Report from Convergence

Greetings, everyone, from Knoxville, Tennessee, where the Handweavers Guild of America, American Tapestry Alliance, Complex Weavers and others are gathered for a confab four years in the making.  It's been so great to see old friends and to meet in real life folks I have only known online or through their books or work in exhibits.  What a treat!  I was so happy to finally teach the three classes I'd been developing for so long, to such excited and creative weavers.  

And the work I'm seeing in exhibits has been hugely inspiring and thought-provoking.  I want to share here some of what struck me.  I haven't seen all the exhibits yet so there may be another post like this to follow.  

I high-tailed it as soon as I arrived to see the ATA Unjuried Small Format Show Tiny but Mighty at the Emporium Gallery.  ATA member weavers were urged this year to really break out of the box and try some non-traditional approaches to tapestry, within the limits of 10" height or width and 2" depth.  Here's some of what I saw:

Louise Abbott, Fabulous Flying Fungi

Work on a grid theme by members of Tapestry Artists of Puget Sound (TAPS):
Clockwise from top left:  Suzanne Hubbard, Julia Rapinoe, Liz Pulos, Margo MacDonald.  
   

Work on the Tempo theme by some members of High Desert Tapestry Alliance, clockwise from top left:  Nancy Wohlenberg,  Janice Peters, Cindy Dworzak,  Carol Seeds, and Heather Gallegos-Rex. 

Linda Gormley, Lemon Macaron

Liz Pulos, Smoke

Terry Olson, Still Life

Felicitas Sloves, Crossroad Blues

Kati Paaki, Señor Paco

Vicki Aspenberg, Just for Fun

Sue Weil, Oh yeah!

Holly Wilkes, Let the Colors Go Where They May

Susan Iverson, Flutter

Fannie Lee, "I" Matter

Above, left to right, more work from TAPS:  Cecilia Blomberg, Ellen Ramsey (top center), 
Joyce Hayes (bottom center), Mary Lane. 

Work on a grid theme by, clockwise from top left:  Nicki Bair, Sweet Sixteen; Merna Strauch, Rothko Squared; Karen Leckart; Multiples Slanted; and Carolee Howes,  the power of multiples (look up).

I continue to be inspired by the restless creativity and willingness to color outside the lines that I see in my fellow weavers, whether they are working in tapestry, basketry, mixed media or woven yardage.  The conference is a feast for the eyes, the hands and the mind.  Stay tuned for more!