Quilt National 2007 Awards and Groups
They’ve posted the Quilt National Awards on the website.
Two of the artists that won awards are from Colorado - Regina Benson and Denise Labadie, both talented artists that I know from my days in Front Range Contemporary Quilters. Colorado tends to be well represented in Quilt National and other national exhibits, I think partly because of groups such as Front Range where artists get the support they need to make their art and are encouraged to grow.
Dun Aengus Stone Fort © Denise Labadie 63" x 71"
Winner of the McCarthy Memorial Award - Quilt National 2007
Printed here with permission from the artist.
Congratulations Regina and Denise! Well deserved.
Interestingly I know Regina is also no longer a member of Front Range and neither am I. [Correction 7/9/07 - Regina is still a member of Front Range. Sorry for the mistake Regina.] While the group was wonderful when I was first starting I eventually out grew it. I became frustrated at some of the policies they adopted and the constant bickering between members. I no longer felt I got anything from the group and while I remained a member until a few years ago I had mostly stopped going to meetings by 2002.
It seems to me this group is geared more towards a beginning artist, although I do know some established artists that remain. Maybe I’m just not a group person? I’m not so happy with Studio Art Quilt Associates either as you can tell from my previous posts about their auction policy. I think one reason is there seems to be a tall poppy syndrome tendency in groups like this. At some point this can hold back ones career rather than advance it.
Although not all groups are like this. I created an online support group for quilters, The Fiber Connection, back in 1997. We were all just beginning to go down the path of pursuing quilting as an art and career. Ten years later we still email each other on almost a daily basis, supporting each other in our successes and struggles as we all move forward in different directions and in different ways. If you put us all in a room together we may not be the best of friends but the combination of personalities results in an incredibly dynamic and supportive group. This is the type of group to which I enjoy belonging.
Do you belong to any artist support groups? How does it work out for you?
Again - Congratulations Regina and Denise. Check out their websites to see their wonderful art:
Now back to the garden - it’s the weekend for yard work and bbqs here in the United States and I’m doing my part to fit right in.
Posted by Lisa in: Art Exhibits, Being an Artist
jafabrit said,
May 27, 2007 @ 9:03 am
Groups can be frustrating, and some people have such egos or issues, sigh! I can’t be bothered with that or the politics that come about as a result. Some of I think can be a resul of growing artistically and having different needs too. I was in a small art critique group and got frustrated and had to leave. What is the point of a critique group of people don’t bother to show up or don’t bring work to critique?
I am very active in the arts council but tend to do my own thing with the support of the other active members, and vice versa. So far we haven’t had much issues with egos,politics, etc, but if it came up I would just step back and stay out of it and continue to do my own thing (art council blog administrator, co-curator of the Chamberpot Gallery, special events).
Have a great weekend and memorial day.
Diane Clancy said,
May 27, 2007 @ 11:25 am
I have been in a lot of groups for other reasons - like making the world a better place. In this process I developed a lot of skills for making and keeping group process conducive to getting work done instead of people posturing with their egos. that has helped me enjoy groups. Also, it is one of the main ways I see people.
Last fall I made a commitment to myself and my business that I wouldn’t take on any more work like that unless it directly supported my growth as an artist. I am now the chair and I do the mailings for the Visual Artists Group of Franklin County. There is a move here (Franklin County), as in many rural areas, to build the creative economy.
It is up and down in focus and attendance, but there are a group of us artists who aren’t feeling as isolated. We have had a few projects (like a Holiday Shop.) For now, it is good for me. And I am certainly networking.
Also I was in a small women artists in business group for over 10 years. Sometimes it was helpful, and sometimes felt like a drain. A couple of us took steps at different times to move things in directions more helpful to ourselves. The 3 of us left may meet a couple of times a year.
I guess I have a lot to say … hope it is ok.
I took a business class for artists last fall and we still meet every 2 months - that is extremely helpful to have a local, in person, and also email, group for feedback. This is great!
But sine I have been blogging and emailing with artists I have been meeting, that is certainly meeting many of these needs. Thank you for listening!
~ Diane Clancy
http://www.dianeclancy.com/blog
Wanda S. Hanson said,
May 27, 2007 @ 6:14 pm
Lisa, I think you aren’t a group person. You are a strong, capable person who is a leader. You are independent thinking which is the making of a “loner” of sorts. We all need the other people, but not if they drain us with their needs. Almost every group will have the dictator, the needy person, the jealous person, etc. I also dislike the bickering and wasting of time at meetings and have dropped out of most groups.
Three of us started a group back in the mid-90’s thinking we could mentor some up and coming artists. In the end we were bringing all of the show and tell and demonstrations and they were using us as their entertainment. We felt we couldn’t waste any more time on it and disbanded the group.
I think emailing with other artists is the best way to stay in touch. It’s all business that way and each can respond when they have time. It’s like you said, there are a lot of different pesonalities when you meet as a group and sometimes it’s not so good. I think all artists are pretty much “loners” because we are driven. We have to make the art.
Claire said,
May 28, 2007 @ 5:51 am
Hi Lisa,
I have never attempted to join a formal quilting group. Though I am a member of a local artists collective, I was hoping that it would provide good artistic connections and I would find people with similar interests but it doesn’t seem like the right fit.
It would be great if I could build an informal artistic network, but at this time, I find the most value out of my blog and reading the blogs of other textile artists.
Sometimes I wonder if people find me a bit intimidating or something. Maybe I have a snobby or inapproachable look about me LOL.
cynthia said,
May 29, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
Wow, Denise’s work is amazing! Congratulations to her and to Regina too.
Yes, I belong to groups, both informal and formal and they all have their place. Since working solo, I kind of enjoy the social interaction of the group.
KJ said,
May 29, 2007 @ 7:46 pm
I felt the same frustrations, the groups served me well, I served them well… but when it was time to move on, I did. Never regretted the time spent and never looked back… except to recall the many learning experiences. The web is a wonderful source of camaraderie. I’ve belonged to one painting email list for over ten years… met many of the members as we eventually began to gather and travel together. Often very different in person than in email.
Meagan said,
May 29, 2007 @ 8:48 pm
I make primarily art quilts (some bags, some knitted stuff, etc) and am a member of a small fiber arts group. I am often invited to join traditional quilt guilds and have to come up with polite excuses as to why I’m really not interested. It isn’t that I’m not interested, per se, it’s just that a traditional quilt guild really isn’t going to help me advance or publicize my artwork and, quite frankly, I don’t want to deal with all the politics, though politics are going to be a part of any group, traditional or art-based. I guess it depends on how much one is benefiting from being in a particular group vs. how bad the politics/policies are as to whether one should continue being a member.
Cherry said,
June 1, 2007 @ 7:46 pm
OH my goodness, Wanda S. Hanson’s comments resonate with uncanny familiarity.
I belong to several textile art groups, none of which I attend with any regularity EXCEPT the small intimate setting of my tArts group.
We email each other almost daily and share so much passion for art that we feel like sisters. We are serious about art and are diverse in age (from 34 to 82). There are 9 of us. One has won Quilt National in the past. 2 additional Honorary members -One is a collector from Chicago, another is an artist from NYC whose work has also been seen in QN and has won awards there.
The other textile groups I belong to are for “information gathering”. I think it’s imperative to know the minds of others to know how to change them.
Yes sir ree ee bob. I join to listen to the poop.
I didn’t like the SAWASAquash conference for one reason.
Why would an organization whose mission it is “…to promote the art quilt through education, exhibitions, professional development and documentation.”, have as it’s speaker one evening, what I consider to be the antithesis of professional artists.
Yes, Karey Bresenhan. What the F?
OK 2 reasons, one of their board members wasn’t familiar with any of the artists I mentioned to her. When I mentioned Eleanor McCain and Susan Shie, she said who?
SaQA lost it’s cred with me on those 2.
There are more reasons, but the buck stops at the top and me no likie the top.