A gentle change is in the air at FibreWorks Gallery and Studio in Madeira Park during their tenth anniversary season. Its founder, fibre artist Yvonne Stowell, has announced that she will take retirement in the fall. On a sunny Saturday afternoon in May, she is a hospitable presence who greets visitors stopping by to see the work on display during the current show, Loose Threads, an exhibition by 14 fibre artists who have been members of the Sunshine Coast Surface Design Association during the past ten years.
Often visitors arrive curious about the unusual venue, a platform of yurts with the three largest housing an art gallery and working studios. (Recently it even attracted visitors from Uzbekistan where yurts are still used.) They leave with a new appreciation for what creative work can be accomplished using fabric, paper, basketry, wood or mixed media.
The artists in residence for the weekend of May 20, Connie Chapman and Anne Gregory, were happy to demonstrate how they do their work. Chapman is currently caught up with rust colours in a process in which she photographs old, rusting objects and digitally prints on fabric. Gregory’s collage work depicts a peaceful scene of shore and mountains. She also has work on the walls of the gallery; it’s titled Don’t Look Back and is hand-dyed cotton with embroidery.
In fact, many of the 14 artists on display use more than one skill in creating their work. Patt Wilson’s striking piece titled Mad Max depicts a regal portrait in collage, stitching, paint, pencil and embellishments. Pat Crucil has produced a hand-dyed, printed and stitched cotton Memorial to My Garden. Jennifer Love features a series of four hand-dyed, painted, printed cotton pieces evoking summertime.
Arts Council director Nell Burns was honoured by a Surface Design Award of Excellence for her Sea Spicules lamp, consisting of many fine silk thread stitches and embroidery. The award is given for creativity, originality and innovation.
Stowell’s show piece, Arbutus Wrapped, is made of hand-spun, hand-dyed wool that had been knitted and stitched. With Stowell’s recent announcement of retirement she hands the torch to Alexis Bach, who will take over in November. Bach has lived on the Coast for four years now, though most of that time was taken up in being a mother.
“The rich sensory nature of fibre drew me in,” she said, adding that she finds fibre work meditative and calming. A wet felting and needle felting artist as well as an avid knitter, she is looking forward to continuing programs such as the Weavers Circle and adding some new programs for children.
Loose Threads is on until June 11 at FibreWorks, open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Find out more at www.fibreworksgallery.com or phone 604-883-2380.
