exhibition of contemporary fiber art

extile
T
TIMES
Summer 2014
Vol. 18, No. 2
S t o r i e s o f th e Pas t...V is i on s of th e Fu t u re
FIBERART INTERNATIONAL: An extraordinary
exhibition of contemporary fiber art
When you enter a gallery of artwork created with cotton,
silk, rusty measuring tapes, dental floss, and used lottery
tickets, you know you have stepped into the dazzling world
of contemporary fiber art.
“The goal of the Fiberart International 2013 exhibit is to
include innovative work rooted in traditional fiber materials,
processes, and history, as well as art that explores unexpected
relationships between fiber and other creative disciplines,”
said Dr. David Unger, ATHM Director of Interpretation.
“Visitors will be enthralled by the textures, colors, and sheer
physical power of these pieces, which stir a range of emotions
experienced in the presence of the art.”
Exploring themes ranging from political issues and women’s
rights to dreams and sexuality, the artists blend traditional and
nontraditional techniques, with work ranging from realism to
abstract, from miniature to prodigious, and from handmade to
machine-made. Techniques range from traditional embroidery
and weaving to more contemporary processes such as
laminating, digital printing, and burning.
(continued on page 4)
Rebecca Siemering’s
Captain America Suit
reflects our yearning for
a quick path to “the good
life,” that in the end is
manifested from one’s
own labor.
Rebecca Siemering
Captain America Suit 2011
Found lottery tickets
dental floss, man’s suit
72”x30”x24”
ATHM: Making a Name Far Beyond the Museum Walls
A Message from ATHM President and CEO Jonathan Stevens
We used to like to say that the American Textile History Museum
ATHM’s traveling exhibition, Homefront & Battlefield: Quilts &
Context in the Civil War, seen here at ATHM in 2012, features
beautiful historical quilts, such as this from the DAR Museum
Collection, Washington, D.C.
was New England’s hidden gem. Well, it is far from hidden anymore.
With ATHM exhibits on view from Grand Central Terminal to the
Smithsonian Institution, and our curatorial staff sought out to share
their expertise from Florida to Florence, Italy, ATHM is certainly
making a name for itself in the world.
Several ATHM exhibits are traveling far beyond the museum walls.
Our critically acclaimed 2012 exhibit, Homefront & Battlefield: Quilts
and Context in the Civil War, is currently on view at the New-York
Historical Society in Manhattan to rave reviews. Following its stay in
New York, it travels to museums in Vermont and Nebraska over the
next year. Even more, a book written in conjunction with the exhibit,
published by ATHM, earned an international Independent Publisher
Book award last year.
(continued on page 2)
A National Treasure
A National Treasure
An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the American Textile History Museum in
Lowell, Mass., is nationally recognized for unique collections, programs, and exhibits
celebrating the innovation, creativity, and human spirit that have shaped our world.
At ATHM, we have dedicated more than 50 years to preserving the past and shaping
the future by telling America’s story through the art, history, and science of textiles. u
The American Textile
History Museum
receives support from
the Massachusetts
Cultural Council.
ATHM: Making a Name Far Beyond the Museum Walls
–continued from page 1
This pink pantsuit (left), c. 1969, will be on view at Grand Central Terminal for one week to
promote the upcoming CNN documentary series, “The Sixties.” Gift of Elise Morenon.
An exhibit currently on view at ATHM – Inventing Lowell – will be traveling to
Washington, D.C., to be part of the prestigious Places of Invention exhibition project at the
Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention & Innovation at the Smithsonian’s National
Museum of American History. ATHM is one of only six museums in the country to earn
this distinction. Dr. David Unger, our Director of Interpretation, partnered with Lowell
Telecommunications Corp. in Lowell to create the exhibit that will be on display for up to
five million people next year. The compelling video series explores the founding of Lowell
as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution and the country’s first example of
industrial urbanism. (Read more about Inventing Lowell on page 7.)
In addition, pieces from this past year’s Color Revolution: Style Meets Science in the 1960s
exhibit –which showcased the artistic, cultural, and technological explosion of color and
design that defined the 1960s – will be showcased the week of May 26th in an innovative
new display at Grand Central Terminal in New York City to promote CNN’s new 1960s
documentary.
It is not only our exhibits that are making a name in the world: our celebrated curators
are in high demand for their breadth and depth of expertise in the field of textiles. Curator
Karen Herbaugh and Consulting Curator Diane Fagan Affleck have been invited to present
at a fashion colloquium in November in Florence, Italy, alongside esteemed curators
and scholars from around the world, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the
Textile Times • Summer 2014 • page 2
Museum of London, and the Art Institute
of Chicago. They will also be conducting
multiple workshops at the Handweaver’s
Guild of America Convergence in
Providence, R.I., in July.
Karen was recently a keynote speaker at
the Florida Institute of Technology, sharing
her expertise in curating our extremely
successful Behind the Veil: Brides and
Their Dresses exhibition last year. Earlier
she served as a consulting curator for the
University of Wisconsin to guide them in
optimal utilization of their textile collection.
She was also asked to contribute a chapter
about textiles to a highly anticipated book
being produced by Kansas State University
on the print collection of the Associated
American Artists.
We can also look forward to reading
an article authored by Dr. Unger in an
upcoming issue of “Technology and
Culture,” the preeminent journal for the
history of technology. His article is a
whimsical yet scientific look at technology
of the “Mythbusters” television show.
Now that we have uncovered our “hidden
gem,” we hope you will take the opportunity
to come see all that the American Textile
History Museum has to offer. u
—Jonathan A. Stevens,
President & CEO
Education
Summer Programs at ATHM:
Explore. Create. Discover.
From puppet making to fashion
Children can explore creativity through textiles
this summer at ATHM.
exploration to fun with fiber arts, the
American Textile History Museum
offers unique summer programs that
entertain, engage, and inspire both
children and adults.
Special summer programs for
children include weeklong half-day
sessions in mixed media, textile
exploration, and puppetry. Adult
textile arts classes run through the
summer and include crocheting,
embroidery, felting, knitting, sewing,
spinning, and weaving. Workshops
and full-day programs on specialized
topics are being developed, as well as
merit badge programs for Scouts. u
Fun and Educational
Programs at ATHM!
Introduction to Puppet Arts
July 14 - 18, 2014
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (grades 2 - 5)
Instructor: Carol Jo Fisher
Explore construction techniques for
building a large hand-and-rod puppet
using foam, fur, and fabric. Learn
movement skills to bring your creation to
life. Present your puppet character in an
original performance at the final class.
Advanced Puppet Arts
July 14 - 18, 2014
1 - 4 p.m. (grades 6 - 12)
Instructor: Carol Jo Fisher
Create an original and unique animated
creature using found materials. Explore
creative methods for designing,
manipulating, and creating an individual
character. Present your creation in an
original performance at the final class.
Hands On Design
August 4 - 8, 2014
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (grades 2 - 5)
Instructor: K Lee Mock
Get to know the world of fiber and fabric
in this creative mixed-media program.
Sew, glue, paint, and stamp your unique
assemblages. Enhance a T-shirt or create
your own collage or flag to display as
art work. Your designs can be worn or
displayed in your room!
Fashion Friendzy
August 4 - 8, 2014
1 - 4 p.m. (grades 6 - 12)
Instructor: K Lee Mock
They wore that? Let’s look at the history
of fashion trends, then and now, to see
what’s stuck and what’s changed. Learn
to block print, stamp, and stencil fabric.
Make accessories with handmade beads.
One of our challenges will be to recycle
and reuse.
This summer, children of all ages can explore the textile arts, from weaving to dyeing,
in special weeklong programs.
For pricing and a complete schedule of programs, visit www.athm.org
or contact Catherine A. Mazur, Director of Education and Community
Outreach, at 978-441-0400 (x262) or [email protected].
Textile Times • Summer 2014 • page 3
Fiber Arts Fun
August 11 –15, 2014
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (grades 5 - 8)
Instructor: Kristy Medina
Each day in this series of five classes
focuses on different fibers and techniques,
including crocheting, knitting, dyeing,
table and card weaving, and felting.
Exhibitions
FIBERART INTERNATIONAL:
An extraordinary exhibition of contemporary fiber art
–continued from page 1
Rowen Schussheil-Anderson
Crimson Prelude I 2011
Fiber beads woven, coiled
48”x52”x5”
The materials for Sandra Jane Heard’s
Vestiges of Emancipation (above and
left) serve as a testament to the unity
and steadfastness of the suffragette
movement, while also expressing the
continuing struggle for equality and
freedom still being sought by women
around the world today.
Sandra Jane Heard
Vestiges of Emancipation 2011
Vintage woven steel tape measures
41”x68”x11”
Media Sponsor
Rowen Schussheil-Anderson’s Crimson
Prelude I (above) represents progressions
found in nature, designs ranging from orderly
to fluid, from complex to formal symmetry.
Artist Talks
Be educated, entertained and inspired by
four incredible artists. All artist talks are
free with paid admission to the museum.
ADRIENNE SLOANE
Fiber Artist
September 7, 2014
2 p.m.
REBECCA SIEMERING
Installation Artist*
September 21, 2014
2 p.m.
The exhibition first opened in Pittsburgh in April of 2013, after which the works
were divided into two groups for traveling. Featuring works by established and emerging
artists from around the world, Fiberart International provides a unique glimpse into this
constantly evolving medium. The artists hail from countries as varied as Canada, Japan,
Poland, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, as well as cities throughout the United States.
In jurors’ statements, the panelists express a preference for work that is technically
proficient but also innovative, expressive, and unclassifiable — art that provides a
cohesive package of concept, form, structure, scale, color, and material. Jurors for the
exhibit were lighting designer Paulina Ortiz, fiber artist Kai Chan, and multimedia
artist Joyce Scott. u
Textile Times • Summer 2014 • page 4
SAMANTHA FIELDS
Multimedia Artist*
October 5, 2014
2 p.m.
ASTRIDA SCHAEFFER
Costume Historian
October 19, 2014
2 p.m.
* Artist with piece in Fiberart International
Collections
The Virtual Textile Project Returns to ATHM
The team from the Virtual Textile
Project (VTP), a partnership between
McGill University and Dragon &
Phoenix Software Inc., recently returned
to ATHM to photograph additional
textiles from ATHM’s expansive sample
book collection. Last year, the VTP
photographed more than 3,800 samples
of American-made Victorian textiles,
produced by the Cocheco Mills, in
ATHM’s collection. This time, they
will be digitally capturing approximately
15,000 fabrics ranging from the 1860s to
the 1950s.
The Virtual Textile Project is an
open access database, housed at McGill,
providing artists, designers, researchers,
and scholars with free access to high
quality digitally-conserved textile images
for use in not-for-profit projects
(http://virtualtextileproject.org). This
project will provide greater public access
to the ATHM collection as well as help
generate new revenue for the Museum
through royalties on any commercial
use of the textile images, through
the commercial side of the VTP
(http://virtual-textile.com). The
commercial side of the project will
help to defray research and production
costs of the open access database. u
Diane Fagan Affleck, ATHM Consulting Curator, and Cheryl Beatty, ATHM Collections
Assistant, prepare ATHM sample books to be photographed.
The Virtual
Textile Project
team takes
photographs of
fabric samples
from ATHM’s
collection.
New Associated American
Artists Acquisition
ATHM recently acquired these Catalina men’s swim trunks,
c. 1953-1955, to be used in a 2016 Associated American
Artists (AAA) special exhibition. The bathing suit features the
“Sudan” print by Lamartine LeGoullon of Associated American
Artists. The two-part special exhibition will include a traveling
component, called Art for Every Home: Associated American
Artists, 1934-2000, as well as a gallery dedicated entirely to AAA
clothing and textiles. ATHM Curator Karen Herbaugh is a
coauthor of the publication that will accompany the exhibition,
contributing the chapter on AAA textiles. u
Textile Times • Summer 2014 • page 5
Museum News
Free Admission
Opportunities
at ATHM
News from the
Osborne Library
American Textile History Museum
Librarian Jane Ward has been honored
with the New England Archivists’
Distinguished Service Award, granted to
individuals or institutions that have made
significant contributions to the profession,
their institution, NEA, and the archival
community in New England. She was
presented with the award at NEA’s annual
meeting on March 22. Jane has worked in
ATHM’s Osborne Library since 2002. u
ATHM is pleased to announce that Mary
Yearl has joined the ATHM team as
Assistant Librarian and Archivist. Mary,
who most recently worked as a Consulting
Archivist for Fisher College, brings
significant experience from her work at the
Yale University Library, Cushing/Whitney
Medical Library, Connecticut Historical
Society, and Harvard University Archives.
Among her degrees are a Masters of
Science and Information Science and a
Ph.D. in History and Science. ATHM is
fortunate to have Mary’s experience and
education contribute to the growth of the
Osborne Library. u
Dug North and his kinetic “automata” sculptures enthralled guests at ATHM’s
“Super Saturday: Making Cool Stuff.”
ATHM has partnered with the Highland Street Foundation for the fifth
consecutive year to be a part of Free Fun Fridays 2014. On August 1 we
invite you, your family, and friends to visit ATHM for free. This year 66
venues across Massachusetts will participate in the program, providing the
public with free attractions every Friday throughout the summer. The full
Free Fun Friday schedule and information about all 66 venues can be found
at www.highlandstreet.org.
This summer, ATHM will also partner with other Lowell attractions to
offer Downtown Lowell First Thursdays. Starting in June, visit Lowell
galleries, museums, and restaurants on the first Thursday evening of every
month _ June 5, July 3, August 7 and September 4. ATHM will offer free
admission from 5 - 8 p.m.
Hundreds of visitors flock to ATHM for the popular free “Super Saturday”
events. In addition to free admission, visitors enjoy special demonstrations
and hands-on activities. ATHM’s next “Super Saturday” will be October 4, 2014. u
Textile Times • Summer 2014 • page 6
Mary Yearl has joined the ATHM team as
Assistant Librarian and Archivist.
Exhibitions
MILL WORKS: Flowers in the Factory and Inventing Lowell
MILL WORKS: Flowers in the Factory and Inventing Lowell, are open through June 22, 2014. Left: Flowers in the Factory is an innovative,
large-scale, fabric art installation bringing historic photographs from the ATHM collection to life through translucent silk-screened fabric panels
by artist Deborah Baronas. Right: Inventing Lowell is a preview of an absorbing video series on the founding of Lowell, produced by ATHM and
Lowell Telecommunications Corp. for the 2015 Places of Invention exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Enhancing the Visitor Experience
Look for recent acquisition “Dolly Dimple” in the Textile
Revolution exhibit by the end of the summer.
As part of our ongoing mission to give our visitors the
best experience, we are making several enhancements to
our core exhibition and education wing that will keep
visitors coming back again and again.
Many of the walls throughout the exhibition have been
painted with lighter, more vibrant colors, enhancing the
view experience and navigation through the exhibits.
We have installed a new exhibit of machinery models from
our collections, showcasing the importance of machinery
to industrialization and textile production from 1790 to
the 19th century. The new exhibit includes patent models
and demonstration models for loom improvements and
advancements in spinning.
Over the course of the summer, we will be replacing the
majority of clothing pieces throughout the exhibition, both
to showcase more of ATHM’s extensive collection and to
ensure the preservation of pieces by removing them from
display. We are also updating the Native American exhibit
at the entry to the museum, bringing in new materials to
put on view.
We are transforming the Textile Learning Center,
creating a dedicated fiber arts teaching space to
accommodate the booming textile arts programs at
ATHM, including knitting, embroidery, crocheting, lace
making, spinning, and weaving. Our Family Activity
Center has been relocated to a new space in the Education
wing, just around the corner.
There is always something new at ATHM, so come
visit soon! u
Textile Times • Summer 2014 • page 7
491 Dutton Street
Lowell, MA 01854
Calendar
Become a Part of Something Special
Full calendar at www.athm.org.
Special Exhibitions
MILL WORKS: Flowers in the Factory
and Inventing Lowell
Through June 22, 2014
Fiberart International 2013
July 11 – October 26, 2014
Programs and Events
Free Fun Friday
Friday, August 1, 2014
Summer Programs for Children
See page 3
Bank of America Presents
“Museums on Us”
First full weekend of each month
Downtown Lowell First Thursdays
First Thursday of each month, 5 - 8 p.m.
Hours
Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed Monday, Tuesday and major holidays.
Members recently enjoyed a special VIP preview of MILL WORKS before it opened
to the public.
When you donate to the American Textile History Museum, you are
giving to something very special. You are supporting the collection and
care of rare and unique textiles important to American history; community
outreach and hands-on education for thousands of students; and the
development of innovative, exciting, and relevant exhibitions to educate,
entertain, and inspire.
Please find a donation envelope enclosed in this special Annual Report
edition of Textile Times, and consider making a contribution today.
Contributions by new donors, as well as the continued support from our
friends listed in these pages, is essential to the growth of the Museum.
By donating at the $150 level or above, you will automatically be enrolled
as an ATHM member and receive many exclusive benefits, including
invitations to private exhibition openings with personal insights from the
artists and curators. For more information about membership levels and
benefits or to make a donation online, visit www.athm.org. u
Textile Times is a publication of the American Textile History Museum, distributed to our ATHM members.
To learn about becoming a member, contact Maura Ryan at [email protected] or (978) 441-0400 ext. 247.