Blurred Boundaries Exhibit clearly envisions mixed media fiber art

Lynn Krawczyk is a tough lady to pin down. She's zipping from one project to the next with a determination to fill every moment of every day with art and promotion of art and her own creativity. Thankfully she took a few minutes from her overwhelming schedule to guest blog for Subversive Stitchers and tell us about her art as well as the upcoming exhibit she's curating. Listen up mixed media artists -- this exhibit is for you!

Now, here's Lynn! -- Dawn

I am incapable of creating flat fiber art.

It’s a rare occasion when a work of mine has just fiber and thread on it. I understand that the roots of fiber art come from bed quilts and I admire the artistry of those who paint a spectacular portrait with nothing more then moving thread around on the surface of fabric, but I crave dimension. [Note the photo, Natures Couture Spring by Lynn Krawczyk]

One of the easiest ways I have found to do this is to pull in other elements such as found objects. Many times my entire design process begins there with that single object and the rest of the work is built up around that. I find it exciting to allow something to lead me and to combine seemingly opposite elements into the same piece of art.

My love of fiber art grew into a small business called Lost Arts Stitchery that thrived for three years and focused on art quilting and crazy quilting. After the doors to that venture were closed, I moved on to organizing art quilt exhibits. I found I enjoyed it as much as creating art and have taken as many opportunities as I can.

I have organized exhibits for the American Sewing Expo in Novi, Michigan (most notably my Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit which is now in its fourth year) as well as for the
Studio Art Quilt Associates. I’ve loved every second of working with the venues and the
artists. Its extremely satisfying to hold another artist’s work in my hand and place it into
an environment that honors it for everyone to see.

Photos in order: Plastic Fusion by Sidney Savage; Eye-land by Susan Sorrell; Human Nature 7 by Virginia Spiegel.

So when Cathy Arnett presented me with the opportunity to curate an exhibit for her retreat, Fabrications in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I jumped at it. Her desired theme? Mixed media fiber art – exactly the style so near and dear to my heart!

And not only 2D work, but 3D work is to be included in the exhibit. It couldn’t be better! I quickly contacted Virginia Spiegel to see if she was interested in being the juror and she agreed. I envision an extremely exciting exhibit showing just how far past the boundaries of mainstream fiber art some artists are going. It made the title come easily – Blurred Boundaries.

This week long exhibit will be one of the main attractions of the retreat. It will be in the
centralized meeting area, giving it a constant flow of visitors and making it accessible to people outside the retreat as well. It will not only be viewed by the attendees and instructors, but it will be open to the public. Kalamazoo has a thriving arts community focusing on visual arts, music and cultural arts. It is the perfect fit for this exhibit.

Blurred Boundaries asks artists to submit up to three artworks for consideration. They may be either 2D (ranging in size from 48” max to 12” min) or 3D (ranging from 12” max to 6”min).

The defining requirement for artwork to be considered for the exhibit is that it must contain a minimum of 25% fiber. This opens up a wide door for a variety of materials and techniques that are being left at the sole discretion of the artist!

The deadline for submission has been extended to June 28!

And the process couldn’t be easier. Images may be submitted online, the entry form is filled out online and the $25 entry fee and return shipping may be paid with paypal or personal check. The exhibit is making an effort to eliminate some waste by taking out the requirement to send CDs and print out paper for entry forms. All the information on how to prepare your images for submissions can be found in the exhibit’s prospectus here (Links to the online entry form and the service to submit your images can also be found there.)

And this is not only an excellent show opportunity but it also a sales opportunity as well as a chance to win a $100 prize. A low 15% commission for sold work provides a wonderful chance to sell some of your work.

Exhibit attendees will be able to vote on the artwork that they like best and the one with the most votes will receive the $100 People’s Choice Award. All exhibit participants will receive a small package of mixed media supplies to be used in future projects. I am incredibly thrilled and honored to curate this exhibit and to be able to work with Cathy Arnett and Virginia Spiegel on the project. But more then that, I am so excited to work with like minded artists who love to marry fabric with other mediums and materials!

I hope you will join us for this very exciting show!