Contact: Gloria Romeo
Public Relations Coordinator
315.425.7500 or 315.428.9205 E-mail: gromeo@twcny.rr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A GROUP SHOW FEATURING TECHNIQUELY VARIED FIBER ART OPENS AT DELAVAN ART GALLERY

Syracuse NY – February 23, 2009 – The artistry of Fiber Art in diverse techniques, some dating far back to prehistory, is the focus of the featured exhibit opening at the Delavan Art Gallery March 12 and running through April 25. The public reception is March 12, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

In devoting an entire show to Fiber Art, the gallery’s director, Bill Delavan and manager, Caroline Szozda-McGowan, say they’ve always treated pieces in this medium as fine art. It seemed appropriate to celebrate Fiber Art by grouping these nine artists—whose finished works include framed batik, collage, sculptural coiled basketry, quilting, tapestry, and more— together in one show. Artists are: Wilson Akuamoah-Boateng, Sharon Bottle Souva, Lauren Bristol, Barbara Conte-Gaugel, Linda Esterley, Alice Gant, Hilary Gifford, Mary Kester and Holly Knott.

The artists express a common thread of progressive joy and inspiration from the vast possibilities of Fiber Art as a medium. Quilter Sharon Bottle Souva says, “contemporary quilters have the vision to take a craft and raise it to a higher art form.” She is inspired by strong design elements in nature, such as the vertical lines in trees and surface designs that appear on water.

Following are thoughts by others in this show:

Wilson A. Akuamoah-Boateng’s understanding of the use of color derives from his interest in chemistry and physics. In creating his batiks, he utilizes leaf patterns and “Adinkra” African symbols to transmit traditional socio-cultured values with motifs that convey culturally significant meanings.

Lauren Bristol, self-taught in her art, explains that her Coiled Basketry evolves from an ancient technique. Her many years and hours devoted to working in fiber are loving, rhythmic and meditative acts – a ‘spiritual practice’ of “being in the moment, yet aware of the flow.”

Barbara Conte-Gaugel draws on her liking of things that are old. With found objects that are rusty, ordinary and cloth that is over-dyed or otherwise distressed, she creates a bed of color on white fabric canvas, making her collages spring new life into outsourced and long forgotten remnants.

Linda Esterley, whose fiber artistry focuses primarily on Wet (Nuno) Felting, seems to sum up the art form in her words: “Art, for me is a poetry…a beautiful symphony. When a piece starts to take shape, it becomes an absolutely delicious expression!”

Alice Gant’s neo-reverse appliqué banners are narrative art filled with heroes, animals, flowers and stories. She believes she will keep constructing the “Heroes” series for the rest of her art life, but is also sure there will be other explorations on various subjects as “I sew on.”

Hilary Gifford describes approaching her art like a scientist, profoundly interested in color, gesture, texture and relationships. She watches materials do what they do and gets them to speak as “the fossil speaks for the animal that happened by in that moment thousands of years ago.” She makes wearable art, decorative wall pieces and functional fibers for the home.

Mary Kester recognizes the decorative quality of fiber, but believes her tapestries offer more in that she weaves on both sides of an haute lisse loom, giving the illusion of depth and monumentality in layers of crevices and hollows – spaces that appear deeper than they actually are. She has long been intrigued by stones placed by ancient peoples over the world, and her work has been inspired by these stones and their symbols.

Holly Knott finds plenty of inspiration in Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region of scenic hills and landscapes as she quilts in “creating paintings with a fabric palette.” Along with her mother, she recently authored a quilting book, incorporating her mother’s watercolors turned into pictorial wall hangings. Patterned instructions were included for recreation.

Delavan Art Gallery is a 3,800 square foot showcase and sales venue for fine art created by area artists. Conveniently located in downtown Syracuse at 501 West Fayette St., just a block beyond Armory Square, the gallery is free and open to the public. Off-street parking is available and the gallery is handicapped accessible. Regular Gallery hours are Thursdays and Fridays from noon – 6:00 pm, Saturdays from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and at other times by appointment.