Lisa Call

Butler Museum Show Opening

Saturday was the opening party for the show in Ohio at the Butler curated by Mary Lou Alexander. The show looks great, Mary Lou did an excellent job and I had a wonderful relaxing trip and am recharged and ready to get back to life.

I flew out to Ohio late friday evening and got into Akron around midnight so I went directly to a nice airport hotel and slept for many many hours. I got up late, soaked in the hot tub, went for a swim and finally made it over to the Youngstown area around 1pm. Perfect start to the weekend.

After helping Mary Lou with the flower arrangements (my part was to do absolutely nothing, which I’m sure was a big help) we went over to the Butler to deliver the last minute stuff and I got an early preview of the show, which, as I already mentioned, looked great.

Back to Mary Lou’s and more relaxing before heading to the opening party. I wore the same dress I have worn to every single opening the past 3 or 4 years. I might want to think about shopping again in a year or so.

The opening, and big party following at Mary Lou’s house, was great fun meeting new people and catching up with old friends. I knew most of the other artists in the show and we see each other around the country, although mostly in Ohio, as we go from show to show. Always fun to hear how things are going.

Sunday was spent doing pretty much nothing. Sleeping, reading the in sun, trying out Mary Lou’s endless swimming pool (very cool) and another trip over to see the Butler show for a bit. We also went to a gallery in Warren Ohio for an opening – crocheted pieces draped over wooden forms and hung on the wall. Absolutely stunning. A perfectly relaxing day enjoying the beautiful fall weather.

My desire/plan to spend much time reading, journaling and thinking over the weekend worked out great. The word authentic ran through my head often. Whatever balance it is I’m searching for must feel right to me or it’s just time management and not balance. I don’t have answers but I do have a renewed sense of what is authentic and what I need.

I flew back home this morning and put in a 1/2 day of work in the office before coming home to figure out what to cook for dinner for a kid that broke a tooth in my absence. Never a dull moment.

Now time to unpack and head to the studio for an hour. I’ll regroup tomorrow and figure out what is next up on the agenda for the art business stuff.

Images from the weekend:

My work in the show (click for larger image):

 
My other work in the show (click for larger image):

 
Flowers from Mary Lou’s garden:

 
The trees in Mary Lou’s yard. Her home is a paradise:

 
The sky was Colorado blue and the weather was perfect:

Structures #10    ©2004    35" x 52"

Depth and Breadth: Six Quiltmakers in the 21st Century

The preview party for this invitational museum show, curated by Mary Lou Alexander, is Saturday, October 11 from 5-7pm at the Butler Institute of American Art/Trumbull. I will be in attendance so if you can make it to the opening please come introduce yourself. We won’t be doing artist talks but all artists except Jen will be in attendance and happy to talk about their work.

About the show, from the invitation (which I failed to send in mailing labels for – big oops cause they are nice invites):

This exhibit explores a variety of approaches to fine art quiltmaking today. The show features six accomplished, well established artists:

Bob Adams, Lafayette, Indiana
Lisa Call, Denver, Colorado
Jan Myers-Newbury, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
June O’Neil, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Jen Swearington, Asheville, North Carolina
Kathleen Loomis, Louisville, Kentucky

Each artist will display works that illustrate the depth and variety of her/his work. Each artist approaches quiltmaking in a singular way, and each brings superb craftsmanship and distinctive imagery to her/his work. This exhibition was organized by the Butler and curated by Mary Lou Alexander.

Museum Contact Information:
9350 East Market Street
Howland Township, Ohio
330-609-9900

The show runs from October 12, 2008 – January 4, 2009.

My Artwork

I’m beside myself with excitement for having this first chance to exhibit a nice selection of my work in a museum setting. One of my big dream visions for my career is to have my work in permanent museum collections and this feels like a first good step in that direction.

I’ll have 6 large textile paintings in the show, including the 2 shown in this post, with work from both the Structures series and the Markings series.

I’ve rarely shown Structures #10 in public and until this year it hasn’t really been for sale. I’ve now decided it’s time for it to find a new home. This is probably one my best pieces and certainly a personal favorite. The quilt is about personal growth and my divorce and was started only a few months after my ex-husband moved out of the house and not completed for a couple of years. Much healing went into this piece of artwork. My hope is for the textile painting to find a home with someone that will love it.

Structures #33 was made during my days as a runner, training for a half marathon. These are the colors I would see each morning – gray sidewalks, blue sky and mountains, green trees and bushes and the pink sky of dawn. I no longer run but every time I look at this piece I think of my favorite spot on my running path through some willows.

Structures #33    ©2006    53" x 67"

 
Time to get packing and then to the studio

New House -> New Cards

Today I designed and ordered new business cards. I’m now a Denver person not a Parker person. My old cards had my real street address on them. Decided to just go with phone and online contact information for this version.

I normally do all my online printing of postcards and such with vistaprint but they didn’t have an option to upload an image for the back of a business card, at least that I could find, so I switched to overnightprints.com for this order. Got a tip on twitter that they were good.

 

Front side

 

Back side

 
I did my last business card with a vertical orientation. I won’t be doing that again. Nonstandard isn’t a good idea for something that is rather standard. It didn’t fit into any of the holders when sitting out at shows.

The past 3 or 4 years I’ve used an image of Structures #35 for all of my branding – website, blog, business cards, thank you notes and even all of my avatars online are this textile painting. I guess I’m getting a bit tired of it so I went with something else for the business card. I think Structures #60 is currently one of my favorite pieces.

Depth and Breadth: Quiltmaking in the 21st Century

The Butler Museum of Art has requested business cards for the show Depth and Breadth: Quiltmaking in the 21st Century, which runs October 12, 2008 through January 4, 2009 with an opening reception on the October 13th.

I’ll be at the opening and will be giving a short artist talk. I believe some of the other artists in the show (Bob Adams, Jan Myers-Newbury, June O’Neil, and Jen Swearington) will be speaking also.

Monday I’ll pack up the 6 pieces for the show and get them to UPS. There will be work from both the Markings and the Structures series at the show.

For those that like to prepare early here are the museum details:

Butler Institute of American Art
Trumbull Gallery
9350 East Market Street
Howland, OH 44485

Butler Institute of American Art, Ohio

I have been invited to participate in an exhibit at the Butler Institute of American Art this fall. My first invitational museum show. Yay. The show is being curated by Mary Lou Alexander, a woman I met several years back in an artist workshop.

Depth and Breadth: Quiltmaking in the 21st Century

Curator’s Comments: In an attempt to demonstrate the breadth of approaches to fine art quiltmaking today, I have invited five accomplished, well established artists to exhibit their work. Each is asked to submit 5 or 6 pieces that illustrate the depth and variety of of her/his work. Each artist approaches quiltmaking in a singular way, and each brings superb craftsmanship and distinctive imagery to her/his work. In this way I hope to inform the viewer of the depth and breadth of fine art quiltmaking as exhibited by 5 contemporary masters of the medium.

October 12, 2008 through January 4, 2009.

Participating Artists:
Bob Adams, Lafayette, IN
Lisa Call, Parker, CO
Jan Myers-Newbury, Pittsburgh, PA
June O’Neil , Cleveland Heights, OH
Jen Swearington, Asheville, NC