Fiber Arts Create Detailed Works with Traditional Techniques at Crystal Bridges at the Massey
April 16, 2009 – 10:31 am
Wanda Linsley, Water Lillies, silk and cotton on silk gauze, 13.5″ x 16.5″
BENTONVILLE, Ark., April 16, 2009 – Using textiles for canvas, a new type of art work will be on display at Crystal Bridges at the Massey in an exhibition from The Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Through the Needle’s Eye displays fiber arts created with needle and thread. The exhibition opens at the Massey on Friday, May 15.
Unlike any exhibition seen at the Massey so far, Through the Needle’s Eye showcases embroidered art including clothing, jewelry, vessels, games, books, maps and sculptures. The exhibition’s mission is to not only share the craft of embroidery, but keep stitchery traditions alive that might otherwise be lost.
“This exhibition helps preserve and expand the American tradition of needlework,” Crystal Bridges Youth & Families Program Coordinator Janelle Redlaczyk said. “Through the Needle’s Eye keeps the heritage of embroidery alive and shows the skill and precision used in creating fiber art.”
The Embroiderers’ Guild of America juried the exhibition with help from Edith Anderson, Feisner fiber artist, teacher and author of Color Studies; Lee Malerich, a contemporary fiber artist and teacher; and Gail Harker, an international textile artist and teacher. Arkansan Wanda Linsley’s textile work, Passages, is featured in the national exhibition and depicts an elderly man and young boy trekking through a thick, brightly-colored fall forest toward a blue sky.
Textile art has a rich history. Used around the world for centuries, fiber arts were created for both practical and visual purposes, and, until recently, were considered a craft rather than an art. Only since the 1970s have textiles been counted as fine art, when fiber art began to gain popularity in the fine art world.
Through the Needle’s Eye will be displayed through Aug. 9. Like all exhibitions at the Massey, it will be accompanied by a series of Learning Experiences – educational programs for the public developed by Crystal Bridges that involve guests in a variety of ways. Most are free and open to the public.
Program highlights include four ArtBuzz programs that engage guests in the exhibition. Artbuzz is a free drop-in public gallery talk best for adults and teens – no registration. Free coffee and biscotti provide the buzz!
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is pleased to continue A Look at the Building series with A Walk in the Woods. Scott Eccleston, manager of parks and gardens, will present a behind-the-scenes lecture revealing some of the secrets found in the forest surrounding Crystal Bridges. He will also discuss the ideas behind the footprint of the building and the history of the woodlands. The event will be held Thursday, June 18, at 5:30 pm at the Bentonville Public Library. It will be free and open to the public.
For more information about Crystal Bridges at the Massey, go to www.massey.crystalbridges.org or call 479-418-5700.
For images related to the exhibition please contact Kristen Cobbs at kristen.cobbs@crystalbridges.org
Through the Needle’s Eye Exhibition Schedule of Programs
www.massey.crystalbridges.org
Crystal Bridges at the Massey Programs
Opening Preview Party – Through the Needle’s Eye
Thursday May 14
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
The colors, the fabrics, and the attention to detail in Through the Needle’s Eye echo the long awaited reawakening of life and nature in the Ozarks that comes with spring. Join us at Crystal Bridges at the Massey for an Opening Preview Party. All are welcome to tour the exhibition and enjoy light fare and lemonade.
Discover Art: Fiber Fun!
Saturday, May 16
10:00 a.m. – Noon
Free drop-in family program best for children 5 – 12 years old and their adult partners – no registration. Discover Art programs are led by Janelle Redlaczyk, youth & families program coordinator.
Celebrate the opening of our new Embroiderers’ Guild exhibition with tons of hands-on fiber fun and fascinating demonstrations. Create one-of-a-kind art to wear and carry – you’ll design a bracelet and embellish a drawstring collector’s bag.
ArtBuzz: Parallel Lines – Geometry and Art
Thursday, May 21
11:00 a.m. – Noon
Free drop-in public gallery talk best for adults and teens – no registration. Free coffee and biscotti provided.
Shape, pattern, symmetry and proportion often form the design in works of art and craft, especially fiber and needle arts. Chaim Goodman-Strauss, professor and chair from the University of Arkansas’ Department of Mathematical Sciences and Niki Ciccotelli, Crystal Bridges’ head of school programs, present a fascinating study of how geometry and art intersect in this informative gallery talk.
Dr. Chaim Goodman-Strauss is an artist and mathematician with a lifelong fascination with geometry, texture and symmetry.
Lunchtime Movie @ the Massey
Through the Eye of a Needle: Stories from an Indian Desert and
Real Men Knit
Friday, May 22
Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Free drop-in public brown bag program – no registration. Bring your lunch and we’ll provide free coffee and biscotti.
Join us for two short films celebrating the needle arts from very different perspectives. In the first film, journey with craftswomen from the western border of India as they seek to recreate the world-class embroidery that made their ancestors famous. In the second entertaining film, hear the stories of a wide range of guys who knit – and are proud of it!
ArtBuzz: Tomorrow’s Heirlooms
Friday, June 12
11:00 a.m. – Noon
Free drop-in public gallery talk best for adults and teens – no registration. Free coffee and biscotti provided.
Sharp needles, beautiful thread and exquisite design sense make for a dazzling display of contemporary embroidery in the featured Embroiderers’ Guild exhibition. Lynn Berkowitz, director of Learning Experiences, will lead a conversation in the gallery to discuss the concepts and process of the works of art on view. Bring samples of your own stitching work for a show and tell!
Artwalk Discover Art: Felting & Stitching Fun!
Saturday, June 13
10:00 a.m. – Noon
Free drop-in family program best for children 5 – 12 years old and their adult partners; no registration. Discover Art programs are led by Janelle Redlaczyk, youth & families program coordinator.
There’s a lot to do during this special Artwalk Discover Art! During this feltmaking project, you’ll combine colorful bits of wool and warm soapy water to create your own take-home piece of art. Members of Embroiderers’ Guild of America’s Bella Vista Chapter will help you to stitch in style during the creative community embroidery sew-in.
Lunchtime Movie @ the Massey
Jean Draper
Friday, June 26
Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Free drop-in public brown bag program – no registration. Bring your lunch and we’ll provide free coffee and biscotti.
Jean Draper is a contemporary fiber artist, educator, and past national chairman of the Embroiderers’ Guild, the UK’s leading crafts association. This film features her current work – textile relief panels inspired by the landscape of the Southwestern United States and its early inhabitants.
Discover Art: 4th of July Parade, Celebration, and Fun with Floss!
Saturday, July 4
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Free drop-in family program best for children 5 – 12 years old and their adult partners; no registration. Discover Art programs are led by Janelle Redlaczyk, youth & families program coordinator.
During the 4th of July in Bentonville, there’s bound to be a parade and a visit to the Massey. The community is invited to check out the Girl Scouts of America’s Stitched Together project and to learn more about the Embroiderers’ Guild exhibition by creating their own twisty bracelets, clothespin people and fabric collages. See the many ways that embroidery floss can be put to beautiful use.
OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) at the Massey
New Needlework Gallery Tour & Activity
Thursday, July 16
10:00 a.m. – Noon
Registration is open to OLLI members only; Cost is $25
Registration handled by: University of Arkansas, The School of Continuing Education & Academic Outreach, 479-575-4545 orhttp://olli.uark.edu
Members of OLLI will have a chance to see the Embroiderers’ Guild of America 19th National Exhibition: Through the Needle’s Eye from a different perspective. The session will include an interactive gallery tour and a sit-down class session.
ArtBuzz: Stitching Stories
Thursday, July 23
11:00 a.m. – Noon
Free drop-in public gallery talk best for adults and teens – no registration. Free coffee and biscotti provided.
Master historian and storyteller Susan Young from the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale will spin some great stitching stories that draw from her own personal and professional experiences. Some exquisite examples of embroidery will illustrate her talk.
Susan Young has been the outreach coordinator at Shiloh Museum of Ozark History since 1994. She is a fifth-generation Ozarker. Susan’s special interests include religion, cemeteries, and moonshining.
ArtBuzz After Dark: Contemporary Craft/Is it Art?
First Friday, August 7, 2009, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Free gallery talk and reception for adults – no registration. Good conversation with refreshments provided.
Spend an evening in the gallery with Alison Carter, Learning Experiences administrative assistant, and Ben Edwards, exhibition coordinator, to learn how needle and fiber work are incorporated into contemporary art. Traditional materials and techniques have been appropriated by a wide range of artists to inform their work, but does that make it art?
Experience Art
Experience Art – our interactive space at the front of the Massey gallery – provides a place for visitors of all ages to read, play and create. Books, toys and art projects change with each exhibition, so drop in during Through the Needle’s Eye to experience the art of embroidery in this welcoming space!
Crystal Bridges in the Community
Crystal Bridges @ Borders
Family Story Hour
Tuesday, June 2
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Free family drop-in story hour and artmaking program; no registration.
Borders, 2203 Promenade Boulevard, Rogers, (479) 631-1641
In celebration of the featured Embroiderers’ Guild exhibition, Crystal Bridges’ staff will read The Quiltmaker’s Gift, written by Jeff Brumbeau and illustrated by Gail De Marcken. The staff, along with Borders bookstore, will host a fancy paper quilt project.
Preschool Story Time
Meet the Bears at Compton Gardens
Thursday, June 4
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Compton Gardens, 312 N. Main Street, Bentonville
Free preschool drop-in program – no registration; best for children 3 – 5 years and old and their caregivers.
In case of inclement weather, the program will be held at the Massey.
Bring a blanket to spread out on the lawn for an outdoor Preschool Story Time at Compton Gardens. Special guest, Corrin Troutman, site manager for the Gardens, will tell us all about the amazing black bears of Arkansas. Sue Ann Pekel, Bentonville Public Library’s Children’s Librarian, has wonderful bear picture books selected, and Janelle Redlaczyk, youth and families program coordinator for Crystal Bridges, will introduce the museum’s own beautiful bronze sculpture, Group of Bears, by Paul Manship.
Crystal Bridges @ Your Local Library
Let’s Read a Picture
Free drop-in children & family art appreciation experiences; best for children ages 5 – 12 years old and their adult partners. Contact participating libraries for details.
• Bentonville Public Library, (479) 271-6816
July 16, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
• Fayetteville Public Library, (479) 571-2222
July 29, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. and 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
• Gentry Public Library, (479) 736-2054
July 14, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. and July 16, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
• Gravette Public Library, (479) 787-6955
June 23, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
• Rogers Public Library, (479) 621-1152
June 20, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
• Siloam Springs Public Library, (479) 524-4236
July 7, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
• Springdale Public Library, (479) 750-8180
June 13, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. and July 11, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Every Let’s Read a Picture session begins with children and families exploring a “gallery” of selected posters that feature art from the Crystal Bridges’ collection. Interactive games, discussions and art- and book-related activities spur excitement about looking, reading, and making. With lots of fun-filled opportunities to encourage their curiosity, children delight in their many discoveries.
Teen Book Club @ Your Local Library
Call & Response
June – July
Free Teen Program – registration required. Contact participating libraries for details.
• Bentonville Public Library, (479) 271-6816
• Fayetteville Public Library, (479) 571-2222
• Rogers Public Library, (479) 621-1152
• Siloam Springs Public Library, (479) 524-4236
The 2009 summer public library theme for teens is “express yourself,” and that’s what’s bound to happen in this very different book club. The selected book, Letters to a Young Artist, penned by Anna Deavere Smith, is a call to action to make “art that is meaningful.” After reading the book, participants will respond to the call and produce their own artist book which will be exhibited at their local Library.
Crystal Bridges @ the Jones Center for Families
And Liberty for All
June 30 – July 3 and July 21 – 24
9:00 – Noon
Fee-based program Summer Academy – registration required. Best for children 9 – 12 years old.
The Jones Center for Families, (479) 756-8090, http://www.jonesnet.org
This summer, Crystal Bridges debuts a new program about the Statue of Liberty that’s part of the Summer Academy at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale. Academy members will explore the idea of liberty, immigration and freedom through images from the Crystal Bridges Museum’s collection and popular culture. As part of the program, students will write, draw, and produce a zine.
Community Connections
Crystal Bridges Communities Program Department is actively working with regional Girl Scout Troops, local libraries, members of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America’s Bella Vista Chapter, the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, and Compton Gardens to launch a new initiative, Stitched Together: Individually & Collectively. Visit the Massey on the 4th of July from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. to see the completed works of art.
Voices of Children – Memory Cloth Project is a special program being conducted with the Circle of Life Hospice’s Butterfly Bereavement Group and the Embroiderers’ Guild of America’s Bella Vista Chapter members to create memory cloths that celebrate the lives of missed loved ones.
SAVE THE DATE! Educator Workshop 2009
Saturday, September 12,
After the success of last year’s Art + Books = Curriculum Educator Workshop with the Bentonville Public Library, we’re planning another round. Information will be posted on www.massey.crystalbridges.org this summer.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art – A Walk in the Woods
Featuring Scott Eccleston, Manager of Parks & Grounds
Thursday, June 18
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Free drop-in public lecture – no registration. Refreshments will be served.
Bentonville Public Library, Walmart Room
405 South Main Street, Bentonville
Surprises abound at every twist and turn of the new trails on the grounds of Crystal Bridges. Scott Eccleston, manager of parks and grounds, will present a behind-the-scenes lecture that reveals a few of the secrets hidden deep within the forest from sightings of rare species of flora and fauna to the ideas behind the footprint of the building itself. Scott will share stories about the history of the woodlands and reveal projections about what plans lie ahead.
