January 2017: Tapestry (Willamette Tapestry Artists)

Ten artists from Willamette Tapestry Artists will be showing a wide variety of tapestries. Particpating artists: Janet Christensen, Kiki Dembrow, Janet Dorow  Barbara Hitzemann, Sandy Kennard, Kevynne Layne, Natalie Novak, Phoebe McAfee, Terry Olson and Pam Patrie. The group formed from weavers from the Damascus Fiber Arts school. Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on both vertical and horizontal looms. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike cloth weaving where both the warp and the weft threads may be visible. In tapestry weaving, weft yarns are typically discontinuous; the artisan interlaces the coloured weft back and forth in its own small pattern area to create the image. According to Phoebe McAfee “There are many approaches of techniques to creating a tapestry; traditional European, Aubusson, Navajo.  It is a basic simple method of weaving, but the creativity comes to life in the imagery. ” The contempoart element comes to play in work such as Terry Olson’s piece about her grandparents, “The Milkmaid and the Boss”.  Olson teaches at the Damascus School and is a board member of the American Tapestry Alliance, the largest tapestry organization in America. The Willamette Tapestry Artists seek to promote understanding and appreciation of both the art and craft of contemporary tapestry.