Sacred Threads Artist Night

I had such a delightful time at the Sacred Threads Opening and Artists Reception. I was greeted by Donna Desoto and Lisa Ellis.

Donna bought my quilt Encrusted Cairn many years ago. We have never met in person, but she follows my blog and greeted me right away! It was delightful to make a real life connection and to thank her personally for her early support of my art. Lisa Ellis (along with Christine Adams) organized the Sacred Threads show in its first year here in the DC area. Her passion, dedication, and hard work are unmatched. I was so happy to meet her.

The exhibit was breath taking and inspiring on many many levels. I did not have the time or the mental capacity to take it all in. Unlike most quilt shows and art exhibits, the pieces in this collection are specifically related to various spiritual themes. The artist statements that accompany each piece are an integral part of the experience.

Here I am with Refuge Radiant.
Aside from the stunning art and the moving messages behind it, I was delighted to see many friends and meet lots of artists!

Sue Walen is a local artist. She and I are members of several of the same groups.
Alice Magorian and Glenda Richardson are local SAQA members.
I did take some photos of quilts, but I am so eager to get the CD catalog of the show. It will be wonderful to re-view each of the quilts and be able to read each artist statement without the distraction of the excitement of the show opening. Of course, there is no substitute for seeing fiber art in person, so I'll have that memory to go with the images on the CD.

The CD will be available on the Sacred Threads website after the show closes. It would certainly be a worthwhile addition to any library. The quality, depth and variety of the work is quite notable.

I will share just these two pictures of a particular impressive part of the exhibit. It was called Walking in Love and is a fiber art and mixed media installation that you could actually walk through.

A brief introduction sign and guest book...

And just an idea of the scope and power of the piece. It's a spiral of hanging banners. Can you see the person in the center of the spiral?Read more about Lisa Brey's amazing project on the Walking in Love blog. I thought is was especially exciting to see a true installation piece included in the exhibit. Wow! Just imagine what can be done with art quilts!

Then we enjoyed a fantastic dinner. That's Sue Reno on the left.
I've followed Sue's blog and art work for years and it was so fun to meet in person. Sue was one of the juror's of the exhibit and it was fascinating to talk with her about that experience and about other arty things happening in her life.

Then I got to connect with more artists. Here are Vivien Zeph and Benedicte Caneill!
They are friends of friends... and now friends of mine. I'll be seeing them again in July when I meet up with some other artists in NY.

There is something quite powerful about making connections with people who share a passion for creating and for honoring and celebrating our ideas through art.

Of course, if you're in the area...

Sacred Threads

June 22, 2011 - July 4, 2011

Church of the Epiphany, 3301 Hidden Meadow Drive, Herndon, Virginia 20171

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays: 10am - 5pm

Thursdays: 10am - 8pm

Sundays: 1pm - 4pm

Special Hours on July 4: 1pm - 4pm