The Fiber Arts Network opened its second biennial exhibit at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts in Grand Rapids. The exhibit was open to fiber artists in any of the states touching the Great Lakes (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York).
All the fiber arts were eligible for entry. New Fibers 2006 included weaving, quilting, basketry, felting, bead weaving, handmade paper, surface design, stitchery, mixed media and installation.
Cynthia Schira, a noted weaver and Professor Emerita from the University of Kansas, juried the show and selected these pieces for awards:
Best of Show ($1000): Akemi Nakano Cohn, “Trace-1”
First Prize ($750): Judy L. Kahle, “Letters Never Sent”
Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild Award ($500): Anne Percy Knott, “Redemption II”.
Anne is shown here with Cynthia Schira (on the right).
New Fibers 2006 then traveled to The DeVos Museum at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, and to the Berkowitz Gallery in the Mardigian Library of the University of Michigan, Dearborn.
Exhibitors in New Fibers 2006 were:
Susan Aaron-Taylor, Pleasant Ridge, Michigan Mary Andrews, Grand Blanc, Michigan Jenna Andrews, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan Jill Ault, Ann Arbor, Michigan JoAnn Bachelder, Bay City, Michigan Nancy Belfer, Buffalo, New York Jean Brudzinski, Rochester, Michigan Lois Bryant, Ann Arbor, Michigan Mary Burks, Indianapolis, Indiana Akemi Nakano Cohn, Chicago, Illinois Rebecca Cross, Oberlin, Ohio Brooke Demos, Chicago, Illinois Linda Sorkin Eisenberg, Chicago, Illinois May Fechner, Adrian, Michigan Clairan Ferrono, Chicago, Illinois Phyllis Fredendall, Hancock, Michigan Robin Haller, Cleveland, Ohio Passle Helminski, Erie, Pennsylvania Sondra Hoffman, Northville, Michigan Sue Holdaway-Heys, Ann Arbor, Michigan Gretchen Neal Jackson, Ann Arbor, Michigan Judy L. Kahle, Wauseon, Ohio Anne Percy Knott, Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Kowaleski, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan Susan Krueger, Bowling Green, Ohio Karen Kurak, Loveland, Ohio Eileen Lauterborn, Farmingdale, New York Mi-Kyoung Lee, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Juliana Lew, Ludington, Michigan Ann Lipshie, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Nancy Middlebrook, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Susan Moran, Ann Arbor, Michigan Bonnie Peterson, Elmhurst, Illinois Monica Prince, Ypsilanti, Michigan Marilyn Prucka, Monroe, Michigan Sally Rose, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan Judy Rush, Columbus, Ohio Ann Schumacher, Auburn Hills, Michigan Jennifer Schumaker, Madison, Wisconsin Karen Searle, St. Paul, Minnesota Jim S. Smoote II, Chicago, Illinois Jim S. Smoote II, Chicago, Illinois Karen Tembreull, L’Anse, Michigan Pat Williams, Brighton, Michigan Margaret Windeknecht, Jenison, Michigan
Full color catalogs, showing all the work in the exhibit, are available. Send $3.00 to Jill Ault, 2531 Meade Ct., Ann Arbor, MI 48105