DEADLINES & DATES TO REMEMBER

May 1, 2008 – Deadline for images for Spiritual/Religious Art Gallery in the Fall Journal
May 14, 2008 - Caryl Bryer Fallert Conference Call – Being a Professional Artist
May 24, 2008 - Deadline for Europe & Israel for Wide Horizons
May 30, 2008 – Deadline for A Sense of Time
June 13, 2008 – Deadline for Australia/New Zealand for SAQA: Oceania Art Textiles
June 25, 2008 -- Gloria Hansen Conference Call -- Digital Printers and Printing on Fabric
July 15, 2008 – Deadline for Canada for Synthesis
July 16, 2008 -- Anne Copeland Conference Call -- The Value of a Quilt: The Appraisal and what it really means
July 24-27, 2008 – IQF-Long Beach
August 1, 2008 – Deadline for images for Political Statements Gallery in the Winter Journal
August 15, 2008 – Deadline for receipt of One-Foot Square artwork donations
August 20, 2008 -- Kate Themel Conference Call -- Life Changes: Moving from the Corporate World into the Art World
September 17, 2008 – Bruce Hoffman Conference Call – Artist Etiquette: The Proper Etiquette between Artist and Gallery
October 29-November 2, 2008 – IQF-Houston
November 7-9, 2008 – SOFA-Chicago
November 8-9, 2008 – Quilt Visions 2008 Preview Night & Opening
November 10, 2008 – Auction 2008 BEGINS!


MEMBERSHIP COUNT
SAQA has reached 2,000 members! In fact, as of today there are 2,038 members. Christa Ebert of Germany was our 2,000th member and received a copy of Portfolio 14 in celebration.


NEW BOARD MEMBER
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Jacqueline M. Atkins has joined the SAQA Board. Jacquie is the Kate Fowler Merle-Smith Curator of Textiles at the Allentown Art Museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She was a panel presenter at the Breaking New Ground conference and was able to attend the SAQA Board meeting at that time as well.

NEW REGIONAL REPS
Cathy Kleeman has joined Jennifer Conrad as co-rep for PA, MD, WV & DC.
Judy Tipton Rush has joined Diane Lochala as co-rep for MS, LA, AL & AR.
Andi Stern and Von Biggs are the new co-reps for IN & OH.


DONATIONS
SAQA has already received $15,599 in individual donations towards our 2008 goal of $18,000 – help us meet the final 13% of our goal!
We cannot put on exhibits, print catalogs or do outreach without this support. Membership fees cover only 60% of the operating costs, and this additional support is critical in allowing SAQA to fund our exhibitions, publications and programs.
Donor form: https://www.saqa.com/donations.aspx
List of donors: https://www.saqa.com/aboutus/sponsorships.aspx


SAQA AUCTION 2008
The first pieces are coming in, and they’re gorgeous! We’ve already started posting some of the images on the web site: http://www.saqa.com/newsebulletins/Squares08_1.aspx
The auction will go live November 10th, just in time for holiday gift-giving. Please support SAQA by making a One-Foot Square for SAQA Auction 2008. The deadline is August 15, 2008. Create a label with your name and the title, include your web site so that we can link to it, and send the finished pieces to: Martha Sielman, 52 Charles Lane, Storrs, CT 06268.
If you can also send a good quality jpg (no larger than 800 x 800 pixels) with a pure white background, or cropped to the edges of the quilt, to Eileen Doughty (ef.doughty@verizon.net), that will help get your piece up on the web site faster.


PRESS COVERAGE NEWS
SAQA has big beautiful spreads in both Quilting Arts Magazine and Quilters Newsletter this month. Quilting Arts features works from “Creative Force 2007” and “A Sense of Place.” Quilters Newsletter is showing works from “Transformations 07: Reverberations.”


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: IQF-LONG BEACH
July 25-27th are the dates.  Jamie Fingal and Connie Rohman are coordinating the SAQA booth.  Let me know if you can volunteer a few hours of your time (msielman@sbcglobal.net).


BREAKING NEW GROUND CONFERENCE
Photos from the conference are up on the web site: http://www.saqa.com/aboutus/conf08.aspx
The conference was very successful, the panels and keynote speakers were interesting and informative, and the exhibit tour was wonderful. Holding the conference at the Wayne Art Center allowed everyone to wander through “ArtQuilt Elements” whenever there was a break, which was a real treat. A full report will be in the Fall Journal.


IQF-CHICAGO Report
“Creative Force 07” and “A Sense of Place” were beautifully hung and lit. Peg Keeney reports that everywhere she went, visitors were talking about the exhibits. The SAQA Lectures were very well received – thank you to Peg Keeney for her 1½ hour gallery walk and to our lecturers: Stephanie Nordlin, Cheryl Ferrin, Desi Vaughn, Margaret Cusack and Cathy Jeffers. Finally, thanks to C&T Publishing, Wm. Wright Company and Empty Spools Seminars for sponsoring these lectures.

The SAQA Booth recruited 19 new members and sold 89 copies of the double catalog for the exhibits, 25 copies of Masters: Art Quilts and the final 10 copies of Portfolio 14, bringing in $4,310 total sales. Thank you to Clairan Ferrono for organizing and supervising the booth.

Clairan wrote: “This year’s International Quilt Festival (IQF) Chicago was fantastic! Many, many thanks go out to Karey Bresenhan, head of IQF, and Special Exhibits Chair Vicki Mangum and her assistant Carmen Valls.  They really did SAQA and its exhibits proud. We had a stellar location on “Main Street” (the central aisle) and a beautiful “gazebo” purpose built to draw special attention to SAQA and our wonderful exhibits A Sense of Place and Creative Force 2007. Karey and her staff were incredibly helpful, cheery and polite, even as they had to be in 6 places at once, lugging chairs!

“My sincere thanks also to all the wonderful volunteers who helped in the booth over the four day period: Karen Abramson, Carol Abramofsky, Jane Aldoretta, Darcy Berg, Jennifer Conrad, Jane Cooperman, Margaret Cusack, JoAnn Deck, Cheryl Dineen Ferrin, Sheila Haberman, Denise Havlan, Cathy Jeffers, Gwen Jones, Cathy Kleeman, Peg Keeney, Mary Jo Lawrence. Kate Lenkowsky, Karen Musgrave, Stephanie Nordlin, Linda Olson, BJ Parady, Virginia Spiegel, Kathleen Stuart, Desi Vaughn, Kathy Weaver, Carol Vinick. You were great! I enjoyed meeting you all. Hope you had fun, too.”

Thank you to everyone who helped out. I’ve added your names to the Gold Star Volunteers list on the web site (http://www.saqa.com/aboutus/volunteers.aspx). Please check that I’ve spelled your name correctly. The list of volunteers is really impressive, and I cannot say often enough how important each and every volunteer is to the success of this organization – we truly could not do it without you!


SAQA UNIVERSITY
Everyone’s been raving about our new SAQA University. Log on and give it a try -- Under the SAQA-U Tab, click on Members Access Only. Log in using your SAQA username and password. Read the introduction page, then click on "Proceed to SAQA-U".

Learning how to use the SAQA-U wiki is easy - help is available in different formats for different learning styles: in the navigation bar on the left of any page, you can click on Training Videos, FAQ's and Help, and the Printable Guide. Then you’re ready to start: Upload your picture and set up your preferences in your personal Profile; sign up for the May 14th Mentorship Call with Caryl Bryer Fallert in Mentorship Forums; check out your Regions Page and add events in your area; or start a new discussion on a hot topic!

One of the features that I’m most excited about is the ability to join a virtual critique group made up of fellow SAQA members. If you don’t live near other art quilters or you can’t easily get to meetings, now you can get feedback on your work in the comfort of your home when and where it’s convenient. Just log onto SAQA-U and sign up on the Critique Groups page (the link is at the bottom of the left hand navigation bar list).

Mark your calendars for the Mentorship Series Conference Calls:
8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST
May 14th - Caryl Bryer Fallert – Being a Professional Artist
June 25th -- Gloria Hansen -- Digital Printers and Printing on Fabric
July 16th -- Anne Copeland -- The Value of a Quilt: The Appraisal and what it really means
August 20th -- Kate Themel -- Life Changes: Moving from the Corporate World into the Art World
September 17th – Bruce Hoffman – Artist Etiquette – The Proper Etiquette between Artist and Gallery

Conference Call Dial in information:
1-605-990-0150
You will be prompted for a code: 986204#
*Please note: all calls are recorded for SAQA University.


SAQA EXHIBIT NEWS:
**NOTE: SAQA exhibits are open to ALL members, unless there is a geographical restriction.

TRANSFORMATIONS 09: REFLECTIONS
Premiere location: Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England. SAQA will travel Reflections to several locations.
Call for entries is on the web site: http://www.saqa.com/members/EntryForms.aspx
Juror: Laura Cater-Woods
Curator: Cyndi Souder – contact Cyndi with any questions (Cyndi@moonlightingquilts.com)
Postmark deadline: October 17, 2008
Travel venues:

1. Festival of Quilts
Birmingham, England
August 14-17, 2009
www.twistedthread.com

2. Grants Pass Museum of Art
Grants Pass, OR
June-July 2010
www.gpmuseum.com

SAQA: A SENSE OF TIME
Premiere location: International Quilt Festival and Market, Houston, TX
This exhibit will be displayed in a hard-wall, gallery-type exhibit space. SAQA will travel A Sense of Time, after its premiere, to International Quilt Festivals in both Chicago and Long Beach.
Juror: Namita Gupta Wiggers, Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Oregon
Curator: Arlene Blackburn – contact Arlene with any questions (arleneblackburn@comcast.net)
May 30, 2008: Deadline for entries to ARRIVE
Travel venues:

1. IQF-Houston
Houston, TX
October 29 – November 2, 2008
www.quilts.com

2. IQF-Chicago
Chicago, IL
April 17-19, 2009
www.quilts.com

3. IQF-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
July 24-26, 2009
www.quilts.com

MASTERS: ART QUILTS – the exhibition
A fifth venue has been added: The New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA. Invitational exhibition of one work by each of the 40 artists featured in the Masters: Art Quilts book, which is being published by Lark Books. All artists are SAQA members. This exhibit will be displayed at the three International Quilt Festivals with “SAQA: A Sense of Time”, premiering at IQF-Houston this fall. The presentation of both exhibits is possible thanks to generous sponsorship from eQuilter.com, JT Trading (505 Basting Sprays) and the American Quilter’s Society. "Masters: Art Quilts" will also travel to the Museum of the American Quilter's Society in Paducah, KY for a several month run from August through November.

Travel venues:

1. IQF-Houston
Houston, TX
October 29 – November 2, 2008
www.quilts.com

2. IQF-Chicago
Chicago, IL
April 17-19, 2009
www.quilts.com

3. IQF-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
July 24-26, 2009
www.quilts.com

4. Museum of the American Quilter’s Society
Paducah, KY
August 13-November 10, 2009
www.quiltmuseum.org

5. New England Quilt Museum
Lowell, MA
November 2009-February 2010
www.nequiltmuseum.org

CONVERGENCE 2008
“I-4 Corridor Exhibition” will be exhibited in Florida during June in conjunction with the HGA’s Convergence 2008 in Tampa Bay. Please contact Mary E. McBride at 386-423-1753 or mmcbride@atlanticcenterforthearts.org with any questions.


“Up in Stitches” finishes this month at the Yeiser Art Center (March 8 – May 3, 2008) Questions: contact the Yeiser (info@theyeiser.org)


“Creative Force 2007” and “A Sense of Place: artists working in series” will next be seen at IQF-Long Beach July 25-27, 2008. The double catalog, designed by Deidre Adams and sponsored by Janome, is available in the SAQA Store.

3. International Quilt Festival
Long Beach, CA
July 25-27, 2008
http://www.quilts.com

4. CKMedia Gallery – Quilters Newsletter (portions of Creative Force only)
Golden, CO
August – November 2008
http://qnm.com/pgallery/

“Transformations ’07: Reverberations” will finish this month in the Visions Art Quilt Gallery in San Diego. The catalog, designed by Deidre Adams is available through the SAQA Store ($15) https://www.saqa.com/aboutus/SAQA_StoreThumbnails.aspx

Travel venues:

4. Visions Art Quilt Gallery
San Diego, CA
April 4-May 25, 2008
http://www.quiltvisions.org/events.asp

“Transformations 08: Icons & Imagery”
Juror Rudolf Smend of Galerie Smend in Germany has chosen the artists for Transformations 08. It will premiere August 14, 2008 at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England.

Travel venues:

1. Festival of Quilts
Birmingham, England
August 14-17, 2008
www.twistedthread.com

2. South African National Quilt Festival
Gauteng, South Africa (just outside of Johannesburg)
September 14-16, 2008
http://www.quiltsouthafrica.co.za/festival.asp

3. Coos Art Museum
Coos Bay, OR
December 21, 2008-February 21, 2008
www.coosart.org

“SAQA: Twelve Voices” - was chosen by Penny McMorris from portfolio submissions. The twelve selected artists will each display 4-6 pieces of their art, premiering at the Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City, Michigan in September.


REGIONAL EXHIBITS
Australia and New Zealand:
"SAQA: Oceania Art Textiles" will be exhibited October 22-28, 2008 at the Queensland Quilt Show during the Quilt & Craft Fair in the Brisbane Convention Centre (Queensland Quilters Inc GPO Box 2841 Brisbane 4001 QLD). Deadline is June 13, 2008. Please contact Sue Dennis (bsdennis@bigpond.com) for more information.

Canada:
“Synthesis” will be exhibited at the Metro Toronto Convention Center (South Building) in Toronto, Ontario from October 17-19, 2008. Deadline is July 15th. Jurors are:
• Dr. Michele Hardy, Curator of Decorative Arts, Nickle Arts Museum,University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
• Susan Foshay, Director of the Novia Scotia Centre for Craft and Design, Halifax, Novia Scotia
• David H. Kaye, Owner, David Kaye Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Prospectus is available on the SAQA web site. Questions? Contact Karen Goetzinger (quiltopia@sympatico.ca).

Europe and Israel:
"Wide Horizons" is open to members in Europe and Israel. It will be exhibited at Carrefour Européen du Patchwork, Ste-Marie-aux-Mines, France September 18-21, 2008. Elisabeth Nacenta de la Croix (ecn@bluewin.ch) is the organizer for this exhibit. Call for entries form were emailed and placed on the web site. Deadlines: postmark by May 24, 2008; received by May 31, 2008. Jury will meet in mid-June.

Virginia and surrounding regions:
'Amazing Art Quilts', a juried exhibit for SAQA members from three regions around Virginia (VA/NC/SC & TN/KY & MD/PA/DC/WV), will be hosted by The Staunton Augusta Art Center in Staunton, Virginia. The juror will be from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibit runs Aug.29 - Oct.5, 2008.

Amazing Art Quilts will be held in conjunction with a quilt celebration, Quilts: Past, Present & Future. The celebration explores the connection between historical, traditional and contemporary quilting, to be held in the Staunton, Waynesboro and Harrisonburg, VA area throughout the month of September 2008. Over 20 events and exhibits will bring local and long distance visitors to the Shenandoah Valley in fall 2008. We have support from the city tourism departments, providing great exposure for your art. Learn more about QPPF in the SAQA U page and at www.staunton.va.us/visitor.

QPPF The Conference is the third opportunity for SAQA members. A three-day conference, Sept. 4 -7, 2008, that includes hands-on workshops, lectures and exhibit openings will be held in conjunction with the Quilts: Past, Present & Future. The opening reception for Amazing Art Quilts will be held that weekend along with a gallery walk. We will have a SAQA regional meeting that weekend too. Watch the SAQA website and QPPF webpage at www.statunton.va.us for details about the conference.
DEADLINES & DATES
June 15, 2008 - Registration deadline for Quilts: Past, Present & Future Conference workshops in Staunton , VA
Aug. 4, 2008 - Hotel reservation deadline for special QPPF rate at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Staunton, VA
September 1 - 30, 2008 - Quilts: Past, Present & Future - a month long quilt celebration the Shenandoah Valley
Sept. 5 & 6, 2008 - Quilts: Past, Present & Future ( QPPF) - The Conference - Staunton , VA
Sept. 5, 2008 - Opening Reception for SAQA: Amazing Art Quilts exhibit at the Staunton Augusta Art Center in Staunton, VA
Sept. 5, 2008 - Opening Reception of SAQA member one woman show Out of the Loope: Judy Loope at the Beverly Street Studio School, Staunton , VA
September 5, 2008 - Opening Reception for SAQA member Martha Bruin Degen in Pins & Needles at the Michael Tusing Gallery,Staunton,VA

Please contact Martha Bruin Degen (mdegen04@ntelos.net) or Jill Jensen (jilljensen_artist@hotmail.com) with questions.


Regional Exhibits Mentor
Arlene Blackburn is the Regional Exhibits Mentor. Arlene has volunteered to be a mentor to any member who is working on producing a SAQA regional exhibit. Arlene can help you with planning, insurance questions, forms and put you in contact with other advisors if needed. Contact Arlene at arleneblackburn@comcast.net.


NEW VIRTUAL EXHIBIT ON SAQA WEB SITE
This month’s guest curator is Floris Flam who has curated “Metropolis” - http://www.saqa.com/galleries/mini_gallery.aspx?galid=36
Floris says, “I grew up in Manhattan, so the geometry of the city is as natural to me as forests or the sea are to others. The works I selected for this gallery range from realistic to suggestive, yet all reflect the emotional impact of the city.”

Selected Artists:

Deborah Melton Anderson
Ludmila Aristova
Eszter Bornemisza
Robin Cowley
Margaret Cusack
Ginny Eckley
Deborah Fell
Alessandra Finotti
Karen Goetzinger
Valerie Goodwin
Cathy Kleeman
Carol Larson
Norma Schalger
Marialuisa Sponga
Laurie Swim
Leni Levenson Wiener

We’re looking for new guest curators. If you would like to be a guest curator in a future month, let me know (msielman@sbcglobal.net).


OTHER WEB SITE NEWS – SAQA Store

”Masters: Art Quilts” by Martha Sielman (83 copies)







“Picture Your World in Appliqué” by Margaret Cusack (57 copies)







“The Potter and the Muse” by Lotte Streisinger (22 copies)








“Leslie Gabriëlse: a Portrait” by Peter Bulthuis and Leslie Gabriëlse (20 copies)








”Quilting Transformed” by Jacqueline Atkins (20 copies)








”Thread Painting” by Leni Levenson Wiener (11 copies)








“Katie Pasquini Masopust Teaches You Simple Steps to Dynamic Art Quilts” DVD (9 copies)







”Joan Lintault” by Joan Lintault (6 copies)








“Fabric Art Workshop” by Susan Stein (5 copies)








BOOK REVIEWS OF NEW BOOKS IN THE SAQA STORE:

Contemporary Quilt Art by Kate Lenkowsky, Indiana University Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-253-35124-1, $34.95, hardcover, 290 pages, resource lists, glossary, notes, index

If you've been talking to your friends and family about art quilts and getting a lot of blank looks, you need this book. It's divided into three sections with full color images throughout. The first section gives a history of art quilting, the second section profiles 19 important artists, and the third section gives advice about all aspects of collecting art quilts. Profiled artists' careers are described in detail with at least five images of their work in glorious color. Artists included are: Liz Axford, Susan Brandeis, Rachel Brumer, Pauline Burbidge, Elizabeth Busch, Jean Williams Cacicedo, Dorothy Caldwell, Kyoung Ae Cho, Nancy Crow, Nancy Erickson, Carole Harris, Ana Lisa Hedstrom, Marilyn Henrion, Michael James, Jan Myers-Newbury, Rise Nagin, Joy Saville, Joan Schulze and Julie John Upshaw. The third section on buying and collecting is very helpful as this type of information is not readily available. It includes information about some well-known collectors, tips on working with an art consultant or commissioning a piece, as well as advice on where to see and buy art quilts, display and storage issues, and insurance. A beautiful coffee table book that is also an important resource handbook.

UPDATE on Masters: Art Quilts curated by Martha Sielman, Lark Books, 2008, ISBN 978-1-60059-107-5, $24.95, 414 pages, index.

The book has been selling extremely well to excellent reviews. It’s currently 753rd in sales on Amazon.com, which is unheard of for this type of book. Also, I can now include an actual review, courtesy of Publishers Weekly: "Art quilts have long since moved from covering beds to hanging on walls, and this collection of 40 artists' works, gathered and introduced by Sielman, executive director of Studio Art Quilts Associates and an art quilter herself, is ample evidence why. Ranging from the United States and Canada through Europe to Israel, South Africa, Japan and New Zealand, these quilters show the beauty and imagination of fine art and a vast variety of styles and materials. Noriko Endo's forests look like pointillist paintings, while Susan Shie's pieces are reminiscent of Lynda Barry in the density of image and hand-lettered words. Pamela Allen recycles beads, safety pins and sewing machine bobbins in Crone of Crazy; Wendy Huhn's surrealist dreamscapes include vintage fabrics and stenciled images. Each artist is represented by 10 works, some with details, as well as the artist's comments on inspirations and the works' meaning; many refer to the layering of fabric as a form of layering time, the opposite of what archeologists do. While it's sometimes difficult to see all the texture of these quilts in flat photographs, the wealth of color and pattern is worthwhile in itself. Color photos throughout. (June)"

P.S. It's cheaper to buy this book through Amazon.com, and that helps its sales rankings. However if you buy it through the SAQA Store, I will autograph your copy and 55% of the purchase price will be donated to Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc.


SAQA PUBLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE in the SAQA Store
https://www.saqa.com/aboutus/SAQA_StoreThumbnails.aspx:
--Portfolio 14 - $29.95 – SOLD OUT
--“Creative Force 07”/”A Sense of Place” double catalog - $20 (This catalog shows both exhibits, with each one opening from the opposite cover)
--“Transformations 07: Reverberations” catalog is available for $15.

Eileen Doughty is the web site coordinator for our web site. Please contact her at artist@doughtydesigns.com if you have any questions or suggestions about using the site.


JOURNALS
The Spring Journal is on the web site: http://www.saqa.com/members/Spring2008.aspx
If you have not yet received your Spring issue, let me know and I’ll send out another copy.

Journal Gallery Page Themes and Deadlines:

Political statements -- 08/01/08
3-D Design – 10/01/08
Surface Design – 02/01/09
Appliqué – 05/01/09
Thread Painting – 08/01/09
Pieced Work – 10/01/09
Photo Imagery – 02/01/10

We can accept digital photos only. Images will be chosen on the basis of artistic merit as well as photo quality. To improve your chances of being selected, send only your best photos and use the same considerations you would for entering a juried show, which means sharp focus, even lighting, no extraneous hands or feet or garage doors showing in the photo, etc.

Send a digital image with a resolution of no less than 1800 pixels on the longest side, in jpeg format. Label the file with your last name followed by partial title (example: smith_dreamingtrees.jpg). In the body of the e-mail, Include caption information consisting of your name, size in inches, year created, your web site URL (if applicable), and a very brief statement describing something interesting about the work, perhaps your inspiration or your process. Send your images to saqa@deidreadams.com. (Note: This address will be used ONLY for the image gallery.)


PORTFOLIO 13 POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
If you would like to show the slide show presentation or SAQA Portfolio 13 PowerPoint to a group of friends, a quilting guild, a class you’re teaching, a civic group, or anyone else who might be interested, contact Clairan Ferrono (fabric8tions@hotmail.com).


BROCHURES/JOURNALS AVAILABLE FOR TEACHERS:
If you’re teaching, please let me know and I’d be happy to send you brochures to hand out to your students. I can also send back issues of the Journal, catalogs, etc. Just send an email with what you need and include your mailing address (msielman@sbcglobal.net).


OTHER INFORMATION:
From NICHE Magazine - Call for entries for the 2009 NICHE Awards:
Martha Sielman will be a juror for these Awards. To be eligible to enter the 2009 NICHE Awards, artists must be residing in the U.S. or Canada, over the age of 21, and actively involved in the design and production of craftwork supplied to craft galleries and retailers. Submitted entries fall into any one of the following categories: Ceramics, Fiber, Glass, Metal, Wood, Jewelry, Home Furnishings, Beads, Fashion Accessories, Judaica, Mixed Media, Polymer Clay, and Recycled. All of our jurors will score all entries in all categories. The main categories listed above are broken into several sub-categories within the competition. This year, the Fiber category has an Art Quilts sub-category. http://www.americancraft.com/NICHE_Awards/introduction_page.html


From The Alliance for American Quilts:
Celebrate and honor your personal history as a quiltmaker while celebrating our history and purpose. Enter the “My Quilts/Our History” 15th Anniversary Contest. This competition celebrates The Alliance for American Quilts’ fifteen-year mission to document, preserve and share our great quilt heritage. Contest quilts should be based on some aspect of your personal history as a quiltmaker. Be creative in interpreting this theme and use whatever materials you like. One of the only requirements is the size, which reflects the occasion: quilts are to measure 15 inches by 15 inches. Visit http://www.centerforthequilt.org/myquilts.php for downloadable contest rules and entry form.

Alliance members will choose the contest winners and award top prizes as follows: First Prize: A Pfaff ClassicStyle 2027 sewing machine; Second Prize: gift basket of wonderful quilting products including a year’s worth of batting (24 Mountain Mist batts of varying sizes and styles valued at $500); and Third Prize: a package of Electric Quilt products including EQ6 software (valued at $250).  Finished quilts must be submitted to the AAQ by July 15, 2008. Contest winners will be announced October 1, and then all the quilts will be auctioned off to benefit the Alliance. The regular entry fee is $25, Alliance members pay $10. Questions? Contact Amy Milne, executive director, at amy.milne@quiltalliance.org or call 828-251-7073.


International Quilt Study Center & Museum
CALL FOR PAPERS - CALL FOR PAPERS - CALL FOR PAPERS
The Global Quilt: Cultural Contexts
4th Biennial Symposium April 2-4, 2009
Sponsored by the International Quilt Study Center and the Department of Textiles, Clothing, and Design, College of Education and Human Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Submission Deadline: August 15, 2008
Link to Complete Call for Papers:
http://www.quiltstudy.org/includes/downloads/call_for_papers.pdf


From the Silk Painters International (SPIN): Festival in Santa Fe (8/3-10):
Judith Content is one of the featured speakers. Information about the Festival: http://www.silkinsantafe.com/ “Along with the chance to take workshops from incredible teachers, there will be opportunities to hear wonderful speakers on art, history of silk, fashion, silk and dye chemistry, framing, lighting, preserving, and selling fine silk art. We will have talks from gallery owners, from museum textile curators, from successful artists, from suppliers and from teachers of silk painting. In addition, there will be the Members’ Art Exhibit, the Members’ Fashion Show, and a banquet, all against a backdrop of the beautiful high altitude New Mexican desert. Thursday, August 7 though Sunday August 10 will be the Conference part of the Festival. Each day of the conference will have its own theme. Thursday’s theme will be “Silk Art”. Talks and panels will focus on what elevates silk painting to the level of fine art. The day concludes with a reception for the Members’ Art Exhibition. Friday’s (8-8-8) theme is “The Silk Medium”. This will address issues like lighting, framing, protecting, and selling silk art. Saturday’s theme will be “Silk in Motion”. This day will concentrate on silk textiles and silk fashion. The evening concludes with the Members’ Fashion Show, and the Festival Banquet. Some of our speakers will include Judith Content, Rosanna Czarnecki, Tim Harding, Mary Schoeser, Yoshiko Wada, Lenny Yorke, Caroline Young and Deborah Younglao.”


From Surface Design Association:
This year in August, SDA will host its first ever on-line auction! You'll have an opportunity to donate an item, bid on items, and help SDA all at the same time! We're still working out the particulars, so stay tuned for the how-tos. If you're just so excited, you want to donate something right away or volunteer to help, please contact Terri Lipman at telipman@yahoo.com


From the Embroiderer’s Guild of America - RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP GRANT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The purpose of this grant is to promote in depth research in all areas of embroidery and allied textile arts. Cash grants are made annually of up to $1,000 to successful applicant(s).

Research projects can include, but are not limited to, the study of techniques, artists, historical periods, and cultures. Funds may cover various aspects of a project, such as travel, research materials, embroidery supplies, and source fees. Purchase or rental of office equipment or office space is not funded. Recipient’s research project must result in an EGA-approved publication or project, including but not limited to stitched project, video, or design.

Proposals for the 2008 grant are to be postmarked on or before May 31, 2008. Recipients will be announced at the National Seminar in Louisville, Kentucky, in August 2008. For an application form and more information, please contact:
Brad Cape
The Embroiderers’ Guild of America
426 West Jefferson Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Or visit our website at www.egausa.org, click on Scholarships, and scroll down to Research Fellowship Grant.


From the de Young Museum – Gerhardt Knodel Lecture:
Hot House: Expanding the Field of Fiber at Cranbrook, 1970–200 with Gerhardt Knodel
Saturday, May 31, 10:00 a.m.
Koret Auditorium, de Young Museum
Admission: General public $10, TAC and FAMSF members $5.00, students free

Cranbrook Academy of Art has been a hothouse environment for graduate studies in the visual arts for more than 75 years. In particular, the program in fiber, under the successive leadership of Gerhardt Knodel and Jane Lackey, has contributed to a rethinking of the field, redefining and shifting it in new directions. In this exciting lecture Gerhardt Knodel will discuss the legacy he and Jane Lackey have built at Cranbrook, mentoring more than 275 graduates over the course of three decades. He will also discuss his own recent work. This event is sponsored by ARTWEAR in the Galleries and the Caroline and H. McCoy Jones Department of Textile Arts at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Tickets are available at www.museumtix.com or at the museum Admissions Desk. Preordered tickets will be available at Will Call half an hour before the lecture.


SAQA DISCUSSION GROUP
As a member of Studio Art Quilt Association, you are also invited to join an email discussion group hosted on Yahoo.com. This group is only for SAQA members, and is private to the outside world. You can join by requesting membership at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SAQA/join. Once your request is made, the moderators will approve you ASAP.



--Martha Sielman (msielman@sbcglobal.net)
Executive Director
Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc.