then and now - constant...

Winter 2016 Vol 42 No 4

A M ERI C AN TAPESTRY ALLIAN CE

H O N O R I N G T R A D I T I O N I N S P I R I N G I N N O V A T I O N

W W W A M ERI C ANTAPESTRYALLIAN CEO RG

A QUARTERLY REVIEW OF TAPESTRY ART TODAY

Then and Now

Contact ATA

Director of Member Services Michael Rohde boardamericantapestryallianceorgDirector of Resources Susan Iverson resourcesamericantapestryallianceorgTreasurer Regina Dale treasureramericantapestryallianceorgMembership Chair Patricia Dunston membershipamericantapestryallianceorgEducation Committee Chair Terry Olson educationamericantapestryallianceorgMentoring Program Terri Stewart tksweaververizonnetExhibition Chair Margo Macdonald exhibitionsamericantapestryallianceorgAmerican Tapestry Biennial 11 Co-Chairs Elaine Duncan elaineelaineduncancom Terri Bryson 2brysonsgmailcomSmall Tapestry International 5 Exhibition Chair Deborah Corsini atadeborahcorsinicomCatalog Distribution Deb Shoenberger bck2gardengmailcomAwards Chair Dorothy Clews ataawardamericantapestryallianceorgPromotions Chair Open promotionsamericantapestryallianceorgVolunteer Coordinator Donna Wynn volunteeramericantapestryallianceorgWeb Editor Tikka Wilson webeditoramericantapestryallianceorgTExATA Gallery Valerie Kirk Program Manager ValerieKirkanuedu Ashli Tyre Website ashlityrehotmailcomArtist Pages Sarah Warren artistpagesamericantapestryallianceorgTapestry Topics Leslie Munro newsletteramericantapestryallianceorgExecutive Director Mary Lane directoramericantapestryallianceorg

Then and NowPhoebe McAfee Theme Co-ordinator pg 5 Co-Directorsrsquo Letter pg 3

Theme Articles Jim Brown pg 5by James Nelson

Jim Brown and Hal Painter pg 7by Sharon Crary

Remembering Jim Brown pg 8by Tricia Goldberg

Profile Jim Brown pg 11

ldquoTapestry Tool Boxrdquo and The American Tapestry Allianceby Claudia Chase pg 12

Panorama of Tapestry and Jim Brown pg 12by Thoma Ewen

Jim Brown speaking at ATArsquos Silver Anniversary pg 16

Presidents or Co-Directors amp Board Members pg 16

Then and Now ATA Mastheads and Logos pg 17

Selections by Linda Wallace pg 19

In Conversation Erin M Riley and Tommye McClure Scanlinpg32

In Conversation Natalie Novak and Phoebe McAfeepg 36

Reviews - books exhibitions web resources

ldquoA More Beautiful Questionrdquo or How Ordering Cable TV Leadto a Two Week Cartooning Course with Nancy Jackson by Dorothy Thursby pg 40 A Report on Elemental Tapestry Earth Air Fire and Waterby Deborah Corsini pg 43

ATArsquos 2016 Members Retreat pg 45

Flexible Lines Aino Kajaniemi Instructor pg 45by Janette Meetze

Pulling WarpPushing Ideas Susan Iverson Instructor pg 47by Sue Weil ATA News pg 50

The Back Page pg 52

copy 2016 American Tapestry Alliance with permission from all contributing authors All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written permission Requests to reproduce material in this publication may be forwarded to the American Tapestry Alliance

Please note all page numbers are linked to pages

Cover Image Jan Moorersquos triptych ldquoRiver Take Me Alongrdquo with young admirers photo used with permission

3W W W A M ERI C ANTAPESTRYALLIAN CEO RG



Co-Directorsrsquo Letter Winter 2016

We welcome you to the Winter 2016 edition of Tapestry Topics and offer a sincere thank you to all who participated in the writing editing and publication of this issue It is always interesting to look back at the history of an organization and it is with great fondness and respect that so many people responded to the call for ldquomemoriesrdquo of Jim Brown and the beginning days of ATA This is such a meaningful issue for all of us within ATA Jim Brown was the person who breathed life into the idea that became ATA With his vision and years of dedication this organization grew and is now thriving with a large US and a growing international membership This issue is dedicated to the memory of this wonderful man

In August many of us met in Milwaukee for several active days that included Convergence the opening of Tapestry Unlimited at the Public Library (special thanks to Janna Maria Vallee Ruth Manning Lindsey Marshall Susan Rubendall and Fran Williamson) the Speakers Forum and biennial Members Meeting and the 2016 Members Retreat We enjoyed wonderful conversations casual and formal exchanges of ideas and a broadening of technical skills for some In general everything went smoothly and Milwaukee was a lovely host city

ATB 11 was well received at the South Bend Museum of Art and had a lovely opening in November at the Mulvane Art Museum at Washburn University in Topeka Kansas It has been wonderful to see images from these two venues and to know that so many people have been able to see the show in person Next the exhibition will be at the San Jose Museum of Quilts amp Textiles Congratulations again to all of the artists in this exciting show This show will live on through its beautiful catalog ndash thanks to Anna Kocherovsky who worked so hard on its publication

Thanks to all of you who submitted work to Small Tapestry International 5 Crossroads The results of Rudi Dundasrsquo jurying will be announced in January

In November Michael joined Christine Laffer for a long weekend in Chicago to represent ATA at SOFA on the Navy Pier Always an exciting event ndash they had the opportunity to spread the word about ATA and to talk to the many people who attend this event

Now that it is winter and we are looking back over this wonderfully productive year we can be proud of our accomplishments and also thankful to all of the volunteers who keep ATA vital Of course we are also looking forward to the future and all of the exciting programing coming up We hope to see many of you in San Jose for the events related to ATB 11 and we encourage you to enter work into The Grand Gesture and other exhibitions that present opportunities for you to share your work with the art loving public

Susan amp Michael

Susan Iverson Michael Rohde

4




Advertise with ATADo you teach classes Offer yarn dyeing services

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ATA is now offering advertising space in both Tapestry Topics and in the Membership Directory Ads are good for one year and can be updated quarterly

Discounts are offered for members and for advertisers who take out ads in both publications

Read more about our ads here Submit your ad online here

For more information email us

i nfoam ericantap estr yal l ian ceorg

ATA Social Media Links and Resources

For additional resources visit the ATA website at

THANKS TO OUR ADVERTISERS

Between Tapestry amp Etcndash Kathe Todd HookerCanadian Tapestry Centre Creative Coastal Retreats - Pam Patrie Damascus Fiber Arts School Glimakra USALeslie MitchellLost Pond Looms ndash Craig VogelMirrix Looms ndash Claudia Chase amp Elena ZuyokRebecca Mezoff Tapestry StudioSurface Design AssociationWeaversbazaar

httpbetweenandetccomtapestry-market-placehttpwwwoakvilleartsstudiocomhttpwwwpampatriestudioscomhttpwwwdamascusfiberartsschoolcomhttpwwwglimakraUSAcom

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Jim Brownby James Nelson

This article is excerpted from a talk given at Jim Brownrsquos memorial service by James Nelson in April of 2016

My story about Jim Brown started in 1983 when I was a director of an arts center in Yuma Arizona Jim and his partner Hal met with me and said that they wanted to hold a retrospective tapestry exhibit there I said ldquoGreat what is itrdquo and they said ldquoOh just a few weavings that are coming from all over the worldrdquo I said ldquoYoursquore going to take care of all of it All the shipping all the receiving everythingrdquo ldquoYesrdquo said Jim ldquoThatrsquos what I do to help support Halrsquos workrdquo The exhibition was a wonderful tribute to 40 years of Halrsquos weaving career I learned a lot about these two gentlemen and their commitment to weaving through a two-year process of collecting and installing over 100 tapestries

In 1993 ten years after I met Jim I received an invitation to Halrsquos memorial at the San Francisco Art Institute where Hal went to school Jim wanted to know if Irsquod be willing to help and I told him of course When I arrived I was presented with a script (Jim liked to be organized) and I was the fifth of seven presenters I was to talk about the Yuma exhibition and my experience of working with them After the talks we went to the roof where every one of us released balloons and special thoughts about our dear friend

At Halrsquos memorial service Jim said that hersquod like to come visit me as I was living at Sea Ranch just north of San Francisco One weekend he showed up with a lamb roast He said ldquoIf yoursquove got an oven Irsquove got a lambrdquo He stayed that weekend and did some essential mourning for Hal while looking out the window to the ocean waves It was an opportunity for him to finally find some peace At the time Jim had acquired a small job working on a book project in Tiberon Occasionally hersquod call up and say ldquoDo you want some lambrdquo My friends would often join us and it was great fun getting to know Jim better and hear many stories about Hal and the weaving life they shared

The business where I worked had sold and Jim offered me his home in Chiloquin Oregon for temporary storage of my household treasures He had a huge house that was hand built by Hal and Jim and both their fathers They called it HalBro House During that time Jim found out that he had inoperable prostate cancer and that it had probably spread The doctor said that he had six months or maybe six years It was hard for Jim to learn this news after losing Hal Halrsquos father both his mother and father and many close friends I said ldquoDonrsquot worry Irsquoll hang out with you and wersquoll be a teamrdquo

The next time he went to the hospital they said ldquoWho are yourdquo and I said that I was Jimrsquos son this allowed me to attend his appointments and have access to his medical information I think at that moment in the doctorrsquos office we just adopted each other So thatrsquos how I got my dad and how Jim got his son I told Jim that if he died first that Irsquod hold his hand but if I died first hersquod have to hold my hand That was the deal Twenty-two years after his diagnosis I lost my closest friend and father

Earlier in Jimrsquos life he sold insurance and sold cars but finally ended up moving to San Francisco He worked for twelve years for United Airlines because he wanted to travel and boy did he ever get to travel He won an around-

Jim Brown and Hal Painter Chiloquin Oregon 1968

ATA Then and Now Why I decided to co-ordinate this issue of Tapestry Topicsby Phoebe McAfee

Before there was ATA before San Francisco Tapestry Workshop there was The Yarn Depot on Sutter Street in downtown San Francisco Fresh from a two-year apprenticeship with Rachel Brown I arrived in San Francisco at age 25 and worked at the Yarn Depot for five years Hal Painter was a regular customer The weaving shop was more than a retail yarn store Weavers from around the world shopped taught classes told their stories Helen Pope introduced us to a generation of fiber artists A West Coast flowering of weaving and tapestry was just beginning and we soaked it up In 1975 I entered the MA program in Textiles at San Francisco State University The next year Hal Painter and Jim Brown took their bicentennial tour of America and returned with a slide show for our assembled textile students From that trip ATA was born I am so grateful to have known them

Phoebe McAfee

6




the-world raffle ticket He went to Japan twice He went to Hawaii on a ship didnrsquot get off came back and got on another ship and went back again Jim also went to Cuba for a couple of years as part of the Foreign Service He was sent to code breaking school and was assigned to Cuba in 1952

Jim told a lot of stories and we werenrsquot always able to validate them But it is true that he did sing at St Johns the Presidentrsquos Church in Washington DC He sang in the church choir for two years and loved it He said that he remembered meeting the Roosevelts Franklin and Eleanor at the church

Jim liked to dance and he liked to perform In fact when he went to his 60th class reunion he went around the room saying ldquoHells Bells what are you doing Marthardquo Nobody in the room had a clue what this crazy man was doing But he had been in a high school play Everybodyrsquos Crazy and that was his line He assumed that everyone would remember the play Finally when he got up to talk he said ldquoBy the way I am Sir Godfrey and that was my line from Hells Bells our senior playrdquo

Jim met Hal through taking weaving classes He loved the idea of weaving and the creative artist lifestyle he also liked the therapy of it He was working for United Airlines at that time and weaving became very important to him One of the subjects that Jim wove were scenes from operas including a portrait of Beverly Sills which he

gave to her Jim had planned 12 scenes of operatic stages

Over the years Jim continued to create tapestries and at the same time focused on the American Tapestry Alliance which he and Hal created in 1982 He managed many traveling exhibits of juried shows around the US and in Europe featuring internationally recognized tapestry artists A highlight of his career was being honored in 2007 at ATArsquos Silver Anniversary Celebration celebrating 25 years of this important art organizationIn 1970 Jim and Hal went to Chiloquin and began the Weaving in the Woods workshops They started building a house which took ten years Every summer they offered workshops Jim also learned to dye yarns and then taught classes on wool dying during the summer workshops on the Sprague River

The week before Jim passed he was looking in a mirror and thinking about Halrsquos final tapestry ldquoReflectingrdquo which was hanging above his favorite recliner When I came in the room he said ldquoI think Irsquom going to write a book about that Everyone wants to know what it means I was with Hal the whole time he wove it and he never once mentioned who those people are or what it meansrdquo I said ldquoAnd you didnrsquot ask himrdquo ldquoNordquo Jim said ldquoIt wasnrsquot my positionrdquo That shows the respectful relationship Jim had with Hal Many artists keep their feelings about their work private and Jim respected that over those 32 years

The weaving hut at the HalBro House Chiloquin Oregon 1974

Jim Brown giving Beverly Sills the tapestry he wove for her 1977




James Nelson and Jim Brown celebrating Jimrsquos birthday 2015

Jim Brown and Hal Painterby Sharon Crary

When a couple of traveling tapestry artists were coming by Baton Rouge Louisiana during the Year of Americarsquos Bicentennial in 1976 our weaving guild Bayou Yarn Benders jumped at the chance to have a tapestry workshop Jim Brown and Hal Painter led us from the warping to an almost finished product before they were on to the next leg of their cross country tapestry teaching trek

Sharon Crary ldquoMy First Tapestryrdquo 14 in x 16 in 10 or 12 epi 1976 photo Sharon Crary Cotton warp hand spun wool poly-wool rug wool mill-ends Collection of the weaver

James Nelson has been immersed in the arts community for 50 years beginning as an arts educator in public schools and advancing to chair of a college fine arts department His activities have included Art Center amp Art Museum Director CFO at a fine art printing company Portland Art Museum PAM Rental Sales Gallery Manager corporate art project coordinator and currently a not-for-profit arts consultant

My experience living with Jim was amazing he was always there for me yet he never interfered We moved twelve times over two decades Our last move was to the sixth floor of a two-bedroom apartment in Portland near the VA and Oregon Health Sciences University We knew that this was the last chapter and probably the last move

Jim was a gentleman and it was an honor to know him He was my closest friend advisor and confident and a true gentleman to the end He enriched many lives through his kindness and humor he will be long remembered

Sharon Crary is a long time weaver of weft face rugs and added tapestry weaving to her fiber fun about ten years ago

I had been weaving two years and only had a picture frame with nails loom For design inspiration Jim and Hal instructed us to go out on the Louisiana State University campus (where we were meeting) and pick up any kind of odds and ends On our return we were to take those objects and incorporate them in some way shape or form into a hopefully artistic composition I picked up a smashed soda pop can and a fallen branch whose shapes I combined in my design My warp was cotton rug warp and my weft was some gnarly hand-spun wool poly-wool blend and some other mill end rug wools However even with the shortcomings in my equipment and materials for my initial tapestry experience the seed was planted by these two charming gentlemen

I kept that first piece with all its quirks and smile when I think about how Jim and Halrsquos journey started my journeyin tapestry

8




Remembering Jim Brownby Tricia Goldberg

I met Jim Brown and Hal Painter when they stopped by as so many people did when I was a weaver at the San Francisco Tapestry Workshop in the early 1980s It was wonderful to have a place for tapestry weavers and exciting when people would stop in from all over

Jim and Hal began The American Tapestry Alliance in 1982 with a vision in Jimrsquos words ldquoto build a support system which might help tapestry artisans gain some recognitionrdquo by sharing information and resources sponsoring exhibitions and promoting awareness of contemporary tapestry to a wider audience Jim had apprenticed with Hal they taught tapestry workshops and they followed this by starting ATA

I joined ATA in connection with the Panorama of Tapestry exhibition at the 1986 Convergence in Toronto I was thrilled that my tapestry ldquoBuranordquo was included excited to go to Toronto from San Francisco and happy to meet the tiny subset of tapestry weavers within the thousands of textile enthusiasts at the Handweavers of America biennial conference

In rereading my earliest issues of Tapestry Topics and my personal correspondence with Jim I sense the same care and deep interest to share our love of this expressive textile art form then as now in 2016 continuing for thirty years

My oldest copy of Tapestry Topics (July 1986) included an interview with Jim Jim and Hal and their fathers had built their house and studio over an eight-year period in Chiloquin Oregon When I got married in 1987 my husband and I drove north from San Francisco and spent a night there with Jim Hal and Halrsquos father I wish I remembered more Irsquom sure we talked a lot about the growing interest in

tapestry weaving My husband and I fondly remember theirquirky inventively designed and decorated home

Jim said he had been interested in textiles for 20 years when he met Hal He was ldquostruck by the calmness and quiet of his vocationrdquo and later asked to apprentice with him In 1976 they had their own ldquobicentennialrdquo traveling 30000 miles in 18 months offering workshops and continued to teach together while Hal also designed and wove his own tapestries Asked about ATArsquos first five years Jim said that it was hard to convince weavers that banding together would have an impact but that he believed strongly in the quality of their work He wanted ATA to help artists gain recognition

The Panorama of Tapestry exhibition was a tribute to Jean Lurccedilat (1892ndash1966) Most of the artists in the catalog continued as tapestry weavers and I wonder whether this would have happened without a community to support and encourage us Most of us design and weave our own work in small studios exploring our individual expression but are happy to be part of a bigger tapestry community

Two years later ATA planned an ambitious touring exhibition World Tapestry Today in conjunction with the Victorian Tapestry Symposium part of the Australian Bicentennial celebration The exhibition toured for a year beginning in Melbourne traveling to Chicago Memphis New York Heidelberg and Stuttgart Germany and Aubusson France I was able to see the exhibition in Chicago when I was there for my second Convergence

The symposium included an unjuried small-format tapestry exhibition World Weavers Wall A catalog arrived in my mail unexpectedly and I have shared it with countless students

Tricia Goldberg ldquoBuranordquo 29 in x 95 in 1985




Hal Painter ldquoThe Imperialsrdquo 75 in x 38 in

Tricia Goldberg has taught tapestry weaving for over twenty-five years She offers small classes and individual instruction in her studio in Berkeley California She also travels to teach at weaving guilds textile conferences art centers and museums Tricia lectures about her designing and weaving process She weaves commission tapestries as well as her exhibition work Tricia is an active and founding member of Tapestry Weavers West begun in 1985 and is also a member of the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles and the Richmond Art Center

Jim Brown and Tricia Goldberg during ATArsquos Silver Anniversary Exhibition San Jose CA 2007

For my piece in World Tapestry Today ldquoUntitled Abstractrdquo I collaborated with my friend Bonnie Boren working from her original watercolor After the exhibition friends of Bonnie purchased the tapestry and we later obtained a commission for a tapestry for a public building Irsquom sure having our work in the catalog helped

Hal Painterrsquos tapestry ldquoThe Imperialsrdquo was also in World Tapestry Today In his artist statement in the catalog he says painting drawing print-making and ceramics led to an ldquoaccidentalrdquo entry into tapestry In the catalog introduction Jim wrote ldquoAfter two decades ofhellipthe fiber explosion the tapestry makers who quietly studied and pursued their medium without feeling the need to compromise their technical training for the sake of being avant garde finally have a chance to be seenrdquo

10




wwwsurfacedesignorg

Join for the Journal stay for the community

Innovation in Fiber Art amp Design

Surface Design Association




Profile Jim BrownThis article was originally published in Tapestry Topics July 1986

In order to acquaint the membership with the policy-makers of ATA Tapestry Topics will run a series of interviews with the members of the board The series opens with an interview with the man who organized the American Tapestry Alliance and has been its director for five years Jim Brown

Q When and where were you born

A I was born in Washington DC November 18 1927

Q Where do you live now

A I have lived the last 13 years outside a very small town called Chiloquin Oregon My associate and partner Hal Painter and I decided to move there after teaching two summers in that beautiful desert high desert country We spent eight years building a house and studio ourselves with the help of our fathers

Q What first attracted you to textiles or tapestry Where and how did you become apprenticed to Hal Painter

A Interesting that you post those two questions together as they do interact with each other I am amazed to realize that the beginnings of my textile interest has been almost 20 years During a rather stressful period in my job I had an occasion to be introduced to a weaver Hal Painter and was immediately struck by the calmness and quiet atmosphere of his vocation I was always glad to accept invitations to any of his gatherings of crafts friends In time I became envious of all that serenityhellip and asked him if he would consider having an apprentice and he accepted me

Q Can you describe the organizational experience prior to ATA the Oregon Summer Workshops for 11 years and the National Wool Showcase for two years

A We decided to try the summer workshop idea in Oregon on the Sprague River The first summer there were just four one week classes These were outdoor classes in a grove of trees on the riverbank using Navajo-like looms The students loved the idea and the setting and we had two-week sessions the following year for two months and the third year I decided to give up the airlines and we moved to Oregon This teaching experience gave us the wonderful opportunity to meet many fine craftspeople and one of our students approach us about helping to formulate

Jim Brown 2001

the National Wool Showcase We couldnrsquot refuse such a great idea and have always been glad to have been a part of that challenge

Q What inspired you to form a national organization of tapestry weavers

A In 1976 we decided to do something very unique for us so that we would always remember the bicentennial year We became modern-day itinerant weavers much as found in colonial America except rather than offering our services as makers of fine linens we would offer tapestry weaving workshops We certainly succeeded in making it a memorable experiencehellip in 18 months we drove 30000 miles from Oregon to Florida to New England with sojourns into Mexico and Canada to give workshops

It was because of that experience that we began to wonder about how those students were making out I thought perhaps we could do something to build a support system which might help tapestry artisans gain some recognition and discovered it was an idea well received

Q Can you describe some of your experiences in getting ATA started and also some of the highlights and failures in its 5-year history

A It has taken these years to build our credibility and increase our membership but we are achieving those goals The most difficult thing personally has been trying to convince the members and prospective members that we can have an impact by banding together in making ourselves known It has not been easy since we all have our egos that sometimes get in the way but I believe so much in the quality of work that our members are producing and that ATA can help make their efforts more recognized

We have already achieved some worthwhile credits a ldquoPresentationrdquo workshop in San Francisco a national open competition for tapestry design and our first exhibition last spring of French contemporary tapestries in San Diego One of our disappointments was probably a blessing in disguise and that was not being accepted for a working exhibit for the New Orleans Worldrsquos Fair I believe our Toronto Convergence lsquo86 tapestry exhibit is just the impetus that we need and I hope the membership will become more active in working to see that ATA continues making tapestry recognized as the noble art form it is We need to produce more works and exhibit frequently

12




Panorama of Tapestry Tribute to Jean LurccedilatEn hommage agrave Jean Lurccedilat the first USCanadian tapestry exhibition curated by Jim Brown for the American Tapestry Alliance and Convergence 86

I was the Canadian co-ordinator for Panorama of Tapestry collaborating as part of the Ontario Crafts Councilrsquos Convergence 86 exhibitions committee I was thrilled to be part of the team that made this wonderful Convergence event happen (I believe it was the first time Convergence was held in Canada though I am not sure of that as fact) And I had the enormous privilege of installing this exquisite tapestry exhibition at the Edward Johnson Building at the University of Toronto I safely guarded the Lurccedilat tapestry that was in the exhibition in my home prior to the installation Panorama of Tapestry was on exhibit in Toronto from June 26 to August 14 1986

I vividly remember unpacking and unrolling the tapestries and marvelling all the while Just to touch the works and to be responsible for the exhibition was an amazing experience That was thirty years ago And yet I still feel the awe and excitement looking through the catalogue that the American Tapestry Alliance published and reading the words that Jim Brown wrote in his curatorial statement for the exhibition

I organized twelve exhibitions for Convergence 86 and three of those exhibitions were major tapestry exhibitions Panorama of Tapestry at the Edward Johnson Building University of Toronto Tapestry Canada at the Hart House Art Gallery at University of Toronto and Tapestry Makers the group I founded of six Toronto tapestry artists at the Riverdale Farm Art Gallery a community art gallery for which I coordinated exhibitions I also coordinated an exhibition of Micheline Beaucheminrsquos contemporary

Panorama of Tapestry and Jim Brownby Thoma Ewen

Nostalgia brought on by our recent attendance at Convergence (the Handweavers Guild of Americarsquos every two year event) led me to do some research to rediscover my tapestry past I found a letter from Marti Fleischer who was the editor for the American Tapestry Alliance newsletter from 1994 to 2002 I met Marti through mail and maybe even phone conversations and soon I was writing a column for the ATA newsletter (back in the days when it was mailed to all its members) In her good-bye letter as editor she mentions that column ldquoIn 1994 we began running ldquoThe Tapestry Toolboxrdquo written by Claudia Anne Chase The article which continued several years lent insight into questions about looms and all related tapestry paraphernaliardquo Those three years of articles are buried somewhere in my attic

I apparently also became a member of the ATA Board Thank goodness for the internet to kick start my past

I first met Marti in an elevator the day I arrived at my hotel to attend that first Convergence (it was the first Convergence for ATA as well) I was wearing a long silk dress and my long dark hair hung way past my waist Because there was no room in the elevator I stood on my suitcase Marti walked into the elevator and I recognized her right away (donrsquot ask me how maybe I had seen a photograph of her) I said hello and told her who I was She looked up at this 6-foot tall woman (remember all 5 feet 2 inches of me was standing on a suitcase) and she said ldquoOh my gosh I thought you were Cherrdquo

I will never forget that first Convergence I traveled there by car with three other weavers (I was the only tapestry weaver) I was living in Wisconsin and Convergence was in Minneapolis The year was 1994 My greatest memory of the event was attending the tapestry exhibit and the Small Expressions exhibit The only huge tapestries I had ever seen before included images of unicorns and castles This exhibit was mind blowing Most of them were huge And every single one grabbed my full attention I had to tear myself away If there is ever an American Tapestry Alliance exhibit near you GO Once you get there they will have to force you to leave Inspiration abounds

This article is excerpted from a July 29 2014 post on the Mirrix Tapestry and Bead Loom Blog

Claudia Chase began weaving tapestry on a rigid heddle loom when pregnant with her daughter Elena Thirty-one years later Elena and Claudia run Mirrix Tapestry amp Bead Looms Ltd a company born twenty years ago when Claudia decided she needed to design a great portable tapestry loom

ldquoTapestry Tool Boxrdquo and The American Tapestry Allianceby Claudia Chase




Thoma Ewen is a Canadian tapestry artist who has been designing and weaving tapestries for over 40 years working from her studio at Moon Rain Centre in Val-Des-Monts Quebec Thoma has exhibited her tapestries in Canada USA England France Poland Mexico Guatemala Venezuela and China She directs highly praised community tapestry projects and has received numerous awards including the Grand Prix drsquoExcellence in the Culturiads in 2008 and 2011 Thoma is founding Artistic Director of La Triennale Internationale des Arts Textiles en Outaouais She is the author of ldquoThe Living Tapestry Workbookrdquo a beginnerrsquos how-to-weave-tapestry manual which you can find at httpwwwmoonraincaTapestryWorkBookhtml

Photo Jamie Cruickshank

tapestries for that Convergence event in Toronto Micheline Beauchemin one of Canadarsquos most illustrious fibre artists passed away in 2009 After Convergence I continued to tour Tapestry Makers in the greater Toronto region until I moved from Toronto to Moon Rain Centre in the Gatineau Hills north of Ottawa

That Convergence 86 event and the rich excitement and creative nourishment of visually experiencing the works of so many international calibre tapestry artists sowed the seeds for my future collaboration with La Triennale Internationale des Arts Textiles en Outaouais which has just finished its third edition

I remember Jim Brown coming to visit my studio home in downtown Toronto and saying that now he knew where the heart of tapestry was in Canada It was such a life-affirmative comment for me to hear at the time because my life in tapestry was really just beginning

In 1986 Toronto was very receptive to tapestry As well as being home to the Ontario Crafts Council Toronto was home to the Ontario Association of Architects and the Ontario Association of Interior Designers Architects and interior designers actively used and promoted tapestries in their projects And in those days they often had the freedom to select the artwork for buildings lobbies and offices It was indeed a very exciting time to be a young professional tapestry artist

My daughter Gabby Ewen was a toddler at that time it was exactly thirty years ago I took her to many of the Convergence openings She is now Executive Director of La Triennale

A group of the exhibiting tapestry artists in the Panorama of Tapestry exhibition came to Toronto for the opening and later visited my studio-home in downtown Toronto for a small gathering Among them was Susan Martin Maffei who I met then for the first time Happily our paths have crossed a number of times since 1986 when Susan Martin Maffei and Archie Brennan have come to Moon Rain Centre to teach tapestry workshops or as in 2013 when Susan and Archie exhibited as part of La Triennale and again in the most recent 2016 Triennale where Susan participated in the Installation In Situ category along the walking path at Moon Rain Centre in the Gatineau Hills

Life passes much too quickly I hope to continue to weave tapestries and to coordinate tapestry exhibitions because tapestry is one of my very great loves and tapestry has defined my life

Even more important I urge you all each and every one of you to coordinate group tapestry exhibitions for your own municipal art gallery for your closest university or college gallery or for your local or regional public library We have to make tapestry more public more visible much less rare and much more accessible We have to show the world it is still happening Otherwise the world just doesnrsquot know

We all need to become tapestry activists and tapestry advocates ndash just like Jim Brown

Moon Rain Centrewwwmoonrainca

FOR SALEAshford Extra Wide Tapestry Loom$300bull Weaving space 29 in x 40 inbull Quick easy warping with revolving frame

amp tension adjustmentbull Adjustable height amp weaving anglebull Very strong Silver Beech hardwood constructionbull Second shed is made with leash rod amp string heddlesbull Needs small repair on one of two tension rods

great condition otherwisebull Contact Leslie Mitchell Pittsburgh Pa

grlzrockverizonnet

14







16




ldquoOne of the biggest joys in my ten years of devotion and love for this medium was working on the exhibition World Tapestry Today I met so many people whose names I still recognize in the current exhibition

Some of this weekendrsquos discussion of ATArsquos international membership reminds me that artists from around the world have been connected to ATA for many years It will be important to continue to foster this global community

I am amazed at ATArsquos membership at the professionalism of the organization and its long list of accomplishmentsrdquo

Presidents or Co-Directors

Jim Brown 1982Marti Fleischer 1993 Jean Smelker-Hugi 1996Jackie Wollenberg 1998Judy Schuster 2000 - 2002 Alex Friedman 2002 - 2006 Christine Laffer 2003 - 2006 Becky Stevens 2006 - 2008 Linda Wallace 2006 - 2008 Mary Zicafoose 2008 - 2016 Michael Rohde 2008 - Susan Iverson 2016 -

Board Members

Jim Brown and Tricia Goldberg during ATArsquos Silver Anniversary ExhibitionSan Josa CA 2007

Jim BrownHal PainterRuth ScheuerNancy HarveyMuriel NezhnieSharon MarcusStephen ThurstonHenry EllisMarti FleischerTommye ScanlinCourtney ShawMary DieterichJanet FischerKaren FrickerBeverly KentSuzanne PrettyVictor Jacoby

Suzanne PrettyJeyhan RohaniOlga NeutsVirginia SalisburyJudy SchusterKathy SpoeringClaudia ChaseJackie WollenbergJean Smelker-HugiCollins RedmanBarbara HellerBetty Hilton-NashJohanna FoslienLetty RollerPat PoggiMadeleine Darling-TungAnne Clark

Jane EboneJoan GriffinRuth ManningJon Eric RiisAnne McGinnLys Ann ShoreJanet AustinKathe Todd HookerAlex FriedmanEllen RamseyChristine LafferAmy KropitzMary LaneBarb RichardsBecky StevensLinda WallaceLinda Weghorst

Mary ZicafooseMichael RohdeRosalee SkrenesElaine DuncanDiane WolfTricia GoldbergKathy MarcelSarah SwettMargo MacdonaldTal LandeauPat DunstonBarb BrophyKimberly BrandelTerry OlsonSusan IversonRegina DaleDorothy Clews

Jim Brown speaking at ATArsquos Silver Anniversary Celebration in San Jose California 2007




Then and Now ATA Mastheads and Logos

1983

January 1986

October 1986

18




1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011




SelectionsLinda Wallace was asked to select two tapestries from each American Tapestry Biennial and Small Tapestry International exhibition for which we have digital images to be included in this issue of the newsletter This is what she says about the decision making process

Each of the American Tapestry Biennial and Small Tapestry International exhibitions is filled with tapestries of excellence displaying a broad variety of approaches to our medium It seemed nearly impossible to pick just two from each show In case you are wondering about the way I went about this job Irsquoll share some of my process with you I needed rules First This was a selection made by ldquomerdquo The selections are necessarily coloured by my own preferences by the pieces that grabbed me as I flipped through the catalogues (again and again) Beyond that an artist could only have one image selected I tried to find a balance that would highlight skill and creativity image and abstraction and to keep the artistsrsquo geographic location balanced It was similar to being a curator except that I was choosing from catalogues and not digital images I couldnrsquot see all twenty images at one time so I tried to find two pieces in each exhibition that either worked well together or bounced off each other The job turned out to be far more difficult than I had anticipated I made and remade the list as I thought of new considerations twists and subtleties I could easily put together another list and then another There were so many beautiful tapestries

Growing up in a Vancouver Island beach house living in the High Arctic and aboard a series of boats Linda Wallace developed an interest in the edges of her world A background as a registered nurse and a mid-life BFA from the Alberta College of Art and Design developed her passionate interest in feminism womenrsquos lives and womenrsquos health After five years on the Board of the American Tapestry Alliance (Co-Director for three years) she returned to her studio to research draw and weave full time A recipient of one of ATArsquos Teitelbaum Trust awards her tapestries and drawings are in public collections nationally and private collections internationally Her work as artist and curator is recognized within the tapestry medium and outside it as evidenced by articles in Fiberarts Textile American Style and Fiber Art Now

Glimakra USAALL your weaving needs

A long tradition of quality-- Looms -- Accessories

-- Swedish yarnwwwglimakraUSAcom

ordersglimakrausacom1-541-246-8679

20




ConnectionsMihaela Mirela Grigore ldquoStealing the Stonerdquo 7 in x 105 in

Kathe Todd Hooker ldquoWhat Spider Woman Could Have Told Icarusrdquo 8 in x 45 in photo Kathe Todd-Hooker Embroidery floss sewing thread and buttonhole twist




STI 2

Clare Coyle ldquoCarving the Marksrdquo 3 in x 6 in photo Clare Coyle Wool silk cotton linen

Susan Crary ldquoGoing Through the Motionsrdquo10 in x 9 in photo Sharon Crary Wool cotton

22




Dorothy Clews ldquoThe Space Betweenrdquo 8 in x 5 in photo Dorothy Clews Seine twine raffia antique tapestry

Joyce Hayes ldquoEtude 4rdquo 105 in x 1113 in photo Cecil Hayes Linen warp cotton sewing thread weft rayon soumak

STI 3




STI 4

Janet Austin ldquoAnticipationrdquo 4235 in x 8 in photo Janet Austin Wool linen cotton

Becky StevensldquoHuff lsquon Puffrdquo 10 in x 9 in photo Dick Stevens Wool on cotton and wire warps

24




ATB 6

Margrethe Agger ldquoDay and Night Butterfliesrdquo 214 m x 175 m photo John OlsenSpelsau wool

Christine Laffer ldquoCloth of Constructionrdquo 102 in x 138 in photo Jack Toolin Wool




ATB 7

Alexandra Friedman ldquoFlow 1rdquo 32 in x 27 in photo Kate Cameron Cotton braided cotton ribbon wool

Barbara Heller ldquoThe Shamanrdquo 51 in x 32 in photo Ted Clark Image This Linen warp wool weft cotton linen synthetics

26




ATB 8Anne NaustdalldquoArid Landscaperdquo 53 in x 57 in photo Kim Muumlller Linen coconut fiber gold leaf

Joan Baxter ldquoHallaigrdquo63 in x 394 in Wool linen flax weft cotton warp




ATB 9Thomas CronenbergldquoDaheim (At Home)rdquo 61 in x 437 in Linen wool silk mercerized cotton

Susan IversonldquoVerdantrdquo 51 in x 88 in x 6 inWool linen glass

28




ATB 10Lialia KuchmaldquoBluRoserdquo 64 in x 71 in photo Lialia Kuchmawool weft cotton warp

Misako Wakamatsu ldquoComplicationsrdquo 12 in x 52 in photo Misako Wakamatsu Silk cloth and linen yarn




ATB 11Marie-Thumette BrichardldquoLaminaires 3rdquo67 in x 49 in photo Herveacute Cohonner Wool and silk

Julia Mitchell ldquoEdge of the Pond 5rdquo51 in x 28 in photo Gary Mirando Photography Wool silk and linen

30







32




Erin and Tommye carried out their conversation via email separately answering several questions from Mary Lane and Phoebe McAfee the Theme Coordinator Erinrsquos answers are noted as E and Tommyersquos as T

T I have known and admired Erin Rileyrsquos work for several years and I was pleased to be able to facilitate her 2011 visit to the University of North Georgia where she was a guest speaker at a symposium about censorship and art While there she also met with weaving students showed several of her tapestries and talked to them about her work

Erin Rileyrsquos tapestries are always thought provoking and whether one regards them as shocking and controversial or brave and amazing they are all beautifully designed and woven with great passion I feel Erin is one of the bright lights of the next generation of tapestry makers and I was happy to be asked to have a conversation with her

E A friend pointed me to the history of weaving in Buddhism and I find itrsquos almost how I approach weaving as a process ldquoWeaving was a means to embark on a lifelong journey on the loom from plain white cloth to the intricate designs of the black hamsa from the mundane

to the supermundane It is sad to realize that textiles in Mae Chaem and elsewhere in the country have lost the connection to a journey through life in a tradition that was once dominant but that now is powerless and even irretrievably lostrdquo Itrsquos a tangent but definitely how I think about weaving -ndash as a lifelong journey

How did you get involved with tapestry weaving What enticed you How did you learn to weave tapestry

E I took Intro to Weaving in college and the basic class structure was balanced weaving warp faced weaving and weft faced weaving It was interesting for me to see something so new and challenging I was focused on being a painter out of lack of knowledge of textiles but realized I could paint with yarn instead

T I first began as a self-taught fabric weaver but soon started taking lots of weaving workshops Later I got an MFA with concentration in weaving I was always seeking ways to make images with weaving trying lots of methods I avoided tapestry because I didnrsquot think Irsquod have the discipline to stick with it until I could do it in the way Irsquod want to That changed when I saw the 1988 World Tapestry Today exhibit in Chicago and I knew that nothing but tapestry would satisfy my desire to make woven images That year I began learning about tapestry with Nancy Harveyrsquos videos and book Irsquove now had many tapestry workshops Times Irsquove spent with Archie Brennan

In ConversationErin M Riley and Tommye McClure Scanlin

Erin M Riley ldquoThings Left Behindrdquo 96 in x 100 in 6 epi 2016 photo Erin M Riley Hand dyed wool cotton warp

Tommye Scanlin ldquoBlack Walnutrdquo 7 in x 6 in 15 epi 2016 photo Tim Barnwell Linen hand dyed (black walnut) wool cotton silk hemp




and Susan Martin Maffei have made the most impact on my work but everyone who Irsquove studied with has been instrumental to my tapestry experiences

Do you work in other media as well

E I am only working with tapestry andor weaving at the moment my studio practice involves weaving pretty much daily I am collaborating with my partner on rugs so it is more plain weave and texturedpile weaving

T Yes I work in several ways to develop imagery for tapestry Drawing paintings and photography all play a part in how I design I sometimes exhibit these pieces along with tapestry

Do you combine other media with tapestry If so explain how multimedia work is important to your work

E I used to collage into my weavings but realized that was only because my skill was lacking I stopped adding in elements and started pushing myself to get better at details and imagery

T Yes Irsquove combined other media with tapestry when the idea called for it Currently Irsquom not doing so Irsquom certainly not opposed to it if it works with the idea to be conveyed

Is imaging making important to you Explain

E Yes in a way The image is composed carefully and

thoughtfully This is due to the obvious fact that I am spending hours of my life weaving it but also because I want the end work to have a particular impact I spend a lot of time thinking about symbolism and details that are important to include

T Very definitely yes image making is important to me Contained in every tapestry I weave there is some meaning thatrsquos important to me by my choosing the images used Sometimes itrsquos enough for me to know my intentmdashother times I hope to convey meaning to the viewer

What do you think tapestryrsquos strengths are What are its weaknesses

E I think the novelty of tapestry is both its weakness and strength Obviously itrsquos been around forever but in contemporary art and modern decorative arts there arenrsquot many trained eyes and therefore intention and skill are often blurred In my sort of old school mentality I believe (and was taught) one must learn and semi-master a technique before turning it on its head and making it onersquos own These days people are just learning the VERY basics and intuitively making things they have zero intention of creating I am often torn by the beauty that is inherent in the weaving mdash the materiality and yarn and the makersrsquo intention

T For me the primary strength of tapestry is its materiality combined with its powerful image potential I thoroughly enjoy seeing how people use the medium to make the

Tommye Scanlin ldquoBlack Gumrdquo 14 in x 14 in 8 epi 2016 photo Tim Barnwell Wool linen cotton

Erin M Riley ldquoUndressing 3rdquo 46 in x 48 in 8 epi 2014 photo Erin M Riley Hand dyed wool cotton warp

34




images they present I love seeing the weft-faced woven structure of tapestry

As far as weakness of tapestry Irsquod say that in the mind of the larger viewing audience in the US the process is so far removed from most peoplersquos experience that it is hard for the public to appreciate both the time spent in the weaving and the skill involved in developing the design I think this is one of the reasons that the process of tapestry creation is under-appreciated and under-valued in the US

What is the importance of skill and technical proficiency in tapestry weaving to you

E Very important Although I will never claim to be a master at weaving something inherent to the process is the fact that with every pass of the weft every threading of the loom you learn something about yourself and your technique ldquoI am changingrdquo is a personal mantra But I am begrudgingly supporting weavers via social media whose work is going to fall apart simply by being moved is unintentional in outcome (canrsquot be repeated) or is exploiting the popularity of weaving by Jacquard weaving works or hiring out the labor I have had some issues with my warp showing in works in the beginning of my practice but I recovered and learned better materials and techniques to fix that I am also using visual cues of ldquode-skillingrdquo intentionally in newer works (showing the warp) but I am thankful I had the strong base of intention and practice

T I think that with any medium the development of technical proficiency can only aid the way one hopes to use it Irsquom of the strong opinion that doing tapestry rather than thinking about how to do tapestry is the way that proficiency develops Yet I continue to feel very humble in the face of the challenges of making a good simple weft-faced plain weave cloth of tapestry I have been doing tapestry pretty much exclusively in my studio practice for over twenty-five years now and Irsquom still challenged almost every day with some technical issue

What is the relative value of the process of making (the doing of it the weaving) to the end product (the image the object)

E I think its 70 making and 30 the end product When I finish a piece I almost hate it resenting it being done with me I have to break my ties with the work (usually a nightrsquos sleep) before looking at it and enjoying it Every piece has issues and flaws but something I really like about tapestry is showing those flaws it sucks but itrsquos also very humbling Irsquom pretty obsessed with the weaving process

T I guess for me the making and the end product are of equal value I appreciate the significance of every movement of the weaverrsquos hands in the creation of the image thatrsquos being made in tapestry And I love seeing the image at last complete as the final passes are put in and the tapestry is cut from the loom

Tommye Scanlin ldquoHickoryrdquo 29 in x 19 in 8 epi 2015 photo Tim Barnwell Wool and linen




Erin M Riley ldquoHighway Memorial 5rdquo 18 in x 24 in 8 epi 2015 photo Erin M Riley Hand dyed wool cotton warp

Erin M Riley is an artist living and working in Brooklyn NY She received her MFA in fibers from Tyler School of Art and her BFA in fibers from Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Tommye Scanlin is Professor Emerita of Art University of North Georgia Dahlonega Georgia where she and her family (husband and cat) live She has been weaving and exhibiting tapestry since 1988

Erin Riley posts frequently on Instagram She exhibits widely and her tapestries have been featured in numerous print and online publications since 2010

Neil Janowitz ldquoLooming Changerdquo American Craft Magazine (JuneJuly 2016)httpscraftcouncilorgmagazinearticlelooming-change

Erin Riley ndash PublicPrivate Moments a TExATA online exhibition curated by Susan Iversonhttpamericantapestryallianceorgexhibitionstex_ataerin-riley

Erinrsquos website is httperinmrileycom includes more links

Quote noted by Erin can be found [here]httphdlhandlenet2027spo47509780007305

Tommye Scanlin teaches short classes and workshops in tapestry In 2017 she will co-teach with noted multi-shaft and jacquard artist Bhakti Ziek during the eight-week Penland Spring Concentration Information about the Penland class is at httppenlandorgtextilesindexhtml

More about Tommyersquos work is found at her bloghttptapestry13blogspotcom

36




Nataliersquos answers are noted as N and Phoebersquos as P

N How did you get involved with tapestry weaving P After I graduated from college I traveled to Oaxaca Mexico and discovered weaving Later I moved to Northern New Mexico and became Rachel Brownrsquos apprentice (1967 to 1969) In addition to spinning and dyeing Rachel taught me simple tapestry weaving techniques In 1970 I moved to San Francisco enrolled in the textiles program at San Francisco State University and studied with Jean Pierre Larochette N Why did you to move to San Francisco What was it like then P I went to San Francisco for a vacation I fell in love with the town and when I visited the Yarn Depot inkle loom in hand Helen Pope offered me a job ldquoOh yeahrdquo I stayed in San Francisco for 40 years In 2010 I moved to Portland Now Irsquom involved with the Damascus weavers in Portland the HGA Weavers Guild and ATA N What was it like working with Mark Adams P I learned a lot with Jean Pierre at the San Francisco Tapestry Workshop and that experience led me to Mark Adams I enjoyed working on large pieces designed by a talented artist I worked as one of Markrsquos weavers for

20 years Rudi Richardson and I wove many tapestries for him We were really collaborators because we were involved in decisions about colors and the interpretation of the design with woven techniques That was a really good time in my life ndash being paid to weave tapestry N Were you also weaving your own designs Did you ever work in other media P I was also weaving my own designs and was an active part of the guild I entered some shows and mostly got rejected but I was always a part of the regional and national guild exhibits My undergraduate degree was in sculpture and I weave on my inkle loom but mostly Irsquove been a tapestry weaver P Natalie how did you get involved in tapestry weaving N I attended the Oregon College of Art and Craft They have a great fibers department but I was intimidated by the looms I felt like I would accidentally break them so I scurried through the loom room really quickly on my way to drawing and painting classes Clearly I didnrsquot know I was going to fall in love with weaving someday I first started weaving because I discovered the Damascus Fiber Arts School I thought it sounded like a cool place so I took Navajo style weaving from Audrey Moore I loved everything about it The first time I wove something that I thought of as tapestry was for ATArsquos unjuried small format show Terry Olson encouraged me to make a tapestry for their group submission It felt more spontaneous than the geometric designs Irsquod been weaving on the Navajo loom and I really like creating an image in that way I hadnrsquot been painting for a while and making images reconnected me to all the reasons I love making art

In Conversation Phoebe McAfee and Natalie Novak

Natalie Novak ldquoThe Familiar (Secret Rainbow)rdquo

Phoebe McAfee ldquoAutumn Flamesrdquo 2014




P That leads to the next question Is imagery important to you N Sometimes I feel like a cave person making little marks Maybe in the future someone will discover them and try to figure out what I meant and get it totally wrong Or even right now if someone looked at what I was doing theyrsquod probably get it totally wrong But thatrsquos not important to me I think Irsquom weaving the image for myself Color is also important to me and I think color is important to you too P Yes thatrsquos true Mark Adams was an amazing colorist I learned a lot about blending colors and combining yarns into bundles to make new colors That really excited me How colors interact with each other and the high contrast you can achieve in tapestry are wonderful N When I was making my ldquonot Navajordquo designs they were based on color I would walk into the shop at the school and say ldquoI want to work with these colors I donrsquot know what I want to do with them yet but these are the colors calling out to merdquo I think now Irsquom doing some weird combination of Navajo and tapestry techniques a ldquowhatever worksrdquo approach and color is still really important to me but Irsquom feeling more free to use imagery Irsquom also using blended weft bundles instead of just pure blocks of color What about the imagery in your work P I started off using circles and curves in my imagery because in tapestry weaving you can make curves Irsquom still using circles Irsquove also woven labyrinthine images strands and weavings of weavings ndash illusions of things going in and out of each other A lot of Navajo designs do that ndash trick your eye

N Weaving about weaving N I feel that weaving connects you physically to the piece Itrsquos hands on the body motions have an earth connectedness It feels ritualistic repeated motions in your work that build up to make something Maybe making anything can be that way but I feel that connection strongly with weaving ndash tangled up like the weaving spider like itrsquos really coming from your body P That relates to tapestryrsquos strengths One of the strengths for me is that it is so physical so hands on and embodying It also connects us through time with weavers from the past N I love feeling like Irsquom part of that continuum P I think itrsquos one of those human activities thatrsquos so old and yet itrsquos current too Hand weaving has a physicality and connection to the earth that machines canrsquot replicate N Just knowing the time that someone spent possibly hundreds of hours connected physically thinking about the weaving living it breathing it P On the other hand I think tapestryrsquos weaknesses stem from the same qualities It takes a really long time so itrsquos not really economically viable We do it for the art not to make a living

Natalie Novak ldquoThe Familiar (Love Nest)rdquo

Phoebe McAfee ldquoSpring Flamesrdquo 2015

38




N What is the importance of skill P Rachel Brown put a lot of importance on being skilled and knowing what your loom can do Irsquove valued skill ever since But Irsquom at an age where Irsquom slower and itrsquos frustrating at times I still have the skills but my body canrsquot do what it used to I donrsquot weave as many tapestries but I havenrsquot stopped N Are you working smaller P Yes Irsquove got ideas for big pieces but I take it one step at a time P Whatrsquos the importance of skill for you N I think itrsquos important to know the right way although there are so many right ways so perhaps a right way to do something I like when people have a total free-for-all disregarding everything but you can also really tell when someone knows the rules and is choosing to disregard them as opposed to not knowing I think therersquos validity in both approaches I like loose open weavings but I wonder how they will hold together over time I feel you get so much more out of something if you know how to do it and take the time to put in the effort it makes a really big difference in the finished piece If yoursquore going to put yourself in the box of tapestry weaving itrsquos important to use that skill set P I did some things that I shouldnrsquot have in my early career because they didnrsquot last For example choosing a warp that wasnrsquot strong enough and which subsequently broke and had to be knotted After a while you learn what materials will hold up and what materials are just going to give you grief Thatrsquos something that took me a long time to learn N I was asking you earlier this year about why you weave some tapestries side to side It had never occurred to me that would make a difference with a larger heavier piece You told me why weaving sideways makes a difference to the structure and I thought ldquoOf courserdquo You described a church with an enormous tapestry thatrsquos now much longer than it used to be

P The tapestry in Coventry Cathedral England Coventry was bombed in the war As part of the restoration they commissioned a very long tapestry It was too long to weave from the side so they wove it from bottom to top and the impact of gravity has made it sag so that it is now three or four feet longer N Large pieces are usually woven in workshops for example the Australian Tapestry Workshop and Dovecot in Scotland P And the Gobelins in France is state run When the government gives money to a tapestry manufactory they can afford to have huge looms and weave large pieces for public buildings It takes a team of weavers to complete a large piece in a reasonable period of time N It seems like weaving is enjoying a moment of excitement but therersquos not a lot of places to learn it Damascus Fiber Arts School Penland

P Cranbrook and RISD P In the seventies when I was a young weaver I met Hal Painter and Jim Brown and there was a weaving renaissance going on then too N They had their home in Southern Oregon right P In Chiloquin but before that they lived in San Francisco which was in the midst of a weaving frenzy I think wersquore building up to a weaving frenzy again If we could just find a way to get more schools to teach tapestry N Since tapestry is so time consuming itrsquos hard for people to find time for it When I teach workshops students weave itty bitty pieces with wide spacing and thick yarns something that you can get done or at least started in a few hours When I tell someone that the piece I made took 200 hours it can be a little off putting You really have to love something to put that much time into it P Maybe our job as tapestry weavers is to get people enthused about tapestry weaving

Natalie Novak ldquoTemple of the Moonrdquo




N It really is addicting I think most people who come to Damascus stick around They might drop out of sight for a little while but theyrsquore usually weaving at home P I think that the value of Damascus is that wersquore weaving together We see each otherrsquos weavings every week and wersquore watching each other progressing at the same slow pace and wersquore enjoying it Itrsquos really good to weave together P ldquoWhatrsquos the relative value of the process to the end productrdquo I think that the process is the fun and important part What you produce itrsquos a thing But when yoursquore producing it yoursquore involved in it with your whole self N The process is really engaging Itrsquos a conversation yoursquore having with the work Itrsquos the blue that I put in telling me that now I really need an orange even though I had picked out pink Or maybe itrsquos the weaver next to you saying ldquoGirl Irsquom not so sure about that yellowrdquo But it is very process oriented because itrsquos such a time commitment I love going to the school and spending as many hours as I can spare Or as many hours as my back will let me What do you think the difference is between the current weaving revival and the one in the 1970s P I canrsquot really say I was in the midst of this big interest in tapestry especially in the Bay Area I didnrsquot ever consider

that people would start losing interest that programs in schools would be cut that people wouldnrsquot want to buy tapestries And now we are on an upswing again and people of your generation are part of that excitement Irsquom really happy about that N Maybe itrsquos part of an ongoing continuum People in the world have been weaving for so long that they canrsquot stop

Phoebe McAfee ldquoFireplacerdquo 2015

Phoebe McAfee has been weaving since 1967 beginning as an apprentice with Rachel Brown in Arroyo Seco New Mexico She lives and weaves in Portland Oregon

Natalie Novak is a visual artist in Portland OR Working primarily in tapestry Novak draws from ancient and contemporary weaving techniques to explore color relationships modern mysticism and the (super) natural world httpwwwcombedthundercom

40




by Dorothy Thursby

How did ordering cable TV change my life Well it was not the cable but the man from Peru that I met in the process that brought new questions to my life My lack of Spanish and his limited English created all kinds of telenovela situations ndash from sit-coms to high drama travel-adventure and finally the inevitable disconnect notice Jose was as intrigued with my interest in Peruvian weaving as I was with his countryrsquos textiles He guided and pushed me along my weaving journey with his many questions and eventually encouraged me to travel to Peru to learn more about textiles and his country In the summer of 2014 I was able to study weaving with Maximo Laura in Lima Peru Yet I had known all along something Warren Berger states in his book A More Beautiful Question that in order to find the right answer it is essential to first ask the right question So while Jose asked those first few questions I was continuing to ask and pursue my own answers along the way from backstrap weaving to tapestry weaving and finally to a class in cartooning made possible through the scholarship I received from ATA

It was a hot day in June when I started in Nancy Jacksonrsquos studio in Benicia California and I had looked forward to the day for many months I had woven before but had been studying with Nancy and other teachers for just a few years I considered my weavings mainly samplers beginner pieces They were either copies of otherrsquos designs or if they were my own images they were guided

so much by the process of weaving that they did not feel fully my own work I hoped to change that by learning how to turn my images into cartoons by creating those carefully considered lines and yarn choices for my own designs

Nancy and I began where we left off in a previous lesson Nancy had taken a drawing I made and created the cartoon I had created a preliminary value drawing but was I still unsure about color choices The image was meant to represent the relationship I had with Jose my cable friend Yet the relationship had changed and it was clear that the image no longer made sense with its original meaning so how was I to express that

Because part of this course was to include the imagery and influence of my Peruvian experience I had brought along a few books as inspiration As we looked at the various images and as I thought about the role of this friend in my life the idea of using non-traditional colors became exciting What if we used the colors of natural Peruvian dyes the colors of flying creatures and symbolic patterns rather than naturalistic colors We began searching for this limited palette and while the worktable filled with color choices it became clear as many colors were added and subtracted over and over again which ones felt right which sang and which did not Eventually we had the core colors and each found their place in the ldquoJose Tapestryrdquo

Part of cartooning I learned is careful record keeping Keeping to Jean Lurccedilatrsquos principle of a limited palette and the coding of colors a key was made and the cartoon carefully labeled The colors were listed together by a letter and then by value ldquo1rdquo representing the darkest value as in classical drawing This letternumber code was transferred to the cartoon This small chart allows for blends of three threads but could easily be adopted for different weights of yarn and more threads to suit the design Each step of the process allows for review and revision so after altering the focus and meaning of the image the original cartoon

ldquoA More Beautiful Questionrdquo or How Ordering Cable TV Led to a Two Week Cartooning Course with Nancy Jackson

Dorothy Thursby ldquoBeginningsrdquo

Colors for the ldquoJose Tapestryrdquo




needed to be changed before being sewn on and the weaving begun Starting over with a new drawing was a wonderful way get back into weaving and to prepare for the next step of cartooning and image development

Once a selection for the new drawing was made from my sketches and the woven dimensions and direction of weave decided a piece of paper was measured and cut to size The drawing was enlarged the ldquoold fashionedrdquo way by hand While a trip to a copy store may have seemed easier this process allowed for a careful reconsideration of the drawing and interpretation of the lines A piece of clear plastic with a grid drawn in was placed over the new drawing and a grid was added to the large piece of paper cut to size As I was drawing the image I thought about its meaning--why this image why these people why this gesture

The enlarged drawing was taped to the wall and the real design work began The male figure took on a more spiritual significance and his features were enlarged to indicate a ldquoseerrdquo quality The lines became more angular

more weave-able but also more geometric to connect with Peruvian woven figures and to give him a more totem appearance The hand gesture was changed to create a feeling of blessing rather than of silencing As the changes were made first in pencil they were gradually darkened and they became more certain harder to erase Each change built on the last one and opened new questions Does this area reflect the meaning Does changing that line or that shape alter the meaning Does it add to or take away from what I wanted the image to be Is it more interesting or less so Can I let go Do I need to hold onIt was emotional exhausting and exhilarating The whole image was questioned drawn and redrawn several times in attempt to marry the meaning to the image The final image of ldquoBlessingrdquo was traced over with markers in three different weights ready to be reversed and transferred to the cartoon paper and made ready to weave

I repeated the color selection for ldquoBlessingrdquo using our original base colors from the ldquoJose Tapestryrdquo adding and subtracting balls of yarn to and from the table We had already explored so many colors and their warmcoolvalue relationships that it fell into place more quickly A second key was created and the cartoon was carefully labelled

Color chart and color coded cartoon for ldquoJose Tapestryrdquo

Cartoon and Colors for the ldquoBlessingrdquo

42




We continued to work on a third image called ldquoHomerdquo It has a theme that is also based on travels and textile influences but its subject is Israel This image includes landscape walls silhouettes of figures and text and therefore the focus is on other areas of tapestry design We looked at positive and negative shapes in medieval tapestry the simplifying and layering of shapes and the role of value in creating limited space [Doing] drawing exercises and comparing tapestries help to inform the lines and patterns of this third cartoon design Color selection followed again based on colors similar to natural dyes but with a different value range and sense of light

It was such a full and rich two weeks of learning in Nancyrsquos studio that it is hard to condense all I learned into a few paragraphs There was a lot of technical information about recording labeling organizing yarn work and hours--all the practicalities of weaving But there was so much more that is hard to express in words How does a drawing become a weaving How does an image hold meaning How do warp and weft convey the feelings you want to express I learned more than I expected and have cartoons ready to weave There is still much more to learn and I am excited to begin I am off to my loom and wide open to discovering my next question

ldquoAlways the beautiful answerwho asks a more beautiful questionrdquo EE Cummings

Dorothy Thursby lives and weaves in Mt View Colorado

Design Sketch for ldquoHomerdquo




by Deborah Corsini

Much anticipation filled the day of Thursday June 16 2016 as members of Tapestry Weavers West (TWW) eagerly awaited the first glimpse of Elemental Tapestry Earth Air Fire and Water at the Mills Building in San Francisco After well over a year of exhibition planning organizing and creating new tapestries it was time to celebrate our achievements Thirty-nine tapestries by twenty-three weavers graced the lobby walls of this elegant and historic building in downtown San Francisco and filled the space with warm colors textures and rich imagery

Bearing food and drink members from near and far friends family and tapestry students filled the long hallway lobby and viewed the stunning tapestries on display It was especially appreciated that Jean Pierre Larochette and Yael Lurie were among the more than one hundred guests in attendance It was a celebratory and wonderful night and the air was filled with lively conversations and congratulations to all

The exhibit was conceived a couple years earlier after TWWrsquos successful first themed show Water Water (2014) was held at the East Bay Municipal Water Districtrsquos lobby gallery in Oakland California Our membersrsquo woven response to the water theme was heartfelt and varied so the idea was expanded upon to include the other three primal elements I secured the venue and worked with Kerri Hurtado of Artsource Consulting in jurying curating liaising with TWW and designing the installation of the final exhibit

The theme Elemental Tapestry Earth Air Fire and Water inspired a wide range of interpretations Depicted in abstraction and realism the classic elements represent both a microcosmic and macrocosmic view of the world Contrast Tricia Goldbergrsquos backyard landscape in ldquoSuzyrsquos Pondrdquo an intimate scene of a lush garden to the pixelated image of a night sky a grand view of the expanding universe in ldquoSky Fire Pixilated Star HR4796rdquo by Patricia Nelson These works embody both the natural and spiritual realms and the profound interconnections of this quartet of elements to our own existence Goldbergrsquos tapestry rendered in a complex dizzying patterning and blended colors is opposite in approach to the graphic weft interlocked squares of Nelsonrsquos distant star Yet both these pieces convey the small and grand view of the universe with their unique tapestry marks

A lovely and lyrical piece is Jan Moorersquos triptych ldquoRiver Take Me Alongrdquo The panorama is a birdrsquos eye perspective of a rolling landscape with intertwining rivers fields and distant mountains It is an homage to the song by Bill Staines and to the beauty of an unfolding landscape Interpreted in tapestry hachure and a clean primary palette this work exemplifies the implied storytelling nature of the medium Moorersquos creation is a visually captivating scene a tapestry melody of color and graceful movement

Many artists in our group use eccentric weaving in their tapestries Katie Alcornrsquos free-spirited ldquoPeaks and Valleysrdquo is a lively abstracted vista of a hazy expansive mountain range Her view of earth and sky mingles and dances as you look to the far horizon ldquoMurky Waterrdquo by Maj-Britt Mobrand is an expressive interpretation of a muddy river

Pat Nelson ldquoSky Fire Pixilated Star HR4796rdquo 36 in x 30 in 2010 photo Jim Cass of Barifot Photography

A Report on Elemental Tapestry Earth Air Fire and Water

Tricia Goldberg ldquoSuzyrsquos Pondrdquo 30 in x 40 in 2015 photo Dan Dosick Collection of Suzy Goldberg

44




This eccentrically woven piece is composed of elongated and undulating rectangular shapes The eccentric weave adds interesting surface ripples on the woven cloth A more formal slit wedge weave is ldquoAranyardquo by Janette Gross This Hindi word means ldquogreen and bountiful forestrdquo and this piece captures the sense of place in blues and greens The contrasting slit diamonds add another dimension both technically and as a compelling visual detail Weaving on the diagonal ldquoPalouse Sunsetrdquo by Bobbi Chamberlain mimics the gently rolling hills of a southeastern Washington state landscape The warm greens and yellows and darker shadows are a stunning watercolor-like interpretation of the ever changing beauty of earth

Finally a provocative and quirky take on the theme are Dance Doylersquos two tapestries ldquoJumping Offrdquo and ldquoOh Diprdquo

Designed with black and white checks slit tapestry and peculiar odd figures her work examines the healing nature of water (especially during ritual celebrations) and Doylersquos own personal reflections of transformation from a rough time These pieces express anxiety and aloneness yet also in weaving them redemption Long after the exhibit is over a catalog remains mdash the first documentation of a TWW exhibition This catalog is a little gem beautifully designed by Nicki Bair and carefully edited by Marcia Ellis Bobbi Chamberlain and me

From my perspective I feel this exhibit was a great success It is amazing to get our collective work out and on to the walls in an interesting public space I believe the theme inspired a lot of creative interpretations that made for a more cohesive experience in viewing the exhibition As TWW schedules future exhibitions I think that a themed exhibition is something that we might consider again An exciting addendum is the sale of two tapestries from this exhibit Jan Moorersquos ldquoRiver Take Me Alongrdquo and ldquocorriente azulrdquo by Lyn Hart

A smaller portion of the exhibition will be on display at the San Jose Museum of Quilts amp Textiles from January 20 ndash March 5 2017 during the American Tapestry Biennial 11 A few catalogs will be available for sale

wwwtapestryweaverswestorgDeborah Corsini has enjoyed a long career as a designer practicing artist and weaver Her work is exhibited nationally and is in private and corporate collections Recently retired as curator of the San Jose Museum of Quilts amp Textiles she remains an advocate for contemporary textiles

Bobbi Chamberlain ldquoPalouse Sunsetrdquo 26 in x 41 in 2010 photo Bobbi Chamberlain

Maj-Britt Mobrand ldquoMurkey Waterrdquo 23 in x 45 in 2014 photo Dand Davis

Jan Moore ldquoRiver Take Me Alongrdquo 66 in x 54 in 2014 photo Cindy Pavlinac




Tapestry on Tap ATArsquos 2016 Members RetreatMarquette University Milwaukee Wisconsin August 7-10

Attending the ATA biennial tapestry retreat and workshop is high on my list of priorities and this year reinforced my view that it is an important catalyst for my studio practice Not only does it offer the opportunity to take a workshop with a professional and highly skilled tapestry artist but it also provides an important way to connect with a community of dedicated tapestry weavers mdash to share ideas current work additional education or exhibit opportunities It is an experience filled with a delightful mix of intellectual stimulation skill building and just plain fun Bonds created and strengthened during this event are an important component of a process that normally involves a great deal of time alone with our looms

One of the things I appreciate about the way this event is organized are the opportunities to observe and connect with the workshop that you are not actually attending Both of the instructors give two different lectures one as part of Convergence and the general ATA meeting and another at the retreat itself at the beginning of the week I enjoyed learning about Susan Iverson her work and the workshop she was giving and I had various opportunities to connect with her and her students during the week She invited those of us in Aino Kajaniemirsquos class to attend a warp pulling demonstration so that we could see the culmination of their work evolving from a flat surface into a sculptural one

My choice to take Aino Kajaniemirsquos workshop was based

on the line emphasis in her work and her practice of sketching as a preliminary way to design her tapestries I was intrigued by the way she captures the feeling of her sketches in her tapestry and yet at the same time is able to strengthen and enrich her visual expression through the tapestry medium These are concepts I am fundamentally interested in achieving in my own work I feel certain that it will take many months to sift through all of the important ideas that I came away with as a result of the week spent with her

Aino Kajaniemi ldquoAutentia1rdquo 15 in x 8 in 2013 photo Janette MeetzeLinen warp various weft

2016 participants and instructors enjoy the sunshine

Flexible Lines Aino Kajaniemi Instructor

by Janette Meetze

46




Janette Meetze maintains the Fiber Studio in Bixby Oklahoma where she works teaches and offers supplies for tapestry weaving She also writes a blog about her daily weaving life and her sketching practice

jmeetzestudiocommonthreadsblogspotcom

Aino Kajaniemirsquos Workshop August 2016 at the ATA retreat in Milwaukee WI

Aino is a professional weaver and I appreciated her honesty and willingness to share important and personal aspects of her working process She stated clearly that many of the weaving techniques her work is known by came as a result of working through the learning process without strict guidance as to how things must be done Others were developed by a need to work as quickly and efficiently as possible to achieve her final result She demonstrated her exact process by starting a small tapestry from a sketch completing the weaving and the finishing techniques she uses during the week of our workshop The finished tapestry was purchased by a student in the class This opportunity to observe the entire process was in my view one of the most valuable aspects of this workshop She also brought numerous examples of her finished tapestries that we could observe closely as new techniques were introduced In addition she connected with each person in the class concerning our personal projects on a daily basis

Her choice of warp was a 303 linen which I found challenging to work with and her choice of weft was extremely varied both in fiber type and thickness While I

may not be using her exact choice of warp in the future I came away with an expanded attitude concerning manipulating the proportion of warp to weft as integral to achieving the visual expression I seek One of my favorite quotes from her lecture at the general ATA meeting was ldquoWhat materials are suitable for weft Anything over a couple of centimeters longrdquo These are ideas that I enjoyed working with in my class sample and excite me to explore further in the future

In general I will be considering ideas for some time to come based on my experience in this yearrsquos workshop The tapestry weavers that I have admired and been inspired by the most have not bent their personal vision around traditional tapestry techniques they have bent traditional tapestry techniques around their desired visual expression As Aino also stated in her lecture ldquoThis is lonely work for many hours every dayrdquo and clearly no substitute exists for this experience of doing and individual experimentation I will be examining my whole process with more awareness after taking this workshop and testing my given modes of working to see whether or not they serve the purpose that is intended




Pulling WarpPushing Ideas Susan Iverson Instructor

by Sue Weil

File this in the One-of-the-Best-Things-Irsquove-Done-for-Myself-Lately category In early August following close on the heels of the Handweaversrsquo Guild of America Convergence 2016 the American Tapestry Alliance held Tapestry on Tap ATArsquos 2016 Members Retreat Two workshops two outstanding teachers I was fortunate enough to be one of the students attending Susan Iversonrsquos Pulling WarpPushing Ideas 4-day session

My interest in registering for Susanrsquos workshop was largely based on digital images I had seen of her work I knew nothing of the technique but found her pieces intriguing and thoroughly compelling Somehow she had managed to take a largely 2-dimensional art form and added an element of controlled yet dynamic manipulation to lift her work into a 3-dimensional world During one of our daily class discussions Susan suggested that for a work of art to be ultimately successful and lasting it should ask far more questions than it answers a criterion clearly achieved in her work on a technical compositional and emotional level

In 2015 Susan retired from her position as professor in the Department of CraftMaterial Studies Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond Virginia Drawing from her experience as a university professor her classes were well balanced between academichistorical discussions technical demonstrations opportunities for participants to share their own work and time to weave and explore all the while creating an atmosphere of dynamism levity and community

At some point each day she shared PowerPoint presentations shersquod prepared including images from artists whose work had inspired her use of pulled warp slides of her own pieces some student work and images of textiles from ancient and modern cultures that had influenced her Among others we were introduced to the work of Herman Scholten Lyla Nelson Adela Akers John McQueen as well as some travel slides shersquod taken years earlier in Peru and examples of ancient Peruvian textiles

After a tease of visual inspiration and discussion Susan demonstrated different pulled warp techniques We learned how to draft patterns for curves and corners ripples and waves tunnels and pleats As Terry Olson noted ldquoBest of all were the samples so we could see how it was made before and after the pulling The end object is not necessarily what one

48




would expect seeing the pre-pulled weavingrdquo We learned to carefully graph out each sample then cut and tape it to make certain our intended project would reap the anticipated outcome On the final day of the workshop those of us who were interested met with Susan individually for a thoughtful enormously helpful critique of our work

Our group was social ndash helping each other when one would get stuck demonstrating pulling the warp when another of us had finished a sample and chatting among ourselves ndash our workshop was a tad noisy as we joked shared our successes and failures with this new technique and got to know one another

The Retreat was held on the campus of Marquette University in Milwaukee Wisconsin We were housed in student dorms shared meals in one of the university dining halls and held class in another dining hall With about a dozen students in each workshop plus our two instructors and a few ATA Board Members also in attendance we were a lively geographically diverse group Many evenings were spent on the 17th floor of our dormitory in a student lounge overlooking the city of Milwaukee hellip wine music stories laughs sharing information and inspiration hellip creating new friendships and building new memories together

Since joining the American Tapestry Alliance late in 2014 Irsquove looked forward to receiving each monthly newsletter From these Irsquove come to ldquoknowrdquo so many outstanding artists When I began weaving professionally in the 80rsquos we werenrsquot connected through the Internet and finding community was largely done through the American Craft Council shows scattered across the country and the calendar ATA opened my eyes to a vital world of tapestry artists

I recall commenting years ago to a friend with a doctorate in art history how wonderful it must be to attend professional conferences with her colleagues ldquoNot sordquo she replied adding that there were relatively few jobs in her field and competition for them made for a close-to-the-chest unfriendly environment In contrast to my friendrsquos experience the ATA retreat provided a wonderful environment for an exchange of ideas techniques and inspiration and an equally outstanding opportunity to meet a generous group of artists from around the US and beyond

Sue Weil is a tapestry artist living in Northern California Originally creating one-of-a-kind fabric to use in her line of womenrsquos fashion Sue turned her focus to tapestry in 2011 Feeling that often less is more her designs are intentionally spare exploring rhythm and asymmetry in bold compositions Sue earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Anthropology from Harvard University Combining her interests in anthropology and art Sue is especially drawn to weavingrsquos cultural universality




50




ATA News

PainterBrown Scholarship for Tapestry Study

ATArsquos scholarship fund is for any American Tapestry Alliance member who wishes to pursue study in the field of tapestry weaving The application may be for study in workshops courses study with individual tutors or institutions of higher learning Read more and apply httpamericantapestryallianceorgawardsrata-scholarship-for-tapestry-studyDeadline February 1 2017

AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support ATA at no cost to you When you shop at smileamazoncom yoursquoll find the exact same prices selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazoncom with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to ATA

To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smileamazoncom from the web browser on your computer or mobile device You will be asked to choose the charity you wish to support and you can chose the American Tapestry Alliance You may also want to add a bookmark to smileamazoncom to make it even easier to start your shopping at AmazonSmile SOFA (Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design)

A big thank you to Barbara Burns Christine Laffer and Michael Rohde for staffing ATArsquos booth at SOFA 2016 Their participation allowed ATA to give contemporary tapestry a voice at this long standing and respected arts fair

San Jose Museum of Quilts amp Textiles Herersquos whatrsquos happening

Join ATA to celebrate the opening of American Tapestry Biennial 11 at the San Jose Museum of Quilts amp Textiles

Tapestry Weaving techniques for your toolkitTaught by Tricia Goldberg

This class is designed both for the beginning weaver who has little or no experience with tapestry and for the more experienced tapestry weaver who wants to learn new techniques

Beginning weavers will learn how tobull warp a loombull weave lines curves and shapesbull blend yarn colorsMore advanced weavers can focus on a variety of techniques includingbull weaving complex shapesbull eccentric weavingbull half pass techniques

Click here for more information and registration

Contemplating the Sublime 21st Century Tapestry

January 29 2017 1130 am ndash 215 pm

San Jose Museum of Quilts amp TextilesLecture and Panel Discussion Guest speaker Moderated panel discussion with exhibiting ATB 11 artists

This event is free with admission to the museum Registration is required ndash click here to registerhttpamericantapestryallianceorgeducationcontemplating-the-sublime-21st-century-tapestry




American Tapestry Biennial 11 opening reception

January 29 2017 300 ndash 500 pmSan Jose Museum of Quilts amp TextilesThis event is free Registration is required Phone (408) 971-0323

More information Mary Lane directoramericantapestryallianceorg

Important DatesDecember 24 2016 American Tapestry Biennial 11 closes at Mulvane Art Museum

January 21 2017 American Tapestry Biennial 11 opens at San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles

January 26 ndash 28 2017 Tapestry Weaving techniques for your toolkit taught by Tricia Goldberg Information

January 29 2017 American Tapestry Biennial 11 opening at San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles Contemplating the Sublime 21st Century Tapestry February 1 2017 PainterBrown Scholarship Fund deadline Information

April 15 2017 ATA International Student Award deadline Information

April 16 2017 American Tapestry Biennial 11 closes at San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles

August 15 2017 Small Tapestry International 5 opens at the University of North Texas

September 30 2017 Small Tapestry International 5 closes at the University of North Texas

Tapestry Topics Themes amp DeadlinesStudio Tips Deadline January 15 2016

Share your tips for setting up a studio ndash shelving lighting flooring chairs yarn storage necessary work spaces setting up a studio space in a room with multiple functions Share photos of your studio All approaches are welcome ndash from the tiny to the spacious How do you create a space that makes you want to sit down and weave

Please email Theme Coordinator Kathe Todd-Hooker spider472comcastnet to let her know what you would like to contribute to this issue

Call for Theme Coordinators

Do you have an idea for a theme Would you like to be a Theme Coordinator Email newsletteramericantapestryallianceorg

Tapestry Topics CommitteeEditor Leslie MunroCopy Editor Robbie LaFleur Layout Colin Roe LedbetterProofreader Katzy LuhringWeb preparation Mary LaneMailing Ruth Manning

52




The Back Page

ATA Founders Hal Painter and Jim Brown Chiloquin Oregon 1968

Contact ATA

Director of Member Services Michael Rohde boardamericantapestryallianceorgDirector of Resources Susan Iverson resourcesamericantapestryallianceorgTreasurer Regina Dale treasureramericantapestryallianceorgMembership Chair Patricia Dunston membershipamericantapestryallianceorgEducation Committee Chair Terry Olson educationamericantapestryallianceorgMentoring Program Terri Stewart tksweaververizonnetExhibition Chair Margo Macdonald exhibitionsamericantapestryallianceorgAmerican Tapestry Biennial 11 Co-Chairs Elaine Duncan elaineelaineduncancom Terri Bryson 2brysonsgmailcomSmall Tapestry International 5 Exhibition Chair Deborah Corsini atadeborahcorsinicomCatalog Distribution Deb Shoenberger bck2gardengmailcomAwards Chair Dorothy Clews ataawardamericantapestryallianceorgPromotions Chair Open promotionsamericantapestryallianceorgVolunteer Coordinator Donna Wynn volunteeramericantapestryallianceorgWeb Editor Tikka Wilson webeditoramericantapestryallianceorgTExATA Gallery Valerie Kirk Program Manager ValerieKirkanuedu Ashli Tyre Website ashlityrehotmailcomArtist Pages Sarah Warren artistpagesamericantapestryallianceorgTapestry Topics Leslie Munro newsletteramericantapestryallianceorgExecutive Director Mary Lane directoramericantapestryallianceorg

Then and NowPhoebe McAfee Theme Co-ordinator pg 5 Co-Directorsrsquo Letter pg 3

Theme Articles Jim Brown pg 5by James Nelson

Jim Brown and Hal Painter pg 7by Sharon Crary

Remembering Jim Brown pg 8by Tricia Goldberg

Profile Jim Brown pg 11

ldquoTapestry Tool Boxrdquo and The American Tapestry Allianceby Claudia Chase pg 12

Panorama of Tapestry and Jim Brown pg 12by Thoma Ewen

Jim Brown speaking at ATArsquos Silver Anniversary pg 16

Presidents or Co-Directors amp Board Members pg 16

Then and Now ATA Mastheads and Logos pg 17

Selections by Linda Wallace pg 19

In Conversation Erin M Riley and Tommye McClure Scanlinpg32

In Conversation Natalie Novak and Phoebe McAfeepg 36

Reviews - books exhibitions web resources

ldquoA More Beautiful Questionrdquo or How Ordering Cable TV Leadto a Two Week Cartooning Course with Nancy Jackson by Dorothy Thursby pg 40 A Report on Elemental Tapestry Earth Air Fire and Waterby Deborah Corsini pg 43

ATArsquos 2016 Members Retreat pg 45

Flexible Lines Aino Kajaniemi Instructor pg 45by Janette Meetze

Pulling WarpPushing Ideas Susan Iverson Instructor pg 47by Sue Weil ATA News pg 50

The Back Page pg 52

copy 2016 American Tapestry Alliance with permission from all contributing authors All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written permission Requests to reproduce material in this publication may be forwarded to the American Tapestry Alliance

Please note all page numbers are linked to pages

Cover Image Jan Moorersquos triptych ldquoRiver Take Me Alongrdquo with young admirers photo used with permission











Susan amp Michael


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by Dorothy Thursby




















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STI 4



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by Dorothy Thursby




















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by Deborah Corsini










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by Janette Meetze

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ATA News



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The Back Page
















Phoebe McAfee

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Jim Brown 2001








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grlzrockverizonnet

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1983

January 1986

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Fall 2002

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2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



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ATB 6






ATB 7



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by Dorothy Thursby




















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by Deborah Corsini










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by Janette Meetze

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ATA News



AmazonSmile


































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The Back Page


6


























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Jim Brown 2001








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grlzrockverizonnet

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Board Members











1983

January 1986

October 1986

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1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











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by Dorothy Thursby




















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by Deborah Corsini










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by Janette Meetze

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ATA News



AmazonSmile


































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The Back Page















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wwwsurfacedesignorg

















Jim Brown 2001








12


































grlzrockverizonnet

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Board Members











1983

January 1986

October 1986

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1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











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by Dorothy Thursby




















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by Deborah Corsini










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by Janette Meetze

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by Sue Weil







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ATA News



AmazonSmile


































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The Back Page










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wwwsurfacedesignorg

















Jim Brown 2001








12


































grlzrockverizonnet

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Board Members











1983

January 1986

October 1986

18




1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











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30







32


































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40




by Dorothy Thursby




















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by Deborah Corsini










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by Janette Meetze

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by Sue Weil







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ATA News



AmazonSmile


































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The Back Page















Jim Brown 2001








12


































grlzrockverizonnet

14







16









Board Members











1983

January 1986

October 1986

18




1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











28











30







32


































34


























36

















38
















40




by Dorothy Thursby




















42












by Deborah Corsini










44
























by Janette Meetze

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by Sue Weil







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ATA News



AmazonSmile


































52




The Back Page


12


































grlzrockverizonnet

14







16









Board Members











1983

January 1986

October 1986

18




1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











28











30







32


































34


























36

















38
















40




by Dorothy Thursby




















42












by Deborah Corsini










44
























by Janette Meetze

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by Sue Weil







48













50




ATA News



AmazonSmile


































52




The Back Page




















grlzrockverizonnet

14







16









Board Members











1983

January 1986

October 1986

18




1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











28











30







32


































34


























36

















38
















40




by Dorothy Thursby




















42












by Deborah Corsini










44
























by Janette Meetze

46















by Sue Weil







48













50




ATA News



AmazonSmile


































52




The Back Page


14







16









Board Members











1983

January 1986

October 1986

18




1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











28











30







32


































34


























36

















38
















40




by Dorothy Thursby




















42












by Deborah Corsini










44
























by Janette Meetze

46















by Sue Weil







48













50




ATA News



AmazonSmile


































52




The Back Page





16









Board Members











1983

January 1986

October 1986

18




1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











28











30







32


































34


























36

















38
















40




by Dorothy Thursby




















42












by Deborah Corsini










44
























by Janette Meetze

46















by Sue Weil







48













50




ATA News



AmazonSmile


































52




The Back Page






1983

January 1986

October 1986

18




1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











28











30







32


































34


























36

















38
















40




by Dorothy Thursby




















42












by Deborah Corsini










44
























by Janette Meetze

46















by Sue Weil







48













50




ATA News



AmazonSmile


































52




The Back Page


18




1994

Fall 2002

Summer 2003



2011











20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











28











30







32


































34


























36

















38
















40




by Dorothy Thursby




















42












by Deborah Corsini










44
























by Janette Meetze

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by Sue Weil







48













50




ATA News



AmazonSmile


































52




The Back Page












20









STI 2



22






STI 3




STI 4



24




ATB 6






ATB 7



26











28











30







32


































34


























36

















38
















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