Rug/Tapestry Study Group Minutes February 9, 2013

We discussed the following items regarding the October 2013 we are doing at Westminster Presbyterian Church. (For your information, Westminster is having another show February 17 – February 22 in the same space, you may want to stop by and see how it looks.)

Title: We decided on “Inspired by Nature.”

Items eligible to show:  We are opening the show to all kinds of weaving and spinning, including not only rugs and tapestries, but also scarves, shawls, placemats, runners, clothing, baskets, handspun yarn, etc. that is inspired by nature in some way. We are encouraging weavers and spinners of all experience levels from the entire Guild to participate. Artists are encouraged to submit more than one item. When the show is hung, Cheryl and Catherine will ensure that each artist has at least one piece hung. Others will be hung according to available space. Pieces must be submitted “ready to hang.” This means if the piece is to be hung by a rod, hoop, or some other mechanism, the artist must supply it with the piece. Please avoid using wire or plastic hangers, and please try to make the hanging apparatus look as nice as possible, by painting or staining wood pieces, or wrapping them in yarn, etc. Pieces will be hung by nylon fishing line from a molding on the wall. Artists submitting baskets or other items that need to be displayed on a table or shelf should contact Jan Tooker prior to the show so enough display space can be planned. Pieces can be made previously, as long as they have not been shown in one of our Guild (or Rug/Tapestry Study Group) shows in the past. Pieces are due at the Studio September 28. Make sure every item (including wraps, tubes, rods, etc.) is marked with your name.

Hangtags/Placards: Sue will be making them. Each participant will need to get the following information to Sue by September 1 so they can be printed: Title of piece, artist name, fiber, weaving structure, price, contact information for the artist so purchaser can complete the sale.

Since the church will not be selling our pieces for us during the show, Sue will make a show brochure of information about the artists including contact info. This will enable patrons to be able to contact the artist directly if they wish to purchase a piece. The brochure will include the following: Title of Show, Info on the Hand Weavers Guild of Lincoln, Info on the Rug/Tapestry Study Group, General info on the theme of the show and how it inspires us, A list of participating artists with contact information, and a notice that all pieces must be left hung for the duration of the show. Because of last-minute decisions made while hanging the show, specific information about your pieces will not be included in the brochure, which will be printed ahead of time. Information about your pieces needs to be on the hangtag/placard, and this info should be to Sue by Sept. 1.

Awards: We will be participating in Handwoven’s WEAVING FOR THE HOME Award of Excellence. See the attached sheet for details on this award. We will also have a People’s Choice Award which will be voted on by attendees at the Opening Reception October 4.  Other awards will be discussed at future meetings, as well as ideas about people to serve as judges. Pieces receiving awards will be marked as such throughout the show, and press releases will be sent to all media outlets.

Help with Inspiration: Each month (January through June) we will help get people inspired by talking about our own inspiration, and show pictures of our pieces in progress. This Inspiration will be during lunch (beginning at 12:00 noon) prior to the Guild meeting on the second Saturday. Schedule:
January                Catherine Easton                                             April               Jan Tooker
February              Henda Pretorius                                               May
March                  Joan Johnson                                                     June     

Deadlines (please mark these on your calendar – you need to remember them!):

July 1, or as soon as possible:	Pieces photo ready (photos may be taken while pieces are still on the loom)
August 1:	Everyone let Sue know how many postcards they need
September 1:	Hangtag/placard info to Sue, Postcards ready to distribute for mailing
September 28:	Pieces due to the studio – weavings, wraps, tubes, etc. all must have weavers’ names on them. All items must be marked with their titles or other identifying information so the correct hangtag/placard is put up with the correct piece.
September 30:	Hang the show
Oct 1 – 3:	Judging the show
October 4:	Opening reception 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Food must be brought to the church by 4:00 p.m.
November 1:	Take down the show
November 2:	Pieces ready to be picked up at the Studio

 

 Handwoven’s WEAVING FOR THE HOME Award of Excellence

 Judging Criteria:

1. The piece must be handwoven. Trims or embellishments in other needle or thread techniques may be an element of the woven cloth, but should not be the primary element.
2. The piece’s primary purpose must be functional.
3. Items which qualify for an award include: table linens, pillows, throws, curtains, towels, floor rugs, upholstery, curtains, blankets. This is not an exclusive list, but it suggests appropriate types of items.

4. To win a prize, a handwoven piece must qualify in all of the following four categories.
   a) The piece must exhibit exceptional sensitivity to basic design principles. Patterns should be used in fresh or unexpected ways. The design might have what we like to call an “element of surprise” or something that is unexpected that makes the viewer want to look further, to examine more closely, to say, “Ah, look at this!”
   b) The materials must be suited to the function of the piece. For example, an upholstery fabric woven in loosely spun wool singles will have some serious durability problems. A wool dish towel won’t get the dishes dry.
   c) The overall design should have optimum sett and beat, and a perfect hand for its intended purpose. The woven item must exhibit a mastery of craft and an understanding of materials.
   d) The overall design should be pleasing and appropriate for the piece. For example, if a hand towel has a beautiful motif that won’t be seen when it is hung over a rod, then the overall design is not successful. Likewise, a throw that is too small to cover up with won’t serve its purpose.
   
   · Winner gets a one-year subscription to Handwoven.