Betty Vera comes to SCC

Artist Betty Vera

Photographs of a textile mill floor—subtle scars, stains and roughened surfaces, the only evidence of a refrigeration plant that once occupied the site—are transformed into abstract images woven in fine threads on a Jacquard loom. Through these weavings, on view at the Society for Contemporary Craft as part of the Bridge Exhibition Series, New York artist Betty Vera searches beneath the superficiality, noise and visual clutter of everyday life to reveal the underlying solitude, deep silence and fleeting nature of existence. Also featuring solo exhibitions highlighting Kevin Snipes’ ceramic vessels patterned with figurative drawings, and Melissa Cameron’s saw-pierced recycled objects that investigate pattern and the interdependence between elements and organic systems, the biennial Bridge Exhibition Series opens with a public reception on Friday, November 9, from 5:30 to 8 pm and continues through March 30, 2013.

Betty Vera, Fenced, 2012, Cotton, Jacquard weaving, 47” X 102”

Photo: D. James Dee

With her use of a digital Jacquard loom, pixels become threads as the artist creates woven images that blur distinctions between computer technology, weaving, painting and photography. In her tapestries, aesthetics of form, texture and space reference human relationships, the environments people inhabit or the intangible forces of nature, such as the wind that pushed some trash against a fence to accumulate in the shadows or the graffiti occupying an otherwise empty wall. Vera explores aspects of reality that are often unseen, ignored or forgotten. About the work, the artist comments, “Industrial and urban surfaces record our own comings and goings—often without our realizing it—but sometimes intentionally as we scrawl cryptic messages for passersby to discover. Leaving traces of ourselves everywhere, we continually impose new layers of history over the old.” 

Betty Vera, Imprint, 2010, Cotton, Jacquard weaving, Procion dyes

30” x 32”, Photo: D. James Dee

Vera grew up in the Midwest and attended Southern Illinois University before graduating from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, with a B.F.A. in drawing and painting. She studied textile design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and Parsons School of Design in New York, and subsequently began merging painting and fiber art, and combining warp painting and tapestry weaving techniques to create two-dimensional art textiles. Vera earned her M.F.A. in Studio Art at Montclair State University in New Jersey, where she expanded her studio practice into fiber sculpture and digital weaving technology. She has studied Jacquard weaving at the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles as well as The Jacquard Center in Hendersonville, NC; and currently lives and maintains her studio in the rural Hudson Valley.

Betty Vera, Grid, 2012, Cotton, Jacquard weaving, 53” x 47”

Photo: D. James Dee

Vera has taught fiber art classes at Montclair State University and FIT, as well as intensive workshops at Penland School of Crafts, NC, Peters Valley Craft Center, Layton, NJ, and Harrisville Designs, NH. The artist’s work is in corporate and private collections, and has been exhibited widely in galleries, museums and art centers across the United States. Her work has been critically reviewed in American Craft, Fiberarts, Surface Design, and Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, and featured in Interiors Magazine, as well as Weaving for Worship: Handweaving for Churches and Synagogues by Lucy Brusic and Joyce Harter; Fabrics: A Guide for Interior Designers and Architects by Marypaul Yates; and Fiber Art Today by Carol K. Russell.

Betty Vera, Layered, 2012, Cotton, Jacquard weaving, 46 ½” x 52 ½”

Photo: D. James Dee

To complement the Bridge 12 Exhibition Series, educational programs are planned to encourage an exchange of ideas. On Saturday, November 10, from 9 am–3 pm, Vera will teach Line & Space: An Intuitive Approach to Fiber Sculpture, a studio workshop in which students explore simple strategies for constructing lightweight forms to exploit the expressive potential of line and its dynamic relationship with space. Class tuition is $100, with a $25 materials fee. Like many artists who love handweaving for its color potential and tactile qualities, Vera is also part of the digital age and uses new technologies in her work. In a slide lecture, From Hand to Computer-Assisted Loom: Following the Thread, also on November 10, from 5–6:30 pm, the artist examines the relationship between her handwoven tapestries and a more recent body of work consisting of computer-assisted Jacquard tapestries. Suggested donation is $5. 

On Sunday, November 11, Vera shares her personal journey as a fiber artist in a Meet a Maker program, Touching Threads: An Artist’s Passion for Materials & Process. Replete with “please do touch” examples, this presentation covers her involvement with handweaving, sculpture and computer-assisted Jacquard tapestry. Participants will look at her creative process, materials, techniques, influences and sources of inspiration, and receive tips on how to display and care for fine textile art. The program runs from 11:30 am–1 pm, and tuition is $20. These programs are co-sponsored by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh. For more information or to register, call The Studio at 412.261.7003, x25.

Betty Vera, Residue, 2010, Cotton, Jacquard weaving, Procion dyes

30” x 32”, Photo: D. James Dee

An exhibition brochure documenting Vera’s solo show includes biographical information, photo-documentation of the artist’s work and an essay, title, written by Patricia Malarcher, a studio artist, art critic and former editor of Surface Design Journal and SDA Newsletter. Bridge 12: Melissa Cameron, Kevin Snipes, Betty Vera is made possible, in part, by the Allegheny Regional Asset District, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Elizabeth R. Raphael Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation and other generous donors.

Betty Vera, Vertical, 2010, Cotton, Jacquard weaving

76” x 46”, Photo: D. James Dee

New in the Store

Some great new pieces by Robert Villamagna in SCC'c Store. Email Sharon at theStore@contemporarycraft.org to buy!

Where Art meets Science

Woven Faces: Mapping the Emotional Brain
A talk with Lia Cook and Dr. Greg Siegle
Thursday, May 5, 6pm
$10 General suggested donation 
$5   Student suggested donation

Lia Cook and Dr. Siegle will discuss human brain mapping and the artist’s new body of work which focuses on the brain's response to memory and tactile and emotional experience.

Tracts Past

Lia Cook is a internationally recognized fiber artist. She lives and work in Berkeley, CA. A Professor of Art at California College of Arts, Oakland, CA for the past 35 years, Lia's work is still evolving and breaking new ground. 

Using self-portraiture as a visual base, Lia’s current practice incorporates concepts of cloth, touch, and memory. The sources of many of Cook’s images are simple snapshot cameras from the 1940s and 1950s, which link to today’s imaging technology in the same way that computers have connected to the manually operated Jacquard weaving looms of the 19th century. The intimacy of the family snapshot is a starting point for Cook’s woven images. These informal family photos, offer intimate information and shared history. On closer inspection, as we seem to be face-to-face with her portraits, the subject dissolves into a pointillist field of individual threads, allowing our senses to go beyond the threshold of recognition. With the use of her digital jacquard loom, pixels become thread as she weaves images and creates monumental works that blur distinctions between computer technology, weaving, painting, and photography. 

Face Maps

In the spring of 2010, Cook participated in a residency at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine called TREND (Transdisciplinary Research in Emotion, Neuroscience and Development). Working in collaboration with Greg Siegle—a PhD professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh—together they collected computer data in real time and mapped the human brain at work in response to her woven faces as stimuli. About the process she commented, “We tried many different approaches using Electroencephalography (EEG), Pupil Studies, EyeTracking and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The subjects did a variety of tasks. In one example they compared the actual woven image with a photograph of the woven image with the original tapestry itself. We could see different responses in the brain in visual images and found some evidence of my original idea that the woven image evoked a different kind and/or intensity of emotional response.” Cook’s solo exhibition, presented as part of Bridge 11 —on view now— explores her large-scale woven images of human faces and introduces several works from a new body of work based on her recent art-neuroscience collaboration.

A subject from the study touching Lia's work while connected to an EEG machine

Vessels that Echo the Natural World

I just finished installing a new exhibition in SCC's Satellite Gallery in downtown Pittsburgh. The show is called Ron Layport: Vessel Narratives and includes 12 pieces by local artist Ron Layport. 

I have been installing exhibitions at this gallery for about two years. It's a strange but very neat place, part underground, part above ground. It's filled with light and always bustling with foot traffic as it is in the lobby of the Steel Plaza T-station. I love being at the gallery, which is basically a 3-foot deep window display ( there is no public access), because I can work quietly and at my own pace to hang shows. It kind of feels private when behind the glass, but it is an incredibly pubic space. I can watch all manner of folks strolling, or running, to and from the train, and they can watch me hammer nails and adjust lighting. When I need to take a step back and look at the display I end up talking with passers-by and they always tell me how much they enjoy the shows here, how much it brightens their morning to be able to see such amazing art on their daily commute. 

Most of the time I am installing alone. Last week I had the pleasure of the artist's company for two full days. Ron was just as floored by the space as I am—it exceeded his expectations. The fact that all kinds of people pass by, not just museum goers, was not lost on him and he seemed to really enjoy chatting with folks as he used his hands to direct me in lighting his work. I can say with out a doubt that this current show is one of the most spectacular I have installed in this space. The works take full advantage of the light and the space. Below are some choice shots from the show. The full exhibition is also on our website where you can read more about the artist, a fellow Pittsburgher and all around awesome guy!

DIY: A Revolution in Handicrafts, Opening September 10

Things are in full swing right now at SCC as we prepare for the opening of our newest exhibition, DIY: A Revolution in Handicrafts. I am up to my shoulders with boxes full of art for the show. 

This major exhibition includes works by 15 contemporary artists from the US, Canada, and England and explores issues relating to politics, environmentalism, community and a redefining of a producer/consumer relationship. It will be presented in the main galleries, SCC’s alternative exhibition space EAT: An Art Space About Food, the Studio, and the Store so that visitors can see the art, buy the art, and make the art!

This is a super exciting show not only because it focuses on the awesome DIY movement, but also because its uniqueness. What makes it unique? Well, first because there have not been many exhibitions focused on DIY, and particularly not at nationally recognized fine art and craft venues, like SCC. And second, because it will be open for quite a long while - 7 months to be exact. There are several reasons why it extends so long, but most importantly is this. We are entering our 40^th year anniversary - 40 years of being on the cutting edge of craft. SCC was founded in 1971 by Elizabeth Rockwell Raphael as The Store for Arts and Crafts and People-Made Things. Raphael recognized the need to broaden opportunities for craft artists to show their work to a wider audience and believed that young artists working with traditional craft materials were exploring and developing new directions in contemporary art.  On the eve of SCC’s 40^th anniversary, the organization still holds true to her original intentions, which are exemplified through DIY: A Revolution in Handicrafts.  

Evolving out of the need for cost-saving lifestyles, DIY (or “Do It Yourself”) emerged in the US as a concept in the 1950s, took root as a definitive subculture in urban centers during the 1970s and could be identified as an international movement by the 1990s. DIY and indie-craft has evolved and matured over the past decade with little crossover into or support from the established craft world.  While still at the margins of the mainstream contemporary craft field, DIY represents a young audience, new energy, and a potential future direction for the field. An essential element of this movement is its association with social and political commentary, while at the same time emphasizing the development of strong, local communities, and environmentally responsible living.

DIY: A Revolution in Handicrafts brings together an institution-wide effort to showcase the DIY movement. To complement the exhibition, the Store highlights the work of DIY artists who are changing the producer/consumer dynamic through affordable, one-of-a-kind and limited edition items that emphasize the connection between maker and buyer.  In the Studio, SCC’s 4,000 square foot educational facility, hands on workshops and programs are planned to enhance visitors’ enjoyment of making and connect them with the materials and issues participating artists are exploring through their work. In conjunction with the exhibition, SCC in partnership with Pittsburgh Filmmakers and the Three Rivers Film Festival, (November 6-20, 2010), is presenting a screening of the film Handmade Nation at the Harris Theater on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 2 pm. Handmade Nation documents the new wave of art, craft, and design through the interviews of artists, crafters, curators, and designers working within this movement. A “Meet the Artist” reception and book signing at SCC with filmmaker Faythe Levine, a prominent figure in the DIY craft movement, immediately follows the Saturday afternoon screening.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be blogging about a number of the artists in the show! Here is a sneak preview:

One of four artists in the show working with ceramics, artist Ehren Tool, a former US Marine and Gulf War veteran, creates installations of cups decorated with a variety of pressed molds and imagery such as military metals, bombs and babies. His work deals with the uneasy relationship between military and civilian cultures, raising awareness of war to make people think about it as more than a concept. Tool has been known to refuse payment for and simply give away hundreds of his cups -seeing his work as successful when others begin to think about war and its devastating effects on individuals, communities, and countries.     

Society for Contemporary Craft

Start Sewing Online

I absolutely have to re-post this link from Poppytalk—it's so cool. If you like or want to learn to sew, that is. Three lovely ladies have created an on-line sewing class called Home Ec. It's super affordable and a super value for what you get. Check it out!

Society for Contemporary Craft

Making It Happen

Introducing Kate Lydon, Director of Exhibitions at the Society for Contemporary Craft. 

At SCC we are all about making, and we consider ourselves an important part of the community. What community?  Since 1971 we have shown work by national and international artists, so one might say we’re part of a national community. Early on, when SCC was located in Verona, PA and known as the Society for Art and Craft and People-Made Things—and crafts were sold for the most part at outdoor festivals—our founder Betty Raphael recognized the significance of a burgeoning craft market and she began selling work in a small storefront. Makers like Wendell Castle and Lenore Tawney were featured and their works offered for sale. 

Tawney in her South Street studio, New York City, working on Vespers, 1961. Photo: Ferdinand Boesch; Wendel Castle, Settee, from the Organic Series, 1968, Laminated cherry, Photograph : Photography ©The Minneapolis Institute of Arts  

Relocating to a new location in the Strip District in 1986 allowed us to develop a strong connection to our regional community. We continued to play a strong role shaping artists careers and impacting the direction of the ever-growing craft movement but at the same time we expanded our education programs for the Pittsburgh community and surrounding neighborhoods—people were learning how to hone their craft making skills and express themselves through art. So one might say we’re part of a local community.

This year SCC is celebrating its 40^th anniversary—you could say we’ve been 40 years in the making. In recognition of the growing indie movement worldwide, we will kick off the fall season with an organization-wide exhibition DIY: A Revolution in Handicrafts. The show harkens back to the 1970s and the very types of artists our founder, Betty, supported vigorously, drawing attention to a diverse range of production and materials used by artists in this sector of craft art. At the same time the exhibit is looking to the future highlighting the work of international, national and local artists and exploring the new DIY movement and issues relating to politics, environmentalism, and community.

As I give a nod to the artists from across the US, Canada and England whom we will be highlighting this fall and the DIY exhibition I also want to recognize the makers of our  own Lawrenceville community, who are currently featured as BE Galleries celebrates Lawrenceville's thriving artistic community with the opening of Made in Lawrenceville (You'd be Surprised to Know), an exhibition featuring a wide range of art, materials, handmade goods, and other works created exclusively in Lawrenceville. The show will also exhibit fashion and textile design, soap-making, clay, printmaking, as well as more traditional painting and sculpture. DIY represents a young audience, new energy, and a potential future direction for our communities, while at the same time emphasizing the development of environmentally responsible living. Join me in recognizing the makers who are making it happen!

Society for Contemporary Craft

Who Knew Asheville Had Such a Great Craft Scene?... Everyone But Me

Introducing Becky Berckey, Director of Development at the Society for Contemporary Craft.

Let me preface this by saying that I am one of the few non-artists on staff at SCC. When I started working at here a year and a half ago, I made it a personal mission to learn as much as I could about contemporary craft because I knew I would need a strong foundation of understanding to do my job, as the Director of Development, effectively. This has been and will continue to be a long-time learning opportunity for me - and one that I quite enjoy. 

Recently my mom invited me to go with her to Asheville, NC for an antiquing weekend. I had no idea I was going to be visiting a major craft community full of practicing artists. I had heard of Penland School of Crafts and I knew —at least peripherally— that it was in NC, but I didn't know that, with Asheville being one of the closest metropolitan areas to the school,  a lot of practicing craft artists made Asheville their home.

My mom and I got into Asheville late on a rainy Friday night and checked into our hotel. The next morning, we got up and decided to just explore the city and see what we came across. I had seen an ad for CURVE Studios on an area map at the hotel's front desk. It advertised: "bringing people to art & art to life in Asheville's River Arts District." I needed to pick up a gift and thought it sounded neat, so my we made it a destination during our first day. We followed the map and (having no sense of direction) were driving down a road that was looking pretty deserted. There were abandoned warehouses and factories and it all looked run-down and grungy. Then we crossed over the river and were all of a sudden in the middle of Asheville's blossoming River Arts District. There were a few retail stores, but mostly signs advertising open studios and artists-at-work. We pulled into CURVE Studios, which had three buildings surrounding a small but lovely garden (also filled with hand-made furniture and art). In each building were artists studios as well as small but welcoming retail spaces where you could browse and purchase the artists' work.

The first of the three buildings we went into was a ceramics studio. Three artists — Akira Satake, Kyle Carpenter, and Maria Andrade Troya — each using different clay construction, glazing and firing techniques, had functional ceramic work on display. The second building had more of a mix of artists: Constance Williams, an encaustic painter; Kelly Prestwood, a self proclaimed "artist blacksmith,” and Patty Bilbro, another functional ceramic artist. The third studio had a big open space filled with fleece quilts. When I turned the corner, I found myself face-to-face with the works of Megan Chaney, a ceramic artist who SCC represents in the Store. 

While I enjoyed all three studios and the mix of artists, it was with Patty Bilbro's charming characters that illustrate her functional ceramic pieces that I immediately fell in love with. I picked up one of her mugs for myself that has an ostrich on one side who's dreaming of a little girl on the other. I vowed to take my mug into work when I got back and beg Sharon Massey, SCC's Store Manager, to carry Patty's work (I'm happy to say Sharon has already contacted Patty, who will be sending us work for sale in the Store very soon).

My mom and I spent some time that afternoon exploring the rest of the River Arts District (which, in addition to 100+ artist studios, also has a micro-brewery and several restaurants). And as we spent the next couple days exploring downtown Asheville and the surrounding area, I was pleasantly surprised at how many artist studios and galleries we came across, all of which seemed to be busy with local foot traffic.  

While I'm slightly embarrassed about excitedly asking my colleagues on my first day back at work "Who knew Asheville had such a great craft scene?," everyone, very politely, declined to tell me, "We all did." So thank you all for that bit of kindness. And now I know, too!

-Becky  

Society for Contemporary Craft

Crafty MacGyver! DIY Clay Tool Contest

I just came across this great contest that Ceramics Monthly is holding. As a ceramic artist myself, I know that often the best clay tools are the ones you make or repurpose yourself, specifically for the job at hand. Everything from a particularly curved sponge-on-a-stick, to an extruder die, to a creative reclaiming process is eligible for the prize of a $500 Gift Card to use on Euclids.com!

The deadline to submit is coming up — July 16th! Check out the website for details about how to enter, its a video contest so go find a tripod and get started!

Society for Contemporary Craft