Carol Anne Grotrian to Teach Stitched Shibori and Her Soul Mate Indigo

CAROL ANNE GROTRIAN TO TEACH

STITCHED SHIBORI AND HER

 SOUL MATE INDIGO

AT THE NEW ENGLAND QUILT MUSEUM

NOVEMBER 11, 2018

AND

DECEMBER 1, 2018

Carol Anne Grotrian is happy to announce a new class offering—Stitched Shibori and her Soul Mate Indigo on November 11 and December 1 at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA. 

This is a two-session opportunity to explore a Japanese slow stitch tradition found among the many techniques of shibori, an ancestor to tie-dye. Seemingly endless patterns are created by hand sewing and gathering threads tightly. After dyeing, the stitches are removed to reveal an amazing diversity of subtle patterns. Ancient indigo is the perfect dye for stitched shibori. 

The first day you will learn basic techniques and then experiment with lots of variations. The interval between classes will give students time for “homework,” i.e. preparing stitched shibori for dyeing.  You will dye a test sample on the first day, but the main focus of the second day, will be the indigo vats, though students are welcome to spend time with shibori techniques as well.  

For more information, http://www.nequiltmuseum.org/programs--events.html

Stepping Inside the Outside Debuts at Highfield Hall

"Stepping Inside the Outside" Debuts

Highfield Hall in Falmouth, MA

September 8, 2018 to October 31, 2018

"Sequoias" by Carol Anne Grotrian

A great deal of work by our wonderful Exhibition Committee is coming to fruition this month!  Our current regional show, Stepping Inside the Outside, opens this month on Saturday, September 8, 2018 at Highfield Hall, 58 Highfield Dr., Falmouth, MA, and runs until October 31, 2018.

Our congratulations to all of the artists exhibiting! There were 84 entries by 38 artists who applied to the show. Of the 38, 30 artists were chosen. Of the 84, 35 works were chosen by two jurors, Mary Horrocks of Colorado, and Joshua Willis of New Mexico.  In total 37 pieces will hang at Highfield, including one of the juror, Mary Horrocks, and one of the curator, Nancy Turbitt. The other juror's piece by Joshua Willis will hang when the show travels to Bristol Art Museum.  

Highfield Hall is a restored Victorian estate, complete with beautiful outdoor gardens which visitors are encouraged to explore. 

The reception is being held from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2018, following our regional meeting at the Falmouth Art Center, 137 Giffords St., Falmouth, MA, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.  Admission to Highfield Hall is free this day only, as it is open house for Highland Hall!  Please bring a sack lunch, Show and Tell, and your enthusiasm for our meeting and this special event! 

"Big Wolf - Little Wolf" by Elaine Hickey

In addition to our show, another fiber exhibit curated by "Fiber Arts Now" magazine editor in chief, Marcia Young, entitled “Tapestry in New England and Beyond,” will also be on view.  We suggest you make it a day trip filled with fiber viewing! 

A second venue has also been added to our show, as Stepping Inside the Outside was invited to the Bristol Art Museum in Bristol, RI from February 1 – March 10, 2019.  A former carriage house, the light and airy gallery spaces in this museum promise to provide a unique setting for the quilts in the exhibit.  Both of the jurors for Stepping Inside the Outside, Mary Horrocks and Joshua Willis, will have works on display at this venue as part of the exhibit.

The catalog for the Stepping Inside the Outside exhibit is already available from Amazon.com for $15.. Or you can buy a catalog for $15 at the meeting at the Falmouth Art Center, or the reception at Highfield Hall & Gardens in Falmouth, MA on September 9. 

We can't thank our Exhibition Committee enough!  A special thank you goes to Nancy Turbitt, our chair, who has kept this process on course over the last year.  She has been assisted by Sue Colozzi, Allison Wilbur, Jeanne Holtzman, and Dixie Walker. This team has worked hard to make this an exhibition to be proud of and to enjoy.

"Last Light" by Gwyned Trefethen

Please join us for our September regional meeting at Falmouth Art Center, and then the Artists Reception on Sunday, September 9, 2018.  It promises to be a very special event!

"Branches 6" by Lee Sproull

Exhibition News - NEQM

THE QUILTED CANVAS

The Crit Group: 30 Years and Still Quilting

New England Quilt Museum

January 11 through April 29, 2017

Fragments #290 by Judy Becker

​This exhibit of works by five artists in fiber is a unique insight into the relationships of a critique group. Judy Becker, Nancy Crasco, Sandy Donabed, Sylvia Einstein, and Carol Anne Grotrian have been meeting each month for thirty years to support and sustain each other as artists. Nancy Crasco states, “the focus of our gatherings is always about the work: assisting with aesthetic and construction concerns, sharing opportunities to exhibit, discussing current trends in fiber, and providing the impetus to continue creating.”  All of the artists have gained national recognition and have exhibited widely in the United States and abroad.

Waters At Their Priestlike Task by Nancy Crasco

Chained Heart by Sylvia Einstein

Each of the artists has a distinct style which is acknowledged and encouraged by the others.  They agree that the scariest outcome of a critique group would be to have their works be similar.  Each artist has a different source of motivation or inspiration and employs a unique manner of working.

Latourel Falls by Carol Anne Grotrian

Golden Apples in the Sun by Sandy Donabed

The exhibit is currently open at the New England Quilt Museum (NEQM) and runs through April 29, 2017. The Curator's Reception and Gallery Talk with the Artists is scheduled for Saturday, January 28, 2017 at 11:00 am. There is a snow date set for the reception in the case of inclement weather which is February 4. The museum is located at 18 Shattuck St in Lowell, MA. Call 978-452-4207 for information and directions.

Fabric/Transformed:

Art Quilts by Carol Anne Grotrian & Rosemary Hoffenberg

Carol Anne Grotrian and Rosemary Hoffenberg's fine art quilts include careful abstract balance of shape and color, overlaid with line - the quilted stitches. Each artist experiments with her process over time, trusting the element of surprise as the work emerges, and creating portraits of specific places and times. 

Marking Time

Carol Anne Grotrian

Carol Anne dyes all of her fabrics using the shibori technique, an ancient Japanese precursor to tie-die. She says, "It was the organic patterns of shibori's many techniques that helped me find my voice in landscape quilts." Since 1989, landscape has provided her abundant inspiration and challenges, giving her more ideas for quilts than she has time to make them. Carol Anne's quilts are usually portraits of specific places and times and often create memories of the 'breathing spaces' she has experienced.

Musing about Frank Gehry

Rosemary Hoffenberg 

Rosemary states, "Color, shape, and their overall impact are the driving forces in my quilts. These elements are what I respond to viscerally, thus, they generate the process of my quilt designs. As I cut the shapes and study the relationships of color, line and form, a quilt develops. I rarely have a preconceived notion at the beginning of each quilt. It is an evolutionary process. The element of surprise is ever-present in this type of work, and it leads me in endless directions."

The opening reception and artist talk will be held on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at 5:30pm at the Mayyim Hayyim Gallery on 1838 Washington St. in Newton, MA. Please RSVP to mayyimhayyim.org/gallery or call 617 244-1836. The gallery is open by appointment only due to classes and private events. Call ahead to schedule a visit.

Member News - Carol Anne Grotrian

Shibori by Carol Anne Grotrian

On Saturday, August 15, as part of the Summer Celebration of New England Quilts, quilt artist and instructor, Carol Anne Grotrian will share how she has explored the ancient Japanese tradition of shibori dyeing in her quilted landscapes for over thirty years. Carol will be bringing many quilts for viewing and will employ a few digital images in her lecture. She will demonstrate how this forerunner to tie-dye creates fabric patterns that are especially beautiful when dyed in indigo. The program will be held at 11 am in the Conference Room at the National Park Visitor Center, 246 Market Street, Lowell, MA. This program is free, but space is limited so reserve a space by calling 978-452-4207, ext 16. This is one block from the New England Quilt Museum, where there are more quilts on exhibit.

For more information, http://www.nequiltmuseum.org/summer-celebration.html.

Member News - Carol Anne Grotrian

As part of the Seasonal Palette Exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum, Carol Anne Grotrian will be givng a talk about the evolution of her quilt, Silent Snow, which is part of the exhibition. Her talk will begin at 11 am, on Saturday, July 11, 2015 and will be followed by a guided gallery walk.

Silent Snow

"Seasonal Palette" is an exhibition of 37 juried, international artists. Each artist was assigned a season and asked to make a 32” x 76” quilt. Though the format is the same, the diversity of interpretations and techniques is captivating. Artists were asked to keep a journal of their progress in creating their piece and some of these journals are available for viewing with the show. If you can, don’t miss a chance to see the show before July 26th when it leaves to travel to Taiwan, the fourth continent on it’s 3 year tour. For more information on the exhibition, www.nequiltmuseum.org. 

More of Carol Anne's art can be viewed on her website, www.carolannegrotrian.com.

Member News - Carol Anne Grotrian

"Pieces from Life" at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence, MA, will feature works by quilters Carol Anne Grotrian and Janice Jones, and collages by Janice Hayes-Cha. The exhibit runs from  May 8 to June 19 and the opening is May 11 from 5-7. For more information, www.essexartcenter.org. 

The Dock, Monhegan Island

38" x 29"

Carol Anne also has a quilt in "Seasonal Palette" currently on exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum, 18 Shattuck St, Lowell MA through July 26. www.nequiltmuseum.org for more information.

Silent Snow, The Creek Is Singing

32" x 76"