SAQA Monthly Update - October 2016

Dear Jennifer,

Can you believe how well the Benefit Auction is doing???  The proceeds will go to support SAQA’s exhibitions as they travel to Australia, Canada, China, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK, as well as quilt shows and museums across the United States. 

YOUR donations and purchases make it possible to share SAQA art quilt exhibitions with hundreds of thousands of visitors around the world.  Thank you!  

Don’t miss your final chance to own one of this year’s wonderful art quilts - bid today!

If you’re going to Quilt Festival-Houston, be sure to sign up for SAQA’s pARTy on Friday evening!  It should be a really fun event, and I’m looking forward to seeing you there!

And if you’re staying home, be sure to create and send in your Trunk Show entry.  The Trunk Shows travel around the world.  They are incredibly popular -- the new Trunks are already booking up!  Send in a 10” x 7” piece of YOUR art to share with groups around the world.

Finally, be sure to register for the Creation to Curation conference in Lincoln, Nebraska next Spring.  I can’t wait to see the new wing at the International Quilt Study Center & Museum - especially because it will be the premiere of “Layered Voices,” as well as several other wonderful exhibitions! 

I love going behind the scenes at the Museum - it’s amazing to see how they care for their textile collections.  And I’m really looking forward to hearing Michael James’ keynote address.  He always has an interesting perspective on the art quilt movement.  PLUS, I’ll get to visit with members from all over - the ultimate reason to go!

execdirector@saqa.com

Upcoming Deadlines

Volunteer of the Year nominations - October 15

Layered Voices (All SAQA Call for Entry) - September 30

Juried Artist Membership -  November 1

SAQA Journal Gallery (Cross Purposes) - November 30 

H2Oh! (All SAQA Call for Entry) - November 30

2017 SAQA Trunk Show - November 30

A full list of SAQA Calls for Entry can be found on our website

New this Month

Each month, SAQA is pleased to highlight some of our members as Featured Artists and Regional Representatives.

Lenore Crawford Featured Artist	Diane Powers Harris Regional Rep Maine,New Hampshire, & Vermont	Lisa Jenni Regional Rep Washington

2016 Benefit Auction

269 art quilts have already sold, raising $60,000 for SAQA's exhibition and outreach programs!

Section 3 quilts are available for bidding this week. We also have quilts from Section 2 available for purchase in the SAQA Store.

2017 Trunk Show - SAQA Artists in Tour!

Now accepting submissions until November 30, 2016

SAQA is inviting its members to showcase their artistic expression by creating a 10" x 7" art quilt or, on a limited basis, 3-D Artwork for our upcoming traveling 2017 Trunk Show.

Have fun exploring a new subject, developing a technique, or working with an idea or concept with which you are already familiar. Whatever you decide, enjoy yourself!   

• Artwork must meet the SAQA definition of an art quilt: “The art quilt is a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure.”
• 2-D entries must measure 10" high x 7" wide (25.4cm x 17.8cm) in a PORTRAIT orientation.
• 3-D Artwork will be allowed on a limited basis (maximum 5 entries). See prospectus for more details.
• Entrants must upload a full view photo of their art on the Entry Form.  This image will be used for promotional and identification purposes.
• Artwork must be RECEIVED BY Saturday, January 14, 2017 (online submission deadline is November 30th)

The 2017 Trunk Show will premiere at the 2017 SAQA Conference, April 27 - 30, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Following the conference, the exhibit will travel to venues both in and out of the United States for up to three years. 

Questions? Contact Kathy York, Trunk Show Coordinator at TrunkShow@saqa.com

Volunteer of the Year 

Deadline extended to October 15th!

SAQA, as a non-profit, relies on the generous gifts of time and talents from many, many volunteers to carry out our mission. We appreciate each and every one of you!

We are currently soliciting nominations for the 2017 Volunteer of the Year awards. The first category of awards will be given to the outstanding Rep (or Co-Reps). The second category will go to volunteers serving in all other capacities.

Nomination deadline is October 15th!

Interested in volunteering for SAQA? We have a lot of great opportunities listed here or email us volunteer@saqa.com.

Conference News

Early Bird Registration is OPEN!

The 2017 SAQA Conference "Creation to Curation" will be held April 27-30 in Lincoln, Nebraska. This will be a joint conference with the International Quilt Study Center and Museum.  

Our organizing committee has planned a full schedule of events, covering a wide range of topics.

• Exclusive behind the scene tours of the classrooms, studios and exhibitions at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum 
• Keynote speech by world renowned quilter Michael James, Chair and Ardis James Professor of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln 
• Breakout sessions on museum acquisitions, mock jurying, and educational approaches to touring galleries
• Student panel discussions and the return of the popular Lightning Talks
• Opening of SAQA's Layered Voices exhibition and the 2017 Trunk Show
• Held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton, located in Lincoln's historic Haymarket District

Questions about the Conference? Email us at registrar@saqa.com.

Quilt Festival Houston

You are invited to come and celebrate with us at a SAQA member pARTy in Quilt Festival Houston! This will be a great opportunity for SAQA members from across the globe to meet with each other, SAQA board members, and SAQA staff.

Lisa Ellis, SAQA’s board president, and Martha Sielman, SAQA’s executive director, will share SAQA’s accomplishments and exciting new plans for the next year. Thanks to the support of a generous donor and contributions from the Host Committee, we are able to keep the ticket cost at $20.00 per guest for this event. Appetizers and cash bar will be offered.

Volunteers still needed!

We are still looking for volunteers to assist at the SAQA Booth in Houston. Booth duties will include selling SAQA publications, talking about the SAQA exhibitions (the booth will be immediately in front of two new exhibits, Tranquility and Turmoil), introducing SAQA to possible new members, signing up new members and selling benefit auction quilts.

View Schedule / Sign up »

Questions? Contact Heather Pregger at heatherpregger@sbcglobal.net

Issue 5 is NOW available!

Don’t miss these exciting features:

• Long-time collector Marvin Fletcher’s advice on growing an art quilt collection
• Artists to Watch: Susan Else, Susan Mathews, Sharon McCartney, and the Pixeladies (Deb Cashatt and Kris Sazaki)
• To Frame or Not to Frame: How to Display Art Quilts
• Artist Adrienne Yorinks' advice on commissioning art
• Interview with emerging collector Frank Klein
• Gallery of gorgeous art quilts which explore social, political, and environmental issues
• And more!

Already a subscriber? Don't forget to renew today so you don't miss an issue, especially if you signed up last year.

We need YOUR help to spread the word about how SAQA can open doors to new opportunities. Tell a friend (or two) about SAQA and you will receive REWARD POINTS when they join as a member. You can then use these reward points for discounts off your membership or a store order! Or, save them up and get bigger discounts.

How can YOU help?

• Are you participating in exhibitions?
  Offer to talk about your work and spend 2 minutes introducing listeners to SAQA. They may never have heard of us or the great benefits we can offer. 
• Do you go to guild meetings?
  Make a presentation with your work or the SAQA Trunk Show and encourage folks to join us.
• Do you teach workshops?
  You can offer your student a discount on a membership for taking your class - just contact Martha Sielman for a special discount code.

SAQA is ready to help you with membership brochures, presentations, promotional materials or even door prizes for a drawing at your presentation. Contact us at marketing@saqa.com for more details.

Thank you to the following members who recently referred someone to SAQA.
Each person now has $10 (or more) to use towards a membership renewal, store order - or save up for even better discounts like $100 off a future conference registration!

Maddie Burke, Sonja Campbell, Tricia Deck, Diane English, Linda Finley, Patricia Kennedy-Zafred, Jane LaFazio, Andrea Luliak, Rasa Mauragis, Carol O'Bagy, Hazel Penelope Shaw Ryder, and Linda Waddle

SAQA Seminar

Now in progress!

The SAQA Education Committee has developed an exciting new project called SAQA Seminar, an annual multi-media educational program that focuses on a different subject each year. The 2016 subject is STITCHING! 

SAQA Seminar includes articles, video conversations, challenges, artist profiles, resource lists and opportunities to discuss the subject with other SAQA members. Register today!

Website Reorganization

We need YOUR help!

As one of our strategic initiatives for 2017, SAQA will be restructuring our website. Our goal is to make it easier for YOU to find what you are looking for!

We are looking for volunteers to assist with a 15-20 minute online activity that will assist with this process. The results help us organize all the information for the new and improved website. 

We do want to include a wide range of users so you do NOT have to be a technical person at all!

Click here to start »

If you have already been interviewed for this project, please be aware that this is a different activity and you are welcome to do this one as well.

Thank you for your assistance!

NEXT - Fiber Art Symposium 

Please join us for New, Newer, NEXT, a SAQA sponsored symposium to be held August 26, 2017 at the beautiful Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, Colorado. This exciting program is designed to jump-start a new way of thinking about the art quilt.

Registration is NOW open!

This event will be part of a fabulous week of fiber art beginning with the opening of the 75 art quilt exhibit at the Dairy on August 25. Following the symposium, there will be two three-day workshops with Betty Busby, August 27 – September 2.

Affiliate Memberships

As a worldwide resource for information on the art quilt and the artists who create them, SAQA helps artists and arts organizations participate in this growth. Our new Affiliate Membership program was created to provide support to organizations in learning about the art quilt, how it plays a role in contemporary exhibitions and art organizations, and how members can grow their organization by integrating the art quilt into their own programming.

At SAQA, we help our Affiliate Membership organizations grow by:

• spreading the word about their organization and events to our membership through publicity on our website and other online communications tools,
• connecting member organizations with the art quilt world and a previously untapped target market,
• sharing information on the latest exhibitions, trends, and award-winning art quilters, and
• providing exclusive access to educational resources about the art quilt.

Welcome our New SAQA Affiliate:

Fiber Artists of San Antonio

View All Affiliates

New Online Gallery - CanCon

Phillida Hargreaves - Beached

Margaret Blank is our guest curator for this month's online gallery - CanCon. She comments:

"Canadian Content" originally referred to regulations governing radio and television programming in Canada, requiring Canadian broadcasters to provide a certain percentage of content that was written, produced, presented or in some other way contributed to by Canadians....but "CanCon" (as it's often called) has also entered Canada's vernacular as a description for any cultural and/or creative content/material that is Canadian in nature.  I'm delighted to present pieces in this gallery that have been designed and created our current Canadian Juried Artist Members.

View More Online Galleries »

Interested in being a guest curator for our online galleries?
Contact galleries@saqa.com for more information.

SAQA Calls for Entry

Visit our FAQ page to find out more details about entering SAQA exhibitions. The following Calls for Entry are open to all SAQA Members.  View all Calls for Entry »

Layered Voices Artwork may be two-dimensional or three, viewed from one side, two sides, or any angle. The layering of the media may be literal, inferred, or even digital. Realistic, representational, and abstract work will be considered. CURRENTLY BEING JURIED
H2Oh! Water - it’s everywhere!  This exhibition encourages the artist to interpret one of the most vital, desired, powerful, sacred, and enjoyed resources on earth in their own unique, individual style, whether abstract, graphic, or representational.
2017 SAQA Trunk Show SAQA is inviting its members to showcase their artistic expression by creating a 10" x 7" art quilt or, on a limited basis, 3-D Artwork for our upcoming traveling Trunk Show. Join us for SAQA Artists On Tour: An up close and personal view on art quilts. NOW OPEN!
Textile Posters: Communication & Commentary Some posters grab the viewer’s attention in an attempt to be heard above the incessant demands of other media. Other posters are more subtle in their approach. The artistic possibilities are infinite, allowing for both representational and abstract submissions.

Exhibition News

Our two newest exhibitions, "Turmoil" and "Tranquility" will be premiering at Quilt Festival Houston later this month. Can't make it to Houston? We will have all the exhibition details on the website soon.

Juror Kate Lydon (Director of Exhibitions at the Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh) offeres these comments:

The 50 artists featured in Turmoil and Tranquility are attempting to make sense of their physical, as well as social and cultural environments, by creating art that shares narrative stories of time, absence, location, and representation.

These exhibitions recognize artists that are using innovation and experimentation with color, line, and composition to create compelling artworks that in many cases break new ground.

Other News

The Call for Entry for Layered Voices is now being juried. We had such a tremendous response - over 530 pieces of artwork were submitted! Notifications will be sent out by the end of October. Don't forgot to check out the SAQA Calls for Entry for other great opportunities to have your artwork travel the world!

Find a SAQA exhibition near you! 

We have so many great opportunities to view a SAQA exhibition! To find one coming to a venue near you, view our listing of SAQA events and filter by region. 

Do you know a venue that might be interested in hosting a SAQA Exhibition? Contact Bill Reker at shipping@saqa.com.

Current Exhibitions

Balancing Act    Throughout history, women have had to balance responsibilities to community, home and family while pursuing other interests, jobs, or careers. From those who helped farm the land or worked in factories during wartime, to those who stand shoulder to shoulder with men pursuing careers, or serve as caregivers; women have always had to juggle the various aspects of their lives. AQS Quilt Week: Des Moines, Iowa  •  October 5 - 8, 2016
Celebrating Silver     Silver is indispensable. From industrial use to decoration, technology, photography and medicine, its unique properties of strength, malleability, reflectivity and conductivity make it an irreplaceable force in the global market. In addition to its physical properties silver is recognized as a symbol of love, insurance and commitment for twenty-five years. Original Sewing and Quilt Expo Circuit: Adelaide Craft & Quilt Fair, Adelaide, Australia  •  November 3 - 6, 2016 Hobart Craft & Quilt Fair, Hobart, Australia  •  February 17 - 19, 2017
Concrete & Grassland    Concrete & Grassland explores the juxtaposition of the natural landscape and the human constructed cityscape.  Artwork focuses on the contrasts of both color and line, and the ways in which the natural world has been altered. Concrete & Grassland is a joint collaboration between SAQA and the Grants Pass Museum of Art.
Earth Stories    Earth Stories celebrates the stories of people or projects that enhance the planet, make a significant difference in restoring and/or protecting the environment, increase sustainability and otherwise improve the earth we all occupy. Erie Museum of Art, Erie, PA  -  January 20, 2017 through June 11, 2017
Food For Thought    Food For Thought examines the many aspects that food plays in our daily lives — from a single piece of fruit to a still life, from the family table to the significance of food in culture and the celebration of family milestones. Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum in Temple, Texas - January 31, 2017 through April 1, 2017
My Corner of the World     My Corner of the World invited the artist to examine a world, real or imagined, that represented what is important in life.  It might be where the artist resides, works, or grew up. It might be a favorite place from any point in life or a special internal place. My Corner of the World looks at the big picture including, but not limited to a homeland, ancestry or culture. The Thunder Bay Museum - Thunder Bay, Ontario   •  November 1, 2016 – January 29, 2017	Exhibition Catalog available!
People & Portraits      This exhibition celebrates the expressiveness of the human face. The diverse designs focus on a variety of both emotional states and the ways in which people interact: contemplation, joy, community, work and play.  Based on the companion book, Art Quilt Portfolio: People and Portraits, the exhibition shows two works by each of the book's 20 Featured Artists. AQS Quilt Week: Des Moines, Iowa  •  October 5 - 8, 2016
Radical Elements   Our physical world is created out of the chemical elements, from hydrogen to platinum to arsenic. For this exhibition, each of the selected artists created a new work that is influenced by an element from the periodic table. Inspirations came from anything relating to that element, whether a play on the name, its color or the products made from it. The International Museum of Art and Science - McAllen, Texas •  September 24, 2016 - January 8, 2017
Redirecting the Ordinary    "Redirecting the Ordinary" is about turning things around, upside down, inside out, backwards, or how even just a minuscule course correction can charge up the humdrum, turn the common into the uncommon, and make the expected unexpected.  Original Sewing & Quilt Expo, Schaumburg, Illinois  •  October 13 - 15, 2016 Original Sewing & Quilt Expo, Minneapolis, Minnesota  •  November 10 - 12, 2016
Tranquility     Tranquility is defined as a quality or state of being, possessing the concepts of quiet, peacefulness, calmness or serenity.  Tranquility, as a mental and physical concept, is the primary focus of certain religious sects, whereby tranquility of the body, thoughts and consciousness are believed to lead to the path of personal enlightenment. International Quilt Festival, Houston, Texas • November 3 - 6, 2016
Turmoil    Turmoil is defined as a state of great disturbance, confusion or uncertainty.  It can be personal and internal, societal or natural. This exhibition features work that depicts chaos, discord, imbalance and tumult. Artists were requested to explore the meaning of turmoil in their own lives. The works selected represent turmoil through color, line, and composition.  International Quilt Festival, Houston, Texas • November 3 - 6, 2016
Two by Twenty    Two works each by twenty artists equals forty art quilts to explore and a multitude of potential pairings to consider. The pieces as a whole demonstrate the wide range of approaches in the quilt art genre. From bold and graphic to subtle explorations of texture and nuance, there is plenty to explore in this collection. Road to California, Ontario, California • January 19 - 22, 2017
Wild Fabrications     Wild Fabrications celebrates a world of animals both real and fantastical.  Selected artists let their imagination run wild and created interesting and unusual interpretations of animals using unexpected or unconventional materials and adornment, and/or unusual techniques. The Museum of York County, Rock Hill, SC  •  October 8, 2016 - February 25, 2017 Grace Hudson Museum, Ukiah, CA • March 25, 2017 - June 25, 2017

Member News 

Learn more about all the Member Resources available on the website:
Visit the New Member Welcome or How to Maximize your SAQA Membership pages. 

Regional Rep News:  

Please welcome Lisa Chipetine (New York) as our newest Regional Rep.  A huge thank you to Kate Lenkowsky (Indiana), Uta Lenk (Europe/Middle East), and Ife Felix (New York) as they step down from their Regional Rep positions.

Welcome to our new members who joined in September:
Dar Arnswald, Maureen Bradley, Mary Colatrella, Carolyn Sue Cook, Terry Donaldson, Cathy Ann Drummond, Joyce Ferrie, Terri Lynne Garneau, Debbie Grifka, Jennifer Lynn Hall, Janet Hiller, Lynn Rae Hodgem, Pam Hough, Deborah Krajkowski, Eleanor F. Lawson, Gwen Lowery, Carol Meadows, Susan Jane Molin, Pam Morris-Stendal, Pam Munday, Georgina Newson, Joseph Richard Reyes, Raylene Cheryl Richardson, Cyndy Margaret Rymer, Karin Scanlon, Gillian Kaara Schultze, Diane Simancek, Ruth Singer, Suzi Stone, Baiba Vagule, Carol Walsh, Martha Wasik, Christine Wilde, Sharmetrese Williams, Caroline Wojtkowiak, Louise Wonnocott, and Judith Yamamoto

Thank you to everyone who made donations to SAQA in September: 
Joanne Alberda, Deborah Melton Anderson, Margaret Anderson, Debbie Bates, Robert Bein, Lisa Charles, Carol Churchill, Linda Colsh, Nancy G. Cook, Mary Cope, Rebekah Crown, Jacque Davis, Margaret Dunsmore, Robin Laws Field, Meredith Filshie, Marvin Fletcher, Bethany Garner, Sandra Garner, Jean Gerster, Valerie S. Goodwin, Margaret Hannigan, Carolyn Higgins, Lesley Knox, Ellie Kreneck, Catharina Breedyk Law, Loreen Leedy, Mary Ann Littlejohn, Holly McLean, Cynthia McNair, Salli McQuaid, Amy Meissner, Carol Moore, Lynne Morin, Margaret Morris, Mary Pal,Judith Sogopo Popiel, Elaine Quehl, Sharon Robinson, Lynn Rogers, Ellen Schwark, Charlotte Scott, Chris Boersma Smith, Patricia Anderson Turner, Mary B. Tyler, Maggie Vanderweit, Shirley White, Libby Williamson, and Mitzi Zohar

View List of Current Supporters

Make Connections!

New to SAQA? Or maybe you just want to connect with other members? You can contact your regional representative for opportunities near you or participate in the following:

Yahoo Discussion Group is only for SAQA members, and is private to the outside world.  We offer lively discussions on many art related topics. Please include your full name with your request, so we can verify that you are a member.

The Visioning Project revolves around visualizing goals and dreams - and making them happen. The Visioning Project members are wonderful in helping each other with support, networking, and resource information. If you are interested in joining, please contact Mary Mattimoe.

The SAQArtique group is open to all SAQA members. The critiques are all in the spirit of a shared interest in quilting as an art form and improvement of each person's talents.  If you are interested in joining, please contact Vicki Conley.

SAQA Blog
Subscribe (via email or RSS feed) to receive updates from the SAQA Blog. Or, check out these other online options:

Facebook - Studio Art Quilt Associates
Twitter - @SAQAart
Pinterest - SAQAart
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Flickr - saqa

Support SAQA when you shop on Amazon!

When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate to a portion of the sale to SAQA. How does it work? On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you need to select Studio Art Quilt Assoc as the designated charitable organization. Then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.

Note: Purchases MUST be made via the smile link in order for SAQA to receive credit. Purchases that are not made using an internet browser (for instance, using the Amazon Shopping App, Kindle Store, FireTV, Amazon Dash, or Amazon Echo) are not currently eligible for donations.

Other Opportunities

Fiber Artists of San Antonio 42nd Annual Exhibition, 2017 Say Si • San Antonio, Texas Deadline:  October 28, 2016 Juror: Marilyn Lanfear
Commemorating His Purple Reign: A Textural Tribute to Prince Textile Center  •   Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Deadline:  December 29, 2016 Juror: Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi
Sacred Threads Floris United Methodist Church   •   Herndon, Virginia, USA Deadline:  December 31, 2016

Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. · PO Box 141 · Hebron CT, USA 06248 · 860-530-1551 ·  info@saqa.com