my riverwork square

Thank you Sun Smith-Foret for inviting me to contribute.  I am honored to be a participating artist in RIVERWORK, a 100'+ textile which will represent the Mississippi River and it's tributaries.

The Alton, Illinois riverfront will open the first installation venue on August 29, 2015.  It is planned that several segments will spill over the railing at the end of the crossover pedestrian walkway and descend down the cement wall to the grass below where they will merge into a wider and larger piece that descends to a parking lot.

You can follow the progress of the Riverwork Project on FaceBook.


My invitation followed a FB posting.

Expanding the fleet. ROW, ROW, ROW will be part of my exhibition VOYAGE at the Schmidt Art Center in Belleview, IL from June 4 - July 30, 2015.

With coaching from JWax, I made digital prints on Kona cotton using Bubble Jet Set
and fused them to a "watery" cotton.

Stitching with variegated pearl cotton echoes the rows of boats
as well as complete shapes reminiscent of rowboats.

The "watery" cotton base fabric competed with the digital prints.  Solution: trim and  replace.

beyond the confines of woven structures

Today, I am putting the finishing touches on my presentation for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute's Potpourri of the Arts.  This is a return visit to Osher and I'm excited to include images of VOYAGE, my current exhibition at the Schmidt Art Center in Belleville, IL and in-process images of THROUGH THE VEIL, a collaboration with Suza Wooldridge for the Missouri Fiber Artists PAIRINGS project. 

June 19 -- Paper: Beyond the Confines of Woven Structures
Paper is used as a substrate for writing, printing and painting. It holds thoughts, dreams and promises, as well as lessons and histories. Bound, paper becomes book. Paper wraps, covers and encloses. It folds, cushions and absorbs. Paper can be cut, torn, glued, stapled, pierced and stitched. It can be reshaped from flat to form and spun into flexible linear elements. When backed by governments, paper represents gold and is used for exchange. Paper can be used to blot a tear, stifle a sniffle or wipe a baby's cheek.
Instructor:  Leandra Spangler's passion for papermaking began in 1986 when she first plunged her hands into a vat of pulp. Spangler's sculptural forms are twined reed forms covered with a handmade paper skin. Often textural, the paper is sealed and embellished. After 25 years of teaching art at West Junior High School, Spangler became a full-time studio artist in June 2000. She holds a master's in art education from MU. She continues teaching at national, regional and state conferences, guilds and in her studio. Her sculptural forms are shown nationally in juried and invitational exhibitions.

voyage @ the schmidt art center

June 4 - July 30, 2015

Schmidt Art Center
Southwestern Illinois College
2500 Carlyle Ave.
Belleview, IL  (618) 222-5ART

Schmidt Art Center

ROW, ROW, ROW, an installation of 260 paper boats.

ARTIFACTS from the Seven Seas