Dear ALL
FIBREWORKS
www.fibreworksart.com
| P.O.Box 749 | Fibreworks account details |
| KLOOF | Name of a/c: Fibreworks |
| 3610 | Name of bank: ABSA |
| KwaZulu-Natal | Hillcrest Branch 63200500 |
| October 2015 | Account no: 9104464545 |
Dates to diarize:
" 31 August - 17 September - Fibreworks IX, National members' exhibition at the GFI Gallery in Port Elizabeth
" 3 October - 30 October The Ubuntutu exhibiton will be at the Nelson Mandela Gateway Museum at the V&A Waterfront. More on this later
" Friday 7 October The Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture by Hina Jilani. Registration at 5pm, lecture at 7 pm
" 6 October - 15 December - Second leg of Fibreworks IX, plus Major Minors exhibition at Mogalakwena Gallery, 3 Church Street, Cape Town. More on this later. http://www.mogalakwena.com/gallery/
Our previous meeting was held at Helga's on Friday 12 August 2016.
Members present: Sarojani Naidoo, Helga Beaumont, Odette Tolksdorf, Jutta Faulds, Annette McMaster, Sue Physick, Jeanette Gilks, Leonie Malherbe, and Sue Akerman.
Apologies: Kim Tedder, Karin Arbeter, Gill Gerhard, Sally Scott, Hermine Spies Coleman and Corina Lemmer
Our AGM meeting for the year will be held at Odette's home on 28 October, 9 for 9.30 am.
EXHIBITIONS:
" .Fibreworks IX - Port Elizabeth. First leg of the exhibition
Many thanks Trish for designing our Fibreworks invitation once again!
Opening Address by Marilyn Pretorius on Tuesday 30 August 2016 at GFI Gallery, Park Drive, Port Elizabeth
You might wonder what Fibreworks is about, so I thought it was important to give some background information.
As Jeanette Gilks, Chairman, explains: "Fibreworks is a national group of about 45 artists who work in fibre and textile media. The group was formed in 1997 and is a membership-based organization. Our broad aims are:
* To promote textile and fibre art by providing a platform for members to exhibit together
* To share information, including information about other exhibition opportunities
* To generate interaction, new challenges, critical input and support
To date, Fibreworks has had eight biennial national exhibitions. Previous exhibition venues include: FADA Art Gallery at UJ, Johannesburg; ArtB Gallery, Belville; artSPACE in Durban, the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg. Fibreworks has also been part of the Fynarts programme in Hermanus for a number of years. Guest artists have sometimes been invited to exhibit with Fibreworks including Peter Clark and Andrew Verster. Fibreworks have also show- cased community art projects such as Keiskamma and the Kaross embroidery group.
In addition to national exhibitions, Fibreworks has held a series of successful travelling exhibitions of small works, called Major Minors. All works are 25cm x 25cm and three small, full-colour Major Minors' catalogues have been published. These exhibitions have travelled extensively and have been well received in South Africa, the USA, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
For the viewer, Fibreworks exhibitions offer a rich and varied experience of both 2D and 3D work, which includes vessels, books, sculptures and garments. The artists come from various arts and design backgrounds. A mixed-media approach to materials and techniques is also freely incorporated.
The work here displays a variety of both traditional and non-traditional techniques from low-tech to high-tech - dyeing, painting, printing, burning, glueing, stitching and embellishment. The range of fibres used could be animal, vegetable, mineral and synthetic fibres.
Fibreworks members have work in public and private collections, both in South Africa and abroad, and many Fibreworks members have had work published nationally and internationally. Several Fibreworks members are internationally recognized fibre / textile artists and teachers who have taught and exhibited in America, England, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Eastern Europe."
The majority of the members are accomplished artists in their own right who chose textiles as medium of expression. We all share the passion for texture, needle and thread. Many have more than 30 years experience creating in textiles and it is interesting to notice how their work has evolved through the years as textiles offer endless boundaries to explore. The process is very slow and allows us to put that stitch in exactly the perfect place! As Elaine Barnard says, she loves the story telling, image making, the texture of the fabrics and the painterly potential of stitching. Personal interpretations are so diverse. See the beautiful finely stitched work of Leonie Malherbe, the bold textured work of Jeanette Gilks (please look at Blood and Fire), the effective couching method of dyed string by Sally Scott together with her mixed media work, the exquisite box framed embroideries by Sue Akerman, Kathryn Harmer Fox's Origins, The Egg, The Chick and felted pieces by Tessa Horan. The exhibits are mostly hand and/or machine stitched using cottons, silks, linen, chamois, corduroy, organza, upholstery fabric, raffia, lace, beads, metal, gauze etc., sometimes combined with some very unlikely materials such as re-cycled tea bags. Unlikely tools include soldering irons!
28 artists contributed to this exhibition . The Eastern Cape have 5 Fibreworks members - Sally Scott and Mariss Stevens from Grahamstown, Kathryn Harmer Fox from East London, Cathy Knox from Bedford and myself from Port Elizabeth.
Although most of the work is best viewed from a distance, allow yourself to look closely as you will be intrigued by the attention to detail!
Fibreworks welcomes queries from collectors and interior designers to discuss the purchasing of work, and requests from galleries and venues to discuss possible exhibitions. Please see our website: www.fibreworksart.com We also welcome enquiries from anyone who wants to submit work to apply for membership
Most of the work is for sale through GFI, the prices are indicated on the labels displayed next to the exhibits.
Thank you.
Marilyn Pretorius
www.fibreworksart.com
Marilyn also submitted a report on the exhibition. Please look carefully at this report below and take note of the recommendations. Note they are in line with our Constitution and Guide lines.
30 August - 17 September 2016
REPORT
A few things for future exhibitions:
" Labelling of artwork:
It is a concern that some work which I received had no identification. One parcel which I received had my name on it with the wrong house number. The courier eventually stopped at our house and asked if the parcel perhaps was for me? Fortunately I was at home to receive it!
Please ensure that
1) The physical address is correct
2) Your name and all your correct details appear on your parcel
3) Your name and correct details appear on your artwork
4) The title of the work appears on your artwork (either on the front, definitely on the back). If more than one piece is received from such an artist, it makes it difficult to identify a piece from a list. Titles are not always self-explanatory
5) The work submitted must be hang- ready. If the piece is a wall quilt, it must have a sleeve attached to the top on the reverse side, as it makes hanging so much easier. The sleeve must be 10cm wide.
" List of artworks
If many pieces are sent in one parcel, it is advised to add a control list of all the work in the parcel. This is an easy way to check that all the work has been received. If a piece is not there, one can immediately start tracing it.
" Opening function:
The opening function was attended by about 60 people who were blown away by the beautiful work on display. The Gallery staff (Robyn and Hayley) were meticulous with setting up and transformed the gallery with vibrant colours. I gave the background information about Fibreworks which Odette and Jeanette sent me and I embellished some more, highlighting different techniques and styles by certain artists. The exhibition was very well received and certainly is making a huge statement in Port Elizabeth.
" Walkabout Saturday 17 September:
The Gallery asked me to do a walkabout on Saturday 17 September at 11:00. I am looking forward to this as I know most of the artists personally.
Many thanks for trusting me with this exhibition.
Marilyn Pretorius
Email: maripre@mweb.co.za
Thank you Marilyn for this information. Thanks too for your joyful enthusiasm in co ordinating a great show! Marilyn has also told Helga that so far 13 works have sold. That is wonderful news.
Mogalakwena Gallery, 3 Church Street, Cape Town
http://www.mogalakwena.com/gallery/
Please note that Sheila Walwyn, who is assisting with the hanging of this exhibition is not at home from 22 - 29 September and does not want work camping at Postnet for a week! Make sure your work arrives at Sheila's either before the 21st or after the 29th. Sheila's phone number: 021 683 5497 / 082 8878 266
They are hanging the exhibition from 3 - 5 October.
Please note important details below for your information:
The Fibreworks group will exhibit Major Minors VI and Fibreworks IX at the Mogalakwena Gallery.
" The opening will be on the First Thursday Cape Town i.e. 6 October 2016. (see: http://www.first-thursdays.co.za/ )
" The exhibition will close on 15 December 2016.
" Mogalakwena will design an email invitation. We have sent them some good quality photo's.
" Mogalakwena will set up / hang the exhibition (they have very good experienced staff who do this together with Elbe). Elbe would like one Fibreworks person to be present at the set-up/hanging to confer/discuss. Sheila Walwyn, a Cape Town member of Fibreworks, is happy and keen to help Elbe hang the show at the gallery. Many thanks Sheila for offering to help. You are always ready to assist Fibreworks exhibitions in the Western Cape.
" There will be no exhibition/hanging fee, instead Mogalakwena takes a commission on sales. Commission ranges between 25% - 40%, depending on the work. Remember commission is calculated on the Selling Price of the work, so price your work accordingly.
" Remember the gallery reserves the right to select the work it wishes to exhibit
Fibreworks will liaise with the gallery regarding the return of the work after the show in mid December. We will keep you updated in this regard.
At the last meeting we looked at our Constitution and discovered that it said nothing about not exhibiting the same work that had previously been exhibited at Fibreworks Members' Exhibitions. Consequently, we unanimously decided that it was acceptable to show old work/previously seen exhibition work at a new Members' exhibition. For example, if a good work has been exhibited at a Fibreworks members show in Johannesburg, it is perfectly acceptable to exhibit the same work in a Fibreworks members show in Cape Town.
It is left to the discretion of the artist what work he/she intends to show where. Obviously new, good work is preferred at our members' shows. Remember too that the curator also has the last say regarding the exhibits.
As a result of this decision, we have told Marilyn to send all the unsold and NFS work to Cape Town after the exhibition in Port Elizabeth closes. Should you not want the work to travel to Cape Town, please contact Marilyn to return your work.
In addition, sold work in Port Elizabeth will be taken by the owners at the end of the Port Elizabeth show and will not travel to Cape Town.
" Ubuntutu exhibition:
Members who are participating:
Annette McMaster, Hester Viles, Roy Starke, Gina Niederhumer, Helga Beaumont, Kathy Harmer Fox, Jenny Hearn, Celia de Villiers, Dana Biddle, Elaine Barnard and Sheila Walwyn.
Here is an update from Jenny Hearn regarding this exhibition. For more details refer to the previous newsletter
The exhibition will run from the 3rd October until the 30th, and then will move on to Stellenbosch and will be there for about three months. Michael and I will be driving down with the quilts and will set up the show at the Nelson Mandela Gateway Museum at the V&A Waterfront from the 30th September to the 2nd October with Vanessa Mitchell. The press launch will be at 11.30 on Monday morning and there will be an official opening that evening (4 - 7 pm, cheese and wine).., to which you are all invited. I shall take many pictures so that you can all see how well your work looks.
The Foundation has done an enormous amount of publicity, with invitations and flyers and posters in all the hotels etc. , so we should have many feet walking through as well as those people taking the Robben Island trip.
I am still negotiating with the Museum in Bloem who are sorting dates for me and I will see Dirk Oegama in Pretoria in the next week.
Best,
Jenny
Achievements of members:
" Sarojani Naidoo:
Sarojani Naidoo, a new member of Fibreworks is also a member of an art group that meets once a month to share ideas and collaborate on group art quilts.
The group entered the Taiwan International quilt exhibition in May 2016. The exhibition entitled 'Save the environment' ran for a month in Taiwan.
The group sent of six individual quilts all relating to the eco friendly work done at the Isimangaliso park at St Lucia in South Africa.
The quilts were returned and everyone received an exhibition catalogue, that featured quilts from all over the world.
Well done Sarojani!
Kathryn Harmer Fox and Jenny Hearn
Best of the World - Innovative
First place: The Three Watchers by Kathryn Harmer Fox ($700 award)
Third place: Pele: She-Who-Shapes-the-Land by Jenny Hearn ($300 award)
Big Congratulations to Kathy and Jenny! Their work will be part of the 20 South African quilts representing South Africa at various venues around America in the coming months at the World Quilt exhibitions.
See photos of all the winners here: http://www.quiltfest.com/upcoming-shows-and-events/world-quilt-new-england/enter-the-quilt-competition/2015-world-quilt-competition-winners/
Look out for the other South African quilts and the other award winner: Best of Country Award: South Africa: Tree Spirit by Sue Cameron ($400 award) Sue is a member of Village Quilters in Kloof.
Best,
Jeanette
