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I have been back from the Americas only just on three weeks. Two and a half months of that was in Uruguay, the rest visiting offspring in the USA. Visit as often as possible but briefly is my motto! For the moment anyway, with Mike and I being scattered as we are. (Alison's husband Mike is a geologist involved in a project in Uruguay, South America. She travels there often to spend time with him. Ed)
Anyway, I had a very busy time in U - put together three pieced designs and half hand quilted one of them. Also, Michael and one of his co-workers with contacts had organised for me to have two exhibitions while there, both of which were very well received - they have no word for 'quilt' the nearest is 'tapice' which means either weaving (tapestry weaving) or wall hanging textile.
A photo of one of my pieces and a translation of my artist statement were published in El Pais, the national daily, which later published several photos from the second opening with a little write up. The first exhibition was at Punta del Este, the huge Gold Coast of S. America - many people came to the opening, enjoyed the whiskey or Coca Cola, the array of canapes and sandwiches, and half of them smoked. No surprise - they smoke everywhere there. I held my tongue - it really had to be a case of when in Rome ... and when I took the show down a couple of weeks later, the display area being in a large well ventilated place, the pieces were none the worse for that experience.
The second gallery was in Montevideo, the capital, in what the owners term a cultural space, located on the floor above a pasta factory run by the same family. Beautiful lighting and soft creamy, butter-coloured walls, with a large wooden floored area holding rows of moveable seating. At my opening, 9pm on a Friday night, people milled around, looking at the quilts, then all sat down - a presentation was made to me in thanks for showing my unusual work, in Spanish of course, and no one had warned me of this procedure - so I could utter only a few impromptu sentences in Spanish and then my friend Laura stood by my side interpreting everything else I needed to say! (I think I had more reason to thank them - they waived the normal exhibiting fee because this was so new and different to them).
Then drinks were served and we sat listening to some beautiful Spanish guitar music played by a young student musician. And then we all dispersed to either dinner or a late movie or whatever, nothing really gets going in restaurants until around 10 at the earliest. From this second show I sold a major piece, which went to a rather expensive brand new home in a high end neighbourhood in the better part of Montevideo. I was called in to advise on placement, hanging etc, and that was a joy.
There were several other possible buyers - the medium is such a new concept however I can understand hesitation - so I left the several pieces which really seemed might be subject of further inquiry some time, with Michael - they have all had good showing round Australia anyway, most of them. He'll be bringing a couple back when he comes later this month for a few weeks back in Australia.
My next point of focus is my show at the Craft Council in July. Arrangements are well in hand for 'stitched and bound' the contemporary show here, which opens in early June at Craftwest Gallery, and tours for twelve months with Art on the Move - in fact it looks like the time has been fully booked by regional galleries, and unless some arrangement can be made to extend the twelve months, some centres will miss out. The popularity of the medium is demonstrated by this. Our jurors will be Linda Brown, Executive Officer with Craftwest, Bela Kotai, a noted educator who is a very high profile ceramic artist and Judy Trager who is coming across to stay with me after the Fibre Forum conference at Mittagong NSW and a couple of other teaching engagements over east. (She'll be doing a workshop on vessels for the West Australian Fibre and Textiles Association (this is well booked) and presenting an informal slide talk with supper for WAFTA members while here.)
In association with the exhibition, Craftwest have requested and so we have organised, a floor talk the morning after it opens, and a forum to deal with issues including the place of contemporary quilt making in today's art scene, and the role of the critic and why it is so hard to get quilted textile shows reviewed (the speaker for this topic has written reviews, and is what might be termed a bit of a loose cannon - we hope he says one or two provocative things to get people thinking!) Craftwest plan to publish the four short papers in the magazine in the future. Wendy (Lugg) and I really brainstormed to make sure we came up with something worthy in terms of topics and presenters.
That's really about it - I am working on several quilts that I hope will be accepted for exhibitions that are coming up soon. And so it goes. This week I am giving a slide lecture to WAQA (West Australian Quilters Association) - 'Travels With a Needle' which I have done in various forms in almost every other state...
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