DAFA Awards Two 2014 Scholarships

Josie Rodriquez and Abigail Elizabeth Sherrill became this year’s DAFA Scholarship recipients at the guild’s meeting in May. Josie is an undergraduate student at the University of North Texas who will enter the UNT Graduate Fiber Program in the fall.  Abigail, a current graduate student at the University of North Texas, will further her career in the fiber art field through working and teaching.

As part of their presentations to the guild, Josie and Abigail displayed their artwork and received enthusiastic support from audience members. DAFA community services chair Brenda McKinney coordinated the awards and presented the two winners with their $500 checks.

Left: Josie Rodriquez receives her scholarship from DAFA community services chair Brenda McKinney. Right: Brenda presents the other scholarship award to Abigail Sherrill.

On left, scholarship winner Abigail Sherrill chats with DAFA member Traci Hutton. At right, DAFA members crowd around samples of the students’ work after the two winners’ presentations.

-- Brenda McKinney

Awards Conclude 2014 DAFA Member Show

DAFA artists and members celebrated the closing of the 2014 Member Show and Special Exhibit with a reception and awards ceremony at the guild’s April meeting. The juried show, The Fine Art of Fiber, included 34 pieces of art made by 17 artists and one group. The exhibit was on display at The Point on the C.C. Young campus from March 28 to April 28, along with a special exhibit, The Textures of Indonesia Challenge (details below).

The Best of Show award went to a large collaborative piece made by a group of eight DAFA friends whose months-long project yielded 72 fiber art “Tarot” cards inspired by a deck showing the work of Leonardo da Vinci. DAFA thanks our juror, DFW-area artist Teri Muse, and our hard-working Annual Show chair, Sherrie Tootle.

This year’s Member Show winners

• Best of Show – “The Da Vinci Enigma Tarot: A Wonder's Collaboration,” Connie Akers, Flo    Barry, Michelle Knoerzer, Sara Miller, Lu Peters, Carolyn Skei, Brenda Wyatt, and Gay        
   Young

• First Place – “Poule Aye,” Alisa Banks

• Second Place – “Big Figure #8,” Heather Pregger

• Third Place – “Modern Target Practice,” Robin Wiliiamson

• Juror's Choice – “Chaos III - Hoyle's Cosmology,” Connie Akers 

• Honorable Mention – “Blue Chair Mantra,” Deborah Boschert 

• Honorable Mention – “Flower Garden,” Janet Avery

Note: Watch the DAFA website for photos of all show entries.

Left to right: Val Guignon (center) chats with Deborah Boschert at the reception table. Annual Show chair Sherrie Tootle prepares to announce the winners. Artists and show visitors fill the gallery with excitement at the closing reception.

Left to right: Four of eight members who won a collaborative Best of Show award for "The Da Vinci Enigma," Carolyn Skei, Gay Young, Lu Peters and Michelle Knoerzer. Alisa Banks with “Poule Aye.” Heather Pregger with “Big Figure #8.”

Left to right: Robin Williamson with “Modern Target Practice.” Deborah Boschert with “Blue Chair Mantra.” Janet Avery with “Flower Garden.” Lu Peters (center) accepts the Juror’s Choice award on behalf of her friend and collaborator Connie Akers. Show chair Sherrie Tootle is at left, juror Teri Muse on the right.

Leading up to a special exhibit titled The Textures of Indonesia, DAFA veterans Mary Masal and JoAnn Musso challenged members to make art using a challenge fabric – pieces of a recycled quilt top with an Indonesian flavor. In addition to the challenge fabric, finished entries had to include “one button, one snap, and one bead,” as well as “something round, something square and something purple.” The inventive entries sparked the imaginations of show visitors and DAFA members alike.

This year’s Challenge winners

• First Place – “Daphne's Good Fortune Cookie” purse, Daphne Huffman

• Second Place – “Myriad of Journeys” vest, Sheila Hill

• Third Place – “Wildflower” quilt, Janet Avery

• Judge's Choice – “Long-Leg Rag Doll #3,” Binnie Tomaro

Left to right: Challenge winner Daphne Huffman with her fortune cookie purse. Sheila Hill with her challenge vest. Janet Avery with her challenge quilt. Binnie Tomaro with her Judge’s Choice rag doll.

Left to right: Challenge instigators JoAnn Musso and Mary Masal prepare for a light-hearted announcement of their winners. Jules Rushing’s “MRI Mirage” reminds guests of the seriousness of Alzheimer’s Disease. Artists and show visitors examine and discuss details of the work. Sculpture at right is “Wild Thing I” by Debbie Snider.

Contributors: Sherrie Tootle, Mary Masal, Carolyn Skei  

DAFA Meets the Public at ArtPark

Led by guild show chair Sherrie Tootle, a team of DAFA members manned a colorful display of guild members’ work at the annual ARTsPARK fair at NorthPark shopping center in Dallas in April. The event was the fifth such opportunity for area art organizations to connect with the public and to bring membership information, displays and demonstrations to those interested in the arts. 

Thanks to Sherrie and to Debbie Snider, Glynis Scott, and Janet Jelen, who manned the booth, and to a number of members who loaned items for the display.

Debbie Snider (left) and Glynis Scott tend the DAFA table at ARTsPARK. Debbie made the wrapped baskets on display, and Glynis made the felted items. Other items include quilts and quilt-like items made by Sherrie Tootle, and hand-dyed fabric by Jules Rushing.

Contributor: Sherrie Tootle

Christine K. Miller speaks at DAFA’s March 2014 meeting

Christine K. Miller, weaver, fiber artist and Plano high school art teacher, was DAFA’s guest artist at the meeting on March 24. She presented a talk on “The Future of Fibers,” a slide show originally prepared for the Contemporary Handweavers of Texas.

Christine’s talk reflected her long-time interest in basketry, knitting, crochet, sewing, needlework, and most recently, weaving with wire.  She exhibited recent works made with woven metal cloth. She also shared thoughts about a forward-looking personal project that she hopes will shine light on fiber as an art form.

The mini-workshop for March was led by DAFA member Beth Swider, who taught participants how to do straw weaving.

Christine’s PowerPoint presentation took an over-arching look at fiber, showing its presence in everything from our brains to our pop culture. Christine is shown at right.

Left to right: Lu Peters and Christine discuss dreams about a new informational project on the subject of fiber. Sue’s woven wire dress sculpture. Sue’s hut sculpture made of woven metal cloth.

Left to right: Mini-workshop participants trying their hands at straw weaving. Beth Swider (right) helps Early Irwin with her project. Wearing a striking straw-woven necklace and belt, Beth explains the process. 

-- Posted by Carolyn Skei

Sue Benner presents DAFA's February 2014 program

Internationally recognized textile artist Sue Benner was DAFA’s guest artist in February. A true innovator in the field of art quilting, she brought a wide variety of her large quilts and painted fabrics for audience members to view and also gave a PowerPoint presentation showing her Dallas studio and work processes.

Sue’s training as a molecular biologist and medical illustrator inspire much of her work, and her quilts are replete with dyed and painted fabrics in combination with recycled textiles. Surface design, pattern, textile collage, fusing and vivid coloration are all hallmarks of her work.

Sue also led a major workshop for DAFA in early March. View the workshop photos on the DAFA website.

The February mini-workshop was led by DAFA member Deborah Boschert, who taught participants her technique for making fused fabric feathers. See photos below.

Left to right: Sue shows one of her gridded quilts featuring sunflowers. A slide in her PowerPoint show enables the audience to see how she begins to build one of her large landscape quilts. Sue explains her cutting-edge approach to surface design.

Left to right: With the help of Valery Guignon and Becky Jackson, Sue displays one of her Cellular Structure quilts. Sue talks about a cellular motif that has fun with polka dots. The DAFA audience crowds around to examine Sue’s painted and dyed fabrics and quilts.

Left to right: Just a few of the samples of fused fabric feathers Deborah Boschert displayed to inspire mini-workshop participants. Mini-workshop chair Chuck Baber assists Deborah. Participants gather at the ironing stations to fuse their fabrics.

-- Posted by Carolyn Skei