CURRENT EXHIBITS

ARTIST/OPENING RECEPTION
Saturday, August 6,  3-5pm  Free!

Opening to the Wind; Jean-Marie Tarascio.

Tangled Fibers

Pat Herkal, JeanMarie Tarascio,
Barbara Ramsey & Cathie Weir

July 27 - October 30, 2022

Tangled Fibers is a small group of fiber and mixed media artists who meet regularly to share ideas about art and artmaking. The four women: Pat Herkal, Barbara Ramsey, Jean-Marie Tarascio and Cathie Wier provide encouragement, critique, and feedback to each other, acting as a kind of salon for working out ideas and considering new paths. Each of the artists have different skills, styles and areas of interest, which inspires cross-pollination and exploration of multiple fiber techniques.

Pat Herkal describes her approach: “I create to fill my life with joy, to discover how to mix colors and textures, to honor the environment and to keep my brain nimble.” Pat’s work is full of whimsy and color, mixing fiber, thread, beads, trinkets, shells, stones and found objects to create intricate jewelry, sculptures, wall hangings, critters and dolls. 

Barbara Ramsey is a fabric artist who sews original abstract art works using traditional quilting techniques. Like many traditional quilters, she’s devoted to precise construction, but unlike them, her designs distort geometric shapes. These irregular forms impel the viewer’s eye to roam over the surface of the quilt, seeking the harmonies amidst contrast. In recent years, Barbara has ventured into three-dimensional work, using fabric, wire, cardboard, and batting that imitate and embellish forms from the natural world. Barbara says, “In preparation for this exhibit, the Tangled Fibers group steeped ourselves in books, documentaries, and hosted our own artists’ retreat on a Pacific Ocean beach near La Push, Washington. Our immersive research renewed our sense of wonder and enhanced our appreciation of the variety and complexity of the aquatic world.”

Jean-Marie Tarascio creates of one-of-a-kind artist books and mixed media paper sculpture, brought forth from her years of training in book restoration. She works with “the book as art” which provides her the opportunity to explore and experiment with traditional and non-traditional book structures, paper making and letterpress printing. Recently, Tarascio has been exploring the diverse tactile, manipulative and versatile properties of paper, wire, and clay. She remarks, “Movement or the illusion
of movement is a dimension I strive for in my work.”

Cathie Weir says, “Living on the Salish Sea, I discovered the bewildering creatures of the intertidal zone and seaweed of all colors and textures laid out on the sand in beautiful compositions. I am drawn to piles of kelp glistening in the sun, rocks and pebbles washed by the crashing waves, sunrises on the bay, and of course the sea anemones.” As a weaver, Weir’s desire to create three-dimensional pieces led her to weave fine-thread spinners, eventually broadening to include ply-split braiding (an ancient technique from India for making camel girths and other animal regalia) and shibori (the Japanese art of resist dyeing). Now Weir’s work reflects a multi-media approach, often combining weaving, ply-split braiding, and shibori. 

CQA at 35

Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Contemporary QuiltArt Association

July 13 - August 28, 2022

In 1986 a group of western Washington artists became interested in the emerging genre of the art quilt. Inspired by a series of lectures on the topic at a local quilt shop, some of the members of the group decided to form an organization to explore the possibilities of this art form in their own work. Their ultimate goal was to raise awareness about art quilts, promoting their work as a legitimate art form and themselves as artists.

Now known as the Contemporary QuiltArt Association, the organization has just passed its 35th anniversary. The 501(c)(3) non-profit draws members from throughout the state of Washington. It meets monthly at Seattle Pacific University (or by Zoom over the past two years) affording members mutual support through their artistic journeys. They showcase their work, share ideas and information, and enjoy presentations by speakers from a variety of fine-arts disciplines, in both the world of fiber arts and beyond it. Their goals include educating the public and promoting interest in the contemporary art quilt.

Some of our members are professionals in the world of art quilts; some have come to this art form from entirely different lines of work (science, engineering, waitressing, medicine, education, writing, singing, to name a few); some are new to the medium. They are diverse in their design styles, choices of materials and techniques, and continue to explore the rich possibilities presented by stitched layers.

This exhibition allows CQA members to reflect on their artistic journeys. Each exhibited piece showcases the artist’s current style and method of working and is accompanied by a photo of an earlier work, giving you a glimpse into their creative history. CQA invites you to enter their world and enjoy the show.

Exhibiting Artists
Bonny Brewer
Carolyn MaiaBurton
Janet Darcher
Donna Dowdney
Julie Sevilla Drake
Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry
Barbara Fox
Sonia Grasvik
Ginnie Hebert
Carolyn Higgins
Donna Hudson
Lisa Jenni
Barbara Kanaya
Melisse Laing
Nicole McHale
Kasey Meier
Barbara O'Steen
Stephanie Ostmann
Linda Riesterer
Susan Smith
Pat Solon
Carla Stehr
Jerri Stroud
Suzanne Uschold
Tesi Vaara
Ruth Vincent
Geraldine Warner
Colleen Wise

Congratulations! Mom's 60th Birthday - Yoshiko Ogana

Essence of Japan
Group Exhibit from Japanese Quilters
Ako Shimozato & Carla Schultz-Parks,
Co-Curators
June 29 - October 9, 2022

The Museum has been honored to present an exhibit of Japanese quilts every other year since 1998, with a special exhibit offered in 2017 for our 20th Anniversary. 

2022 marks our 25th Anniversary and we are so happy to have this exhibit as a part of it.  It has become a treasured tradition and is a highly anticipated exhibit.  This year we have 33 pieces on display from 16 different artists - some familiar and some new to us!

Thank you to our sponsors!
Glenys Baker
Denny Fox
Ako Shimozato

Exhibiting Artists

CHIAKI DOSHO
HARUE KONISHI
YAEKO HASEGAWA
KAZUKO YOSHIURA
KIYOMI ISHII
NORIKO KOYAMA
MAMI NODA
MASAKO MASUDA
MIWAKO KIMURA
NORIKO ENDO
YOSHIKO OGANO
REIKO KOBATA
SHOKO HATANO
YOSHIKO KATAGIRI
YUMIKO MANDAI
YUUKO MATSUMOTO