Curating Debut.

Andrea, Me, Jannis, Ann, Sandra & Rachel (missing: Rebecca)

Wednesday evening was my debut as a gallery show curator. I was so nervous but thrilled to pull together five women artists over the past few months to show our individual work in a show I call ‘Women’s Work’.

The work represents both their work which, of course, is women’s (art)work and the work of women in what these pieces represent. Andrea Graham is a Kingston Feltmaker who is showing three pieces representing the womb, also a small felted child’s dress with different pinned on labels (like ‘bad girl’) entitled ‘Prophecy’ …. which sold!.

My great friend Jannis who busily designs and sells very unique and attractive clothing made three coats of wonderful fabrics interspersed with pictures on cloth of women from around the world working and some sage words on other panels. They are wonderful.

Another woman of whom I am fond is Ann Henshaw (who will have a web site when I build it for her) who I have know as a movie costume designer who now has her own great artwork. Small costumes of ‘threads and beads’, colourful and framed. She is a delight to talk with and hear her stories about life behind the scenes creating clothes, cloth, adornment for the movies.

Rebecca Soudant is a local teacher and artist who used screen printing and block printing to make statements on clothes which she either has made or picks up at Goodwill (her three wedding dresses). I’ve admired her work and the mind behind it. Her work for this show consists of three dresses, printed with messages about the plight of our native peoples and print blocks of land maps which can be purchased but left with the artist as ownership but not tearing land apart.

I did three knits and when we were putting them on display my friend Sandy whose gallery it is
said I must embellish my third one (as then not decorated or finished) with stones. She proceeded to give me amethysts, peridots, labradorite beads to mount on silver wire and sew onto my jacket. Standing there musing I mumbled something about if it were all in white I could embellish it in peals….well we did it!

I went home to see if I could order white mercerized cotton from Pat at Cardiknits but none in stock and it would take too long for it to come from England. Next resource was Silk City in New Jersey for soft Merino wool. Yarn arrived Monday, I had a nearly finished ‘Wedding Jacket’ for our opening last night…. I had a lot of freshwater pearls and quarts beads sewn on but finished with more today. I love it!

It’s funny to have your parents and your sis show up like at a science fair or school play when you were a kid. But this is as a full grown adult, so glad they were around for this. Also my Dad and my sis Judith (or Judi as she is known) took these photos.

Sandy was a great host for our reception along with Rachel her indispensable side kick.

Thanks ladies… all of you.