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Open Studios on the Sidewalk

Open Studios on the Sidewalk

Jun 1, 2023

It’s been a stormy spring for me, so the call from Lindsay Miś was an extra anchor holding me to my mooring. 

I’m just calling to let you know that we’ve chosen your work to be included in the Open Studios on the Sidewalk this summer.

Whoop! Lindsay is the Director of New Bedford’s public art organization, DATMA. This summer’s theme is “Shelter.” Two pieces from my Immigration Windows series were chosen. Twelve South Coast artists will make up this year’s event.

Summer public art is something I look forward to since moving to the South Coast and I’m so glad to be on this crew. The panels will be on display from June through October 2023.

Using an adaptation of the cathedral windows quilting technique, you’ll find felt, embroidery, applique and knitting in the real life works. The digital images will be flat and weather proof! 

Does one of the images look familiar? It’s:

By Their Hands, We Are Fed which was part of the 2019 Immigration Windows public art project in Verona, Italy.

The hot pink work on the left is:

21 Life Salute which was my response upon learning that 21 people died of COVID in immigration detention facilities during 2020.

Now I just need to have my hub snap some photos of me working in my studio.

“Labor of Love” in Arlington

“Labor of Love” in Arlington

Mar 5, 2023

Without a nudge from Cat Beaudoin, I would have missed the Arlington Center for the Art’s call for art. Ana Kristina Gorannsen curated a wonderful collection of fiber art in “Labor of Love.”  One of my Immigration Windows art quilts was among the 30 pieces chosen.

The reception brought together many of the artists. What a happy rush to see the people and their work in person. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that social media gives windows on artist work, especially during COVid times. But getting up close to the art and spending personal time with the artists was fantastic. How nice to see Kendra, Stacey and Hilde again in real life!

Many of the artists encouraged people to reach out and touch their work. Why not? Audiences always feel the pull of textiles… and it makes sense, as they surround us every day. It’s one way that fiber artists are different than painters. Having spent much of my time in quilt shows, wearing white gloves to provide a protected opportunity to view the back of a quilt, this meant I had a bit of adjusting to do… indeed, I may not have even had a “touch me” sign on my work.

During the reception, the ACA gave visitors and artists “ballots” to vote for their favorite work. With so many great pieces, how do I choose? Do I choose exquisite technique, the big wowza boom, the new mixing of the media and ideas? Do I have to choose only one?

In the end, I chose the large scale knit keyboard that you can step across to make music by Irmandy Wicaksono.  Fresh back from a trip to Washington, D.C., the choice made sense. I attended a virtual dance performance, a light exhibit experience ands trolled amont eh many museums, feeling patriotic and proud to be American and inspired by the many ways creativity expresses itsefl.

The keyboard didn’t win, but that gem by Anna Thai, Colorful Nature won the people’s choice. The curator’s choice was Evan Rosenberg’s Impermanence, which was a great piece, too.

My piece, “Immigration Windows: By Their Hands, We are Fed,” was happy to be on display again. Ok, it’s a piece of art, and maybe it doesn’t have feelings. You may recall that I made this originally to hang horizontally for the group exhibit at Verona Tessile in 2019. I have feelings for this complex and historically important topic. Indeed, it was a labor of love.

Thanks to Kristina for including me and to the Arlington Center for the Arts for shining a light on the Labor of Love that fiber artists bring to their art.

Historic Detail – SAQA Virtual Gallery

Historic Detail – SAQA Virtual Gallery

Jan 4, 2023

When the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) opened the call for virtual exhibits last spring, it didn’t take long to think of three interesting ideas for quilt art virtual gallery themes.

My favorite idea was how quilt artists expressed a sense of place and time in their quilts.  

Looking back, I can trace this to: 

Verona architectural detail in a palazzo stairway by Alanna Nelson

Linda sent us outdoors to take note of what we saw and report back. The quilters who lived in the Alsace region didn’t see the wooden window flower baskets, the rooftops or sense the small scale in roundabouts or sidewalks. So many decisions that created the sense of time and place.

Quilters use a wide range of techniques. Wouldn’t it be interesting to view a range of  techniques that interpret world locations? SAQA is an international organization, after all.

“Historic Detail” sought to explore the sparks of inspiration cued by time and place.

Well, the Historic Detail virtual gallery is live now!

Explore the SAQA virtual gallery "Historic Detail," fiber art curated by Alanna Nelson

What an rewarding experience – and a fun way to explore the art of my fellow SAQA members. I worked to highlight techniques and perspectives, yet created a unifed experience.

I hooked my computer up to the TV so I could see the images in a larger format. SAQA told me to only accept one piece per artist, aiming for 28 – 32 works in the exhibit. However, when I accidentally chose two pieces from one artist, picking between them wasn’t easy. Taking this one away meant others didn’t glide together, so maybe I needed to mix it up a bit.  What a good way to spend my time.

Check out “Historic Detail” and let me know what you think – or let the artists know!

And if you’re a SAQA member, think about submitting to the Virtual Gallery – it’s free and allows your work to participate in other shows.

Thanks to SAQA for this fun member perk!

“Playing with Color” October 2022 in Melrose, MA

Sep 26, 2022

Fiber Art exhibit - Joined by Stitch | Beebe Estate, Melrose, MA Oct 2022

Come to the Beebe Estate in Melrose to discover “Playing in Color,” a fiber and quilt art exhibit of Joined by Stitch. Meet the artists at the October 7, 2022 reception from 7 to 9 pm.

Joined by Stitch Massachusetts Fiber Art Critique group

Joined by Stitch is the critique group of Betsy Abbott, Agusta Agustsson, Tarja Cockell, Sue Colozzi, Janis Doucette, Anne Kimball, Madalene Axford Murphy and Alanna Nelson. They are all members of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA).  

The eight regional artists came together to form a critique group in the fall of 2016 to support each other in their individual journeys.  Each member uses fiber in creating her work but each has also developed a unique voice ranging from the abstract to the representational.

While all group members use color and fiber in their work, the materials and techniques offer a wide range of opportunities to explore and play. Members dye, print, weave, felt, paint with thread, and stitch, discovering new opportunities for textiles to turn into landscapes, emotions and messages.

Once a month, the artists bring work to a meeting, seeking either feedback from the rest of the group for a finished piece or advice on a particular aspect of a work in progress.  The meetings end with a lively discussion of news from the fiber art world and from individual members.

Group member Alanna Nelson says, “In our first group show since March 2020, we look forward to the exhibit in Melrose. We’ve had a lot of zoom sharing of our work, and it’s great to share these colors and textures in person.”

The Beebe Estate, 245 West Foster Street in Melrose, is open Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm. “Playing with Color” will be on view from October 7 to 29, 2022.  Visitors are welcome to wear masks and practice social distance protocols.

Building Blocks at Marion Art Center

Building Blocks at Marion Art Center

Aug 12, 2022

Plastic bags of ice; autumn olive dyed wool felt; Building Blocks 1.

Time for the summer member’s exhibition at the Marion Art Center. Since moving to the South Coast in 2020, the member exhibits offer a chance to evaluate how my work’s changed in six months.

The big realization? Experiments and process stack up in the studio, but there is virtually nothing completely finished. Ok, I guess. The process and time has been instructive.

What are the materials for my fiber art these days?

  • Stitching with plastics – the stuff that we’d normally toss and cannot be recycled.
  • Using materials at hand.

These parameters give me lots of room and interesting results. I’m calling this series Building Blocks.

Alanna Nelson Fiber Art - Wool, plastic, cotton - Building Blocks 1

Scientists report that plankton, the building block of our oceans, consume and sometimes process micro plastics found throughout the water column.

Building Blocks: 1 was finished in time for last October’s @Doorway_a_Gallery skill share, so I took the path of least resistence and just dropped it off for the show.

This piece includes wool felt that I overdyed with Autumn Olive leaf dye bath, embroidered using cut up ice bags from our summer cruise and machine quilted.

My hub worries that my plastic hoarding habit is growing, so I guess it’s time to finish more work so he can understand what I’m really up to.

Plastic and stitching can be a great combo – especially because it performs pretty nicely when left outside. Hmmm….

The reception is August 12, 2022 from 5 – 7 pm. Hope to see you there!