Re: [lace] Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques
Thanks, Devon That answers a lot of the questions I had about this exhibit. It was good in particular to see that the exhibit will go ahead anyway â it is rather the scale of it that is in question. As I participated in the crocheting of the Urchins I would be very excited to see them in this country Thanks for all your hard work. Sue suebabbs...@gmail.com - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
RE: [lace] Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques
Dear Sue, A similar question was asked by Alice earlier in the week. I put it to the Director of the Hunterdon Art Museum and this was her answer. âWe keep very good records of every donation - how much, from whom, etc. The Museum has software specifically for tracking donations. It's very professional.  The exhibition will not be cancelled.  We will do the lace show. Whether we can include The Urchins and The Carriage of Lost Love depends on how much is raised, but we are trying very hard, and I am optimistic that it will happen. The donations that are sent to the Lace Fund will be used for Lace, not Lace so they will not be refunded. I would hope that those who want to see the exhibition happen, will understand that it is important for this show to go forward even if we cannot include everything we had hoped to. Again, it is my intention to include The Urchins and The Carriage of Lost Love, but until I have the money in hand I cannot promise. I hope this answers the questions sufficiently. If not, please let me knowâ The museum is seeking $60,000 in funding. This will include shipping, public programming, fine arts insurance, a catalog, fabrication, framing, marketing and advertising. There will be an opening. I have put forth several ideas for classes and talks. (I am afraid that these may be on the chopping block in a low fund situation.) The museum does a very professional job of advertising the show. They make beautiful postcards that they send to members and others. This increases traffic to the show, which is what we want, and what they want. So far, the museum has received slightly over $10,000 that I know about. They are seeking funds from various local companies and individuals as well as foundations. The Urchins are the most expensive part of the show, as it is necessary to bring them to New Jersey on a truck, get trusses and rigging and a boom lift, engineering drawings, also lighting considerations. As I understand it, Choi + Shine would need to send a representative down to supervise the installation. However they claim that a team of about 5 volunteers can do it under supervision. My husband and his cousin are standing ready to be on the team. (They claim it doesnât take a lot of physical strength, but I donât know if I would be much help on the team. ) If the Urchins are part of the show, they will be on the outside terrace where they will make a big splash. This will draw a lot of attention to the show from the press who are always looking for a good photograph. It will also draw people into the show. The Carriage of Lost Love by Lieve is absolutely magical. The Hunterdon Art Museum does a lot of childrenâs classes and programs. I canât wait for the young girls to see this fantastic lace piece. The museum considered Kickstarter. But, with Kickstarter, if you donât get the entire amount, then the rest of the funds are returned. Since they are committed to doing the show regardless, this didnât seem like a good idea. Another consideration is that funds donated to the Lace Fund at the museum are tax deductible, whereas we do not believe that the funds to Kickstarter would be. Also, Kickstarter takes some a percentage of the funds as part of their service. So, it was kind of agonizing to think that peopleâs money intended for the Lace Exhibit would instead go to Kickstarter. Here is the link again: https://hunterdonartmuseum.org/support-lace-fund/ Sincerely, Devon - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
Re: [lace] Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques
Hi Devon Do you have a sense of how much money is still needed to fund the exhibition at the Hunterdon, and what happens to the funds if they don't get enough for the exhibition to go ahead? One of the things I liked about the recent kickstarter for the Massachusetts historical society book was that the webpage gives details of how much is needed and how much has been raised (and also told us what would happen if it wasn't fully funded by Feb 28th) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/197425325/fashioning-the-new-england-family Sue suebabbs...@gmail.com - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques
Fellow Spiders, In response to Jeriâs request, I would like to share my excitement about the exhibit Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques. As the Lace Study Editor of the Bulletin of the International Organization of Lace, I have been writing reviews of any and all exhibits that purport to include lace in my part of the world. But, one thing that had begun to rankle was the realization that very few exhibits of âContemporary Laceâ occurring in mainstream museums included any lace made using bobbin or needle lace techniques. Marching through miles of laser cutting, blow torch work on metal, white ceramic with holes in it, I wondered why we never saw any contemporary lace that was made with needle or bobbin, since I knew there were some wonderful pieces being made. I designed a show that includes 23 artists from around the world who are doing compelling work in needle and bobbin techniques. Also, included in the show is the Urchins by Choi + Shine, which is crochet, on a large scale. Undoubtedly some people on Arachne have been involved as volunteer crocheters on this project. The exhibit is oriented toward introducing the public and fiber artists to these very versatile fiber art techniques. Along the way, I realized that a lot of what we make in lace techniques does not fit the popular conception of what lace is. To the man on the street lace is something white with holes in it. Recent exhibitions have only expanded the definition from a white, holey textile to anything in any substance that is white with holes in it. Meanwhile our work is evolving to include color, and to make textiles that may be more solid in appearance, even three dimensional. Sometimes people will look at a piece that is made in lace technique, such as Dorie Millersonâs tiny needle lace sculptures, or Manca Ahlinâs large bobbin lace installations and they will not recognize that it is lace technique. They just donât know how it is made. Fortuitously, there are in the New York Metropolitan area, three women who have been working on lace technique. They are Manca Ahlin, Alex Goldberg, and J Carpenter. By pure chance, or maybe not, they tend to make large work, so I have been able to source the larger works in the show from them. If need be my husband and I can drive the works to the museum. The artists are excited about the show. One fear I have had is that artists who decide to work in the techniques will turn away from them because there are no shows for their work to appear in and people are not able to understand their artistry, other than as a novelty. This show, at least, will provide some positive feedback for working in the techniques and may introduce other fiber artists to the techniques which I believe to be the most fluid of textile techniques. I have included in the show work such as that of Milca Erimiasova, Ros Hills, Lenka Suchanek and Jill Nordfors Clark, trailblazers of contemporary lace in the 20th century. Also included are Penny Nickels, Maggie Hensel-Brown, Nava Lubelski and Veronika Irvine, who have recently joined the lace art community. International artists, Pierre Fouche, Nicole Valsesia-Lair, Louise West, Wako Ono, Agnes Herczeg, Dorie Millerson, Jane Atkinson and US based, but Czech trained, Daniela Banatova. Among those artists who are teachers within the US lace community, are Laura Friesel, Lauran Sundin, and Dagmar Beckel-Machyckova. In addition, a life time dream of mine, to see Lieve Jergerâs Carriage of Lost Love displayed in a public venue is included in this show. Lieve will have to travel to New Jersey to erect the Carriage, and then return to take it down. It is going to be magical! The Hunterdon Art Museum has an extensive childrenâs art program. I canât wait for the young girls to see this carriage. Also, the museum is in negotiations with Choi + Shine to display the Urchins outside on the museum terrace which is in the center of the historic town of Clinton, New Jersey. One of them may even be suspended over the South Branch of the Raritan River. The museum is an historic mill building, so it is located next to a small waterfall that originally powered two mills. The museum believes that this spectacular outdoor display will draw attention to the exhibit from the public and the press, and increase the number of visitors. Jeri was kind enough to mention the fundraising effort to support this show. Because very few people in the US even know what bobbin and needle lace are, the group of people, corporations and foundations who feel strongly that these techniques should be explained to the public is very small. So, the museum has set up a fund, the Lace Fund to collect donations specifically for this show. https://hunterdonartmuseum.org/support-lace-fund/ There has already been tremendous support for this show from the lace community. Groups and individuals have been very generous. But, as Jeri says, more donations are needed to fully fund the show
[lace] Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques
I have just privately sent a request to Devon to please write to Arachne subscribers about the exhibit she is curating - Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques.   There are probably subscribers on Arachne who do not know that this lace exhibit will be at the Hunterdon Art Museum, New Jersey (west of Manhattan) September 23, 2018 to January 6, 2019.  A lace exhibit in a major American museum is extremely rare.  It is difficult to get necessary corporate and grant funds for something that is unfamiliar.   Small, regional museums have even more difficulty underwriting exhibits.  What I know:  Devon has been working tirelessly on documenting and promoting lace as an art for decades.  She never holds back - she shares.  I asked her last week for the current status of this big 2018 lace event because I am particularly concerned about the success of fund raising.  Devon replied that some people have been quite generous, but there is still a lot of money that needs to be raised in order for the exhibit to be put on without eliminating spectacular parts of it.  If this exhibit is very successful, it will send a positive message to other museums about interest in lace exhibits.  Perhaps we will see lace in larger museums as a result.  All of us have an opportunity to participate in this effort to bring contemporary laces to the public's attention. The Hunterdon Art Museum has set up a Lace Fund.  If this is something you or your guild would like to support, you may read donation options at: https://hunterdonartmuseum.org/support-lace-fund/  If you belong to IOLI, there is an article on page 39 of the Winter 2018 issue of The Bulletin that also provides information.  Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center  - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
