Every month in 2023 a new post will go up on SusanFeller.com. The January issue features the Women of Appalachia exhibit at The Dairy Barn Art Center, Athens, OH focusing on three West Virginia fiber artists.
Here is the link to Textile Arts in Appalachia Check it out and send me an email if interested in receiving future posts directly in mailbox.
The coordinator of Rug Hooking Week at Sauder Village, Archbold, OH is Kathy Wright and her name describes the results every year. 2017 brings attention to the minority gender in the domestic traditional craft of rugmaking — MEN. Exhibits of hooked work by contemporary artists and historical gentlemen alongside of those who manufactured the tools and supplies, the collectors, tradesmen, promoters and restorers will be on display through Saturday August 19.
There are individual displays for each of the men along with the full collection of over 600 pieces. A story behind each and every item, and I have met many of them in person this week. It has only just begun.
Haying Stages, Iconic Liberty, Caraway Garden Runner
The studio has offered me organized space to work and explore. Several pieces were submitted to different juried and invitational shows.
Haying Stages was accepted in 7Stitch shown at Morehead State College in Morehead, KY this summer. It was a Surface Design exhibit and juried by the President Jane Dunnewold. It was also accepted in the WV Div of Culture and History Biennial Juried Exhibition to be hung in the Dunn Building in Martinsburg, November 24- Feb 27, 2014.
Iconic Liberty received first place in West Virginia in the national theme American Heritage for the NSDAR.
Caraway Garden Runner was accepted along with Veins of Energy – Coal in the Best of West Virginia juried show at TAMARACK in Beckley, WV.
This design is finally finished in my eyes. Thanks to several critique sessions this summer.
Summer Bouquet
The composition came together easily, an odd number of large motifs, connected with organic (curved) lines to a small vase placed within the outside border to anchor the design. I used templates from ‘Design in a Box-Frakturs’ and the quirky principles of balance the PA German Fraktur artists had in their repetoire.
Then came bringing the lines to life. I photographed each of the changes and will highlight some lessons. Click on the first image and then you can see all in larger format by using the arrows. During one workshop where I used the images as a lesson plan, a student commented in awe at the multitude of changes I had made. To me that is what makes a project part of my process in learning. Kits and following directions are for a goal… completed item. Working on a design to achieve your knowledge of GOOD is growth.
The end of March was an exciting time for Fiber Arts.
Surface Design and Studio Art Quilts combined to present a three day conference near Philadelphia, PA. Off I went armed with business cards, wearing a necklace of punched work by Kira Bacon, and distributing postcards promoting the Schwenkfelder exhibit of hooked rugs just up the road. The preparation paid off as participants asked what rughooking was about, and I learned much more about the contemporary visions of artists.
The two organizations created a wonderful format with informative panels and individual presentations. One day we were transported into the city to independantly visit as many of the 50 exhibits featuring fiber arts as we could in 8 hours. FiberPhiladelphia has grown in venues to a happening every two years. Plan on your own visit in 2014.
Students and professionals attended the conference. Eastern Carolina University was represented by graduate and undergraduates in the Textiles program. These women were invigorating and conversations started about sharing skills in workshops at the University. The editor of Fiber Art Now, Marcia Young co-sponsored the event and introduced herself to members, gathering future topics and writers for the magazine.
There is a new Rug Hooking media outlet! 
A quarterly online magazine published by Rug Hooking Magazine and featuring a tour through our Studio in the premier issue. Subscriptions are $9.95 per year and available at www.RugHookingMagazine.com or click here
ArtWools Studio of Susan Feller 