Untitled/Unjuried: small format tapestry 2014

July 8th - August 8th, 2014. 
University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence Campus Gallery
Opening reception: July 17, 5-9pm.

Since the last time I posted, I have received 219 tapestries in the mail. It was so exciting to open all the packages and see the tapestries. The next thing was to figure out how they will all be arranged on the panels for the exhibit. That was a lot of fun, trying to decide which ones will look best together. When the show is up, I will take photos so if you can't make it to the exhibit, you can see how they look.

[For more info about this exhibit, read the 2 previous entries on this blog]

Last week I saw a sample of the catalog, which was designed by Lindsey Marshall. She did a great job with the design, and the sample looked really good.  I can't wait to see the final catalog! Every artist who entered the exhibit will get a complimentary copy, and it will be available for sale on the ATA website. There are also catalogs from previous exhibits available for purchase. I find them very useful for inspiration and for research.

Here (with the artists' permission) is a preview of some of the tapestries that will be in the exhibit:
(you can click on the photo to see it larger)

Stephnie Cantoni, Australia. "No Name - No Status - No Justice - The Refugee"

Aliona Carpov, Morocco. "Reflection"

Sandy Kennard, Oregon, USA. "Butterfly: Opus 3"

photo credit: Terry Olson

Christine Rivers, Canada. "Unspoiled"

Marie-Thumette Brichard, France. "Sans Titre"

Untitled/Unjuried Update: The Numbers

The entry deadline for Untitled/Unjuried: Small Format Tapestry 2014 was January 31. It took me a few weeks to get an accurate count, because we had some duplicate online entries, and had to add in the paper entries as well.

Since it was a "postmark" deadline, we expected to receive a few entries in the following week, but I was surprised when one arrived on February 19th! It was from Brazil.

The final count is (drumroll!)   241 entries from:

13 countries - Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, UK, and USA

6 continents - Australia, South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa

33 US states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

4 Canadian Provinces - Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

The deadline for the actual tapestries to arrive is March 31. There are only 16 more days, and I still expect about 220 tapestries!  I'd better start getting 13 or more every day, or the last few days will be CRAZY! I have already warned my mail carrier.

One tapestry that will not have to go through the mail is my own. It is inspired by a photograph I took from my husband's tiny airplane, over Block Island. I am working diligently to finish it. (this is a detail)

CALL FOR ENTRIES!

The 10th unjuried small format tapestry exhibit is coming up. Unjuried means that everyone who enters gets in. Pretty good odds eh? There will also be a printed catalog, and everyone who enters will receive a complimentary copy.

Here are 3 catalogs from previous exhibits. 

"UNTITLED/UNJURIED: small format tapestry 2014" is sponsored by the American Tapestry Alliance, and will be at the University of Rhode Island Providence Campus Gallery from July 8 - August 8, 2014.  The opening reception will be on Thursday, July 17th, 2014, as part of Gallery Night Providence.

The exhibit will be up during Convergence (the giant weaving convention), and the gallery is only a few blocks from the Providence Convention Center, so anyone attending the convention will easily be able to drop in.

Here's how it works:

1. Before January 31, 2014, send in your entry form and fee. You can enter online or print and mail the form, and payment can be by check, credit card or paypal.

2. Weave the tapestry, and make sure it arrives by March 31, 2014.

I have entered this show many times, and it's always fun. Here is a tapestry I entered in a past show.

Experimentation is encouraged. There are tapestry celebrities, there are complete novices, and everything between; they are all in this show together, and all in the printed catalog together (forever!). It's your chance for immortality.

Last time we had 200 tapestries! I hope we can beat that number in 2014.

Information, and entry forms are on the ATA website, here.

OPEN STUDIO!

WEST BAY OPEN STUDIOS

5th Annual Tour

October 19th and 20th

Check the website for details, download a map, or pick up a brochure at any of our sponsors.

http://www.westbayopenstudios.com

Here's a recently finished tapestry, and then some photos from last year's tour. 

Tapestry Diary 2013, Halfway Done

I finished the May/June section of the 2013 Tapestry Diary last week, and now I have to cut it off and rewarp the loom for the second half of the year. That feels like a real milestone, much more so than just living for 6 months.

The second half of the year has arrived, and I am excited about it.

The theme is subtlety, not something I consider my forte, and I have been trying to keep my colors very soft and the combinations low contrast. (I think this photo may be a bit darker and more contrasty than the real thing).

I have gradually added little changes, like stripes and shading. I am getting a bit bored now, so it's time to do something a little more different in July, but, although I have some ideas, I won't be sure what that is until I do it. That's the way it works, when I'm weaving the days, it's all about being in the moment.


This year I am only weaving the diary 5 days a week. That seems reasonable since most people work a 5 day week, and that gives me a little leeway if I have to miss a day for some reason.

(On the right is the month of June, with a more accurate representation of the colors.)

I am weaving in 2 month sections, and the first 2 sections were each 8 weeks, but then, surprise surprise, May/June was 9 weeks!


Once I thought about it I realized OF COURSE! Otherwise we'd only have 48 weeks in the year. I was a little worried that I would not have enough warp, but in the end I did.

Apparently I don't have photos of each full section, but here are some that were almost finished.

Above is most of March/April, and below is most of January/February. You can tell which month it is by the number.

(NOTE: click on an image to see it larger)

For more about my tapestry diaries:

A New Year, A New Tapestry Diary

Tapestry Diaries Old and New

Here's a link to Tommye Scanlin's blog, where she writes about her 5 years of weaving tapestry diaries.

She introduced me to this idea, and got me started on this project, or perhaps it's more of a lifestyle!

Thanks Tommye!