Our wonderful textile exhibit,
Dialogues in Fiber, continues through July 31st, and will be front and center once again for the upcoming July Artwalk. Joining us again will be eclectic duo Jon Crane and Abraham Neuwelt: Rainforest Journey, whose exceptional performance with such musical instruments as tabla, handpan (hang drum), gong, singing bowls, flute
and more when last at the Gallery was a real crowd-pleaser. Highly recommended; don't miss them!
Please come to downtown Winslow for another lovely evening of wine, friends, and art, with some exceptional musical offerings! Details below:
Dialogues in
Fiber
Continuing
Exhibition
Through
July 31, 2016
Suzanne Hubbard ~ Tom Johnson
Suzanne
Hubbard, Vashon Island, shows weavings from an ongoing series entitled
Silent Oratory, a Weaver Speaks.
The
series explores weaving as language
Tom
Johnson, Kansas City and Bainbridge Island, creates geometric fiber sculpture
as
wall
pieces and furniture
First
Friday, July 1, 6-8 pm
In Concert on the Plaza:
Jon
Crane & Abraham Neuwelt
Rainforest Journey
Images shown:
Top: Suzanne
Hubbard, Planting the Thread,
weaving, 60 x 70 inches
Below: Tom Johnson, Storyline, fiber sculpture, 38 x 36 inches
About the Artists:
Suzanne Hubbard learned
how to weave from Swedish master weaver, Marguretta Grandin-Nettles on
Nantucket Island in 1971. Pattern,
structure, and texture are elements that feature prominently in Swedish
weaving, and this was what attracted Suzanne to this particular technique. She travelled to Sweden where she continued
to study weaving and textile design at two well known handcraft schools,
Sätergläntan in Dalarna and Capellagården on the island of Öland.
Suzanne’s
career has included weaving commissions, participating in decorator show
houses, and exhibiting in both galleries and museums. Over the many years of weaving however, her
interest in pattern, structure, and texture has persisted. She has developed a deeper appreciation for
the craft, the understanding of which are the themes of her current work. Weaving’s patterning process resembles a
life-patterning process. Therefore, in
addition to its visual aspects, it also creates a non-verbal language that
graphically expresses Nature’s world of interdependent relationships.
Pattern, structure, and texture are the
elements that she uses in her work and the themes for her tapestries each
express something important when seen from the integrated perspective of the
whole cloth.
Tom Johnson: This body of my work - which is created by
taking multiple layers of fabric, manipulating, sewing, cutting, and washing
them to make the fibers “bloom” - had a serendipitous beginning.
I had fabric remnants from a variety of architectural and interior
design projects. I started experimenting
with layering, sewing them in lines at close intervals, cutting and washing, in
an effort to create a soft, tactile, dog-friendly throw for our sofa. The results got my creative juices flowing. I quickly saw lots of possibilities,
determined which fabrics worked best and how this newly created “Ridge and
Furrow Chenille” could be used. Benches
and ottomans soon followed. “Ridge and
Furrow” designs for the wall, as well as a “quilt,” developed simultaneously.
After seeing
quilts at the Modern Quilt Show in Austin that had graphic messages, and
wanting to commemorate the death of a couple of close friends, I started
creating pillows with a message. The pillows led me to explore color applied in
strips to the top layer. My most recent
piece, “Passage,” utilizes this technique as well as washed and unwashed
layers.
The process
continues to excite me and take me in new directions. I am influenced by the tradition of quilt
making as well as by modern and minimalist quilts (and on some level by the randomness
of Jackson Pollock). I’m inspired by the surprises that come from the layers
beneath the surface, the interplay of color, interpreting what I see around me
in this medium of fabric and threads, expressing a message that grabs me, and
the endless possibilities.
About the Musicians:
Jon Crane
& Abraham Neuwelt: Rainforest
Journey
Using
the exotic sounds of the tabla, handpan (hang drum), gong, singing bowls, flute
and more Jon Crane and Abraham Neuwelt weave together rhythm and melody to
create a soundscape that will bring us on a journey. Along with our instruments
our musical journey uses the sounds of rivers, streams, rain, and other sounds
of nature, transporting us into a environment that comes alive. For this
evening we will be using sounds recorded in the Hoh Rainforest here in
Washington. A CD recording, Hoh Rain
Forest Journey, will be available summer end 2016.
Left: Jon
Crane
Right: Abraham
Neuwelt
Jon Crane
has a deep passion for sharing his excitement and love of music and how it can
bring a greater sense of loving awareness to our lives. Since 2005 Jon has been
studying classical Indian music with renowned tabla player Ty Burhoe and with
Sarode maestro Steve Oda. Jon loves to share his music in ways such as
classical, kirtan, blue grass, sound baths and more. For five years Jon has
worked closely with the yoga community providing live music for yoga classes.
Diving deep into the present moment Jon sculpts and improvises the music to
each yoga class, weaving together the sounds of nature with many instruments
such as the hang drum, gong, singing bowls, native flutes and tabla. Jon has
learned and worked with many teachers over the years such as Ram Dass, Krishna
Das, Steve Gorn, Jack Kornfield, Zakir Hussain.
Abraham
Neuwelt is a percussionist who has been deeply involved in the NW music
scene for nearly 20 years. While continuing to perform on a regular basis,
Abraham has begun teaching students and volunteering at hospitals in his
community. His true calling is providing
healing and entertainment via his rare collection of melodic percussive
instruments from all over the world.
Event Location:
The Island Gallery, 400 Winslow Way E., #120,
Bainbridge Island, Washington.
Underground parking is available at The Winslow off Ericksen
Avenue. (Parking is monitored; please use Visitor spaces.)
