Innovations 2011

Click on the photo to go to the blog post about Collaboration

I was privileged to curate an exhibition at Jacoby Arts Centerin Alton, Illinois that was part of Innovations 2011, a biennial collaborative event in St. Louis, Missouri that investigates the state of contemporary textile arts. Collaboration: Reaping and Sewing, that was on view from August 26-October 2 featured the work of six artists, myself included, who are connected by a teacher/mentor/student bond. We traded items from our personal studios with each other that we integrated into our own work. Akin to sowing seeds of inspiration, the collaboration deepened our bond and took us out of our comfort zones to expand how we work conceptually, materially and how we think about our work.

On September 25, 2011, my partners and I reunited for a gallery talk at JAC. Beforehand we had a potluck lunch and got to sit down and chat about our work for the first time in months. As we talked it became quite clear that this collaboration had been a life changing experience for all of us and we decided to continue our collaboration!

Click on photo--Art Saint Louis blog review

Fast forward 2 years and work on that has not begun.  The Innovations event time interval has been changed to every 4 years so the next one won't be until 2015.  We all have been busy with our own work...but soon I think we will make a connection again.

The five artists I worked with are listed below with links to their own websites. The showcard image at top links you to a post where I introduced the members of the group. You can also read about the collaboration at the Illinois SDA blog here. The photo at right will take you to the Art Saint Louis blog where Sun Smith Foret wrote a review.  The St. Louis Beacon also did a feature on me which you can find here.

Erin Cork 
Nina Ganci
Jo Stealey
Laura Strand
Erin Vigneau Dimick

Exhibiton and opening reception pictures - over 30 of them - taken by Andrew Dobson at Jacoby Arts Center are available for viewing on the JAC Facebook here.  (this link no longer works) The pictures are not identified...and soon I hope to showcase them more completely on my own facebook page.  Stay tuned.