DH and I just got back from a roadtrip north to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, probably 270 miles round trip, but worth it. We went to the John Micael Kohler Art Museum to see the Laced with History exhibit, partly because they have a piece of mine on show, but also because it is not often we have lace around here at a driveable distance. The building is a beautiful modern building downtown and easy to find. I was disappointed that they did not have a catalog available but there was a handout sheet listing the exhibitors and a couple of photos in the museum magazine.
When I got home I was checking the mail and my Bulletin had arrived and Debra Jenny had written a good description of the exhibition, including more photos. As with her I was fascinated with Whirl by Betsy Brandt, made of hot glue and pigments. It shows much better in the Bulletin, as the museum have installed in on a light wooden floor rather than the white background in Debra's article so it is not as bright. I did not immediately see my piece as I was taken with the other pieces exhibited on the same wall. I was busy explaining to DH what types of lace they all were when I looked down and saw mine. I guess I was also disappointed that there was not more lace made by lacemakers. Kathy Koffmann had several pieces of Withof, Susan Lambrisi had about 5 or 6 pieces of wire lace, very impressive and so neat, nothing like my attempts with wire, <g> Paula Harten had a number of laces of different types, Barbara Gordon had a piece of hardanger. There were a number of tatted pieces but the only name I can remember was Nina Libin which was on the wall above my Azteca piece. There was also a display of colored lacey knitted shawls. I would think the majority of the exhibit was done by artists who used the idea of lace for their pieces, as with Betsy. There was a small exhibit of historical lace, I think mainly from the Lace Museum in Calfornia leading into the modern pieces, followed by the artistic interpretations of lace done in paper, ceramics, painting, wood, metal and one large piece of brilliant quilling. I was glad I decided to go, and one place not to miss is the toilets!! Voted the Best in North America in 2004. There are even postcards for sale in the gift shop of them. The ladies is decorated with what looked like painted ceramic tiles and the main wall is 3-D effect tiles that reminded me of the picture books that are divided into body parts so that you can change the head with the body, etc. One little girl was quite taken with a tile of a girls body with a fox head on top. I liked the sinks, the one I used had a brassiere design in it, and the one next to it had a pair of panty hose in it, can't remember what was in the third one. On the wall of the cublicle I used was a very lacey pair of panties, may have even been a thong. Of course, you should expect something better than the usual loo when the museum is named the John Micharel Kohler Arts Center. For those not in the states, the better bathroom fixtures here are made by Kohler which is a few miles away from Sheboygan. It made good use of a rainy day and now I can settle down to read my Bulletin. Janice Janice Blair Crystal Lake, 50 miles northwest of Chicago, Illinois, USA http://jblace.wordpress.com/ http://www.lacemakersofillinois.org/ - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
