co.uk
Location: United Kingdom
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.
Twyla Tharp

ARTWORK BY SARAH

I had this studio space for 5 years, here in Melbourne, in the city. It took me those 5 years to get the space looking how you see it in the picture....a collection. Things I have received as gifts from people, things that I have found in junk stores & from my travels. I love opp shops & second hand stores. I collect sculptures from my travels...Mexico, Italy , Indonesia. (I lived in San Miguel De Allende in Mexico for 5 months. I brought back loads of trinkets depicting 'tribe'...papier mache, ceramics, drawings. I also love Bali. You can see the carved wooden flying mermaid suspended from the ceiling in the photo. The studio was a representation of me.... Much of the trinkets, dolls (I collect these too) are depicted in my paintings & drawings.

I had to shut studio in order to move on, to go overseas. I feel a need for new inspiration for my artistic endeavors.

I have an affinity for Mexico...I will be travelling back to San Miguel De Allende. I feel this way because I'm so drawn to the art & culture. I love the richness & opulence of the festivities. I had the priviledge of being part of the Day Of The Dead in Patzcuaro. I sat in the candle lit cemetary with the locals of the island of Janitizio, was incredible. I also took part in the 'Posada De La Navidad' in San Miguel DeAllende...a celebration of Christmas festival.These are the experiences which have influenced my artwork. My work is also very personal. I don't really consider it to be decorative so to speak....even though it may look 'pretty'. Its a depiction or interpretation of my childhood memories...ficticious/fantasy characters such as 'Merman'....I spent much time playing alone as a child, so I would sew & draw by myself. I also depict my loved ones, people in my life, my experience with them, happy or painful. My drawings& paintings depict feelings of happiness, grief, loss, & joy. So there you have it! This may give you some idea what I'm about....

Links: http://artworkbysarah.blogspot.com
www.flickr.com/photos/sarahs_artwork
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Very few people possess true artistic ability. It is therefore both unseemly and unproductive to irritate the situation by making an effort. If you have a burning, restless urge to write or paint, simply eat something sweet and the feeling will pass. Fran Lebowitz

JADED WOLF STUDIOS-CHRISTINA MARTINEZ

This is my humble and crowded studio I refer to it as the wolf den. My little studio is a 10x10 bedroom. I have supplies in here for everything from painting, drawing, digital work, sculpting, shipping, and paper supplies. I somehow managed to fit in a "dorm" sized recliner (which I'm hardly ever in!) and an Elliptical machine. I fit all my electronics like the computer, its equipment, and the TV, DVR, and Stereo into my little closet cove. I wish I had more room of course, a walk-in closet for storage, and larger windows for better light.... but it works!

Links: http://weblog.xanga.com/JadedWolfStudios
JadedWolfStudios.etsy.com
Location: Fresno, California, USA

What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit.
John Updike

PAM HEAVRIN

What I love most about my 12' x 22' studio work space is this very large table that my husband builtfor me 16 years ago. It's 4' by 10', there is a shelf under it the same size and floor space under that. I have concrete floors since it's a converted garage. So, for warmth in the winter months, I need carpet. Next on my wish list is to get new carpet. My other favorite things are the three cushionedmats I bought from a beauty supply business. They have made a difference in how my legs feel at the end of the day.

Location: Paducah, Kentucky, USA
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

Art is a kind of illness.
Giacomo Puccini

The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.
Rumi

OLIVE AND OLLIE

We live in a 100+ year old house. It still has so much charm and character, but it's been updated in all the right spots, like the kitchen and baths. My studio is in the dining room right now, so I can get some work done during the day while staying home with my two small children. Most of the time it's pretty messy, with piles of fabric and scraps around because I keep things out while I'm working, since I usually only have a few minutes at a time to jump on projects. But, I think it has just the right mix of traditional and modern, old and new that I instill in my creations.

Links: www.oliveandollie.etsy.com
www.oliveandollie.blogspot.com
Location: I'm just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

I don't believe in total freedom for the artist. Left on his own, free to do anything he likes, the artist ends up doing nothing at all. If there's one thing that's dangerous for an artist, it's precisely this question of total freedom, waiting for inspiration and all the rest of it.
Federico Fellini (1920 - 1993)

ADELE THOMAS TEXTILE ART

I used to have fairies at the bottom of the garden, they lived quite happily with my return to nature corner of the garden along with the butterflies and spiders. I then decided after a very long spell away, to return to textiles after a parenting class had taught me to do what used to make me happy. I had taken over the whole of the living room with all my bits and pieces when it became obvious I needed a separate workplace. So this is my shed at the bottom of the garden with the chaos of too many things being dumped after demonstrations and not enough time to tidy away. I love my own workspace but I have found being in my shed a little isolating from the rest of the family. I have a lovely view across fields to the Exe estuary though, I think I am quite spoilt. I try to post regularly on my blog with my latest creations and discoveries, especially now I have finished the City and Guilds course. Keep stitching , Adele X

Links: adelethomas.blogspot.com
Location: Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

It doesn't matter if people are interested. It's about you taking your stuff and shouting out into the void.
Jadelr and Cristina Cordova, 07-11-2006

LINDA LYNCH

I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my studio! I am a compulsive organizer. I get crazed while creating and make a gigantic mess until I complete my project, and then it all gets put away, maybe not right away..... My studio is my "sanity site." I can be me without any holding back. I sew, I paint, I pound on metal, I knit, I collage, I glue, I scrapbook, I embroider, I felt, and so much more!

Links: www.lindalynch.com

http://wwwlindalynch.blogspot.com

http://www.picturetrail.com/lindalynch
Location: Couer D'Alene, Idaho, USA
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.
Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931)

Lord Ronald said nothing; he flung himself from the room, flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions.
Stephen Leacock (1869 - 1944)

DREAMWOVEN

Space.............. the final frontier.

This is a collage of my space. This was prior to the 'big clean up". I had a studio built onto the house at the end of 2006, fully completed (with bamboo flooring, yum) by Feb 2007. Within a period of 3 months, I had outgrown it. Prior to that time, for at least 8 years, I had traveling studio space. It moved wherever I was comfortable, the dining room bearing the brunt of it. This last July I decided to split up my studio.... the real impetus was an 18 year old daughter who had vacated her room. I swooped in and made it mine. Now I have my studio where I do my paperwork and finishing work on my pieces as well as photography and shipping and I have a room for inventory and a wall to display a lot of the hand dyed yarns that I use. I am not a neat worker. In fact, once I cleaned up the studio and the inventory room, I could not create anything. Hence, my 'space' reference in the title. I work well with the "Big Bang Theory". As soon as I started bringing things in and laying them on the table in the studio, hanging them on hooks, placing them on cabinets, draping them on my chair, etc., pieces started to come together. If it is clean and tidy, I can't work. My brain is the same way. It is rarely, if ever, clean and tidy. It moves fast, makes connections on the cuff, searches out specifics and bundles ideas up so that I can use them. My work space is the same way.

Links: http://DreamWoven.blogspot.com
http://DreamWoven.com
http://DreamWoven.Etsy.com
http://DreamWovenSupplies.Etsy.com
Location: (She's in California, USA)
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind,
what is the significance of a clean desk?
Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)

VICKI DUNK

I love that i have a space to mostly call my own, but it is too small, especially when the kids are in there with me. My hubby says to ban them from the room, at first I didn't do this, they make me feel so guilty when I don't let them in, but now I really have to - they just make too much mess and take up too much room and distract me way too much (again with the guilt).

My favourite things in the room are my sewing machine and the fold out table that my dad built for me. It is at bench height rather than desk height so I can stand up and work when I want too - I really need a drafting chair as well, but it wouldn't fit in the room.

My dream studio would have a table for the kids, heaps of storage and display space, room to spread out a whole quilt and some nice comfy chairs so that my husband could sit and have a cuppa with me in there. I think my hubby should get me that dream studio for my big 4-0 this year!

Links: http://fiberartsmixedmedia.ning.com/profile/VickiDunk
Location: Townsville, Australia

You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
Franz Kafka (1883 - 1924)

CHRISTINA SILVERIO/HOYDEN DESIGNS

I love my workspace! It's right in the middle of all the family commotion. It's so inspiring for me to be with my family while I'm creating. The house we live in is a 1915 era cottage and all of the wodwork is original. The little table that I keep my newest paintings on is actually my grandmothers old sewing table, with some vintage luggage next to it that I store supplies in, and I have another corner by the window that I've placed a comfy chair and table that I can paint at. I really couldn't ask for more; I love it!

Links: http://www.hoydendesigns.com/
http://www.hoydendesigns.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=59651
http://www.cafepress.com/hoydendesigns
Location: I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (California, USA). It's busy, but there are so many wonderful things close by that you can always find something fun to do.

You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don't know what was in the newspapers that morning... a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. Joseph Campbell (1904 - 1987)

WATATU

As we have a web shop you can say our work place is mainly the cyber world. But we have an office, where we have the stock, and also in one corner a show room where our customers can come and try to see how to carry their baby. What we like most is when we go out and meet our customers during trade fairs or special events.

Links: www.watatu.com
Location: Vsterhaninge, Sweden
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.
Carl Jung (1875 - 1961)

CARYL BRYER FALLERT
/BRYERPATCH STUDIO

Caryl didn't submit a statement about her space, but she is a dear friend of mine and I know that this is her dream come true. Visit her website to see the rest of her wonderful space (and her gorgeous work!).

Links: http://www.bryerpatch.com/wkshops/BryerpatchStudioTour.htm
www.bryerpatch.com
Location: Paducah, Kentucky, USA
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

My holy of holies is the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom imaginable, freedom from violence and lies, no matter what form the latter two take. Such is the program I would adhere to if I were a major artist.
Anton Chekhov, 1888

RAYELA ART

Well, finally there is my space. Hmmmm... that phrase has been taken, hasn't it? This photo shows what would have been the dining room in a "normal" house. Ha! This is where I sew and where I pack product from online sales. These plastic bins you see are in every room except kitchen and bath. The computer is in the bedroom. I share my space with four monster dogs. That's Juba, there. It's a constant war against chaos. Unlike DreamWoven, who says she thrives in it, if things get too out of control, I can't think straight. I long for a wall where I can pin up queen size fabrics, for a table big enough to spread a large quilt out and more than anything, a space which I can close the door on. I feel kind of guilty because so many people around the world have so much less and I want so much more. But, on the other hand, the whole state of Kentucky has less people than metro-Chicago, where I came from, so there is room to spread out here. All I know is that home is where my stuff is!

Links: http://www.rayela/etsy.com
http://stores.ebay.com/RayelArt
www. the page you are looking at (Fiber Focus)
Location: Paducah, Kentucky, USA
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

Note: Whew! This took a lot longer than expected. Please let me know if I made any mistakes. It was a challenge keeping everybody's info straight!

The Artist in Her Space: Creative Essence

The Beautiful Adriene Cruz, Portland Fiber Artist

My local fiber art group, Paducah Fiber Artists, meets once a month for a pot luck, show and tell and general good fun. It's a monthly highlight for me. I arrived a bit late (as usual) to our June 2008 meeting to find this gorgeous woman sitting there. She was a guest artist from Portland, Oregon, spending a month at A.I.R. Studio located in the heart of Lowertown, our art district. Adriene Cruz embodies color, life, elegance, and texture, both in her persona as well as in her art. Her work has obvious African influence, but she incorporates pieces of textiles from around the world and their origins also add their voices to the final creation.

Adriene's website, which she claims is horribly outdated, gives continuity to her work. It is bright, decorated with borders taken from her textiles and filled with words of love and a vision of peace.

Adriene is a transplant from New York, and although her heart is still there, she has become actively involved in Portland's community life. Their local PBS station, Oregon Public Broadcasting, has a program called Art Beat, which interviews local artists and then develops curriculum based for children based that artist's story.



Adriene is there and her video will explain a lot of where she comes from, what inspires her and how she creates her pieces. If you have children or work with them, you might enjoy the three projects on Adriene's page as well as the other artists in the program. Lots of great ideas!

Her community involvement has led her to collaborative work with other artists that have permanently changed Portland's landscape. She has worked on murals, billboards and other public art. The most impressive this train stop:


The North Killingsworth Street MAX Station
Interstate Avenue at N. Kilingsworth

Portland, Oregon's public transit system, the MAX, is beautifying its stations through the designs of a variety of public artists. The North Killingsworth Street Station, which opened May 1, 2004, was developed through a mentorship between Adriene Cruz and design team artist, Valerie Otani.

Adriene's work has been published in several books and her pieces are in private collections all over the world. The Exhibits and Honors page on her website lists the many prestigious places where her work has found a home or made an impact. Has this gone to her head? Nope. Adriene's feet are planted firmly on the ground. And her struggle to survive as an artist continues as a difficult, albeit joyous, path. I had the pleasure of visiting with her a bit at the studio while she was here. Her mother was also here, from New York, and I saw where Adriene learned her spirit of giving and love. Her Mom has the warmest, softest hands I have ever felt. Her smiles radiated benevolence, eyes sparkled with life.

If we are chips cut off from the block, Adriene's block has been solid and good. Speaking, or writing, about cutting, Adriene has no fear in transforming textiles into something new. She bought a Turkmen coat from me very similar to the one on the left (available in my Etsy store, hint, hint), chopped it up and made a beautiful bag out of half of it. She had forgotten to bring one with her, so... no problem! Chop, chop, sew, sew, and there you go! Another accessory to complement her best art piece: her self!

Adriene used the embroidery from the side of the coat as the front flap of her bag and incorporated the embroidery along the hem and front as the strap:

I am inspired by artists and people like Adriene. They help build bridges among people and she has also contributed toward enhancing the physical space of her city. It makes me feel good to know that she is out there and the brief time I had with her here was a sunny day in Paducah!

The Beautiful Adriene Cruz, Portland Fiber Artist