Friday, June 24, 2016

You're Invited: July 2016 First Friday Artwalk

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.)


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