Alaska SAQA February 2016 Meeting

The February informal coffee meeting for the Alaska SAQA group was held on February 9, 2016 from 10AM -12PM.

AK SAQA members Amy Meissner, Diane Melms, Cat Larrea, Barb Hanson, Gail Ramsay, Faye Stiehm, Maria Shell, Jan Wallace, and Kate Beebe

We had a great discussion about several Alaska art projects and opportunities. Jan Wallace let the group know that the Kenai Arts Center will be exhibiting an All Media Show. The juror is Anchorage Museum Director Julie Decker. The deadline for submissions is February 26, 2016.

Here are the official details from the Redoubt Reporter.

“The Kenai Fine Art Center is accepting entries for its biennial juried exhibition, “Wildfire,” which will go on display in March. Entries should explore the concept of wildfire, what it means and the many forms it can take. This exhibition is open to all mediums with an entry limit of two items. The entry fee is $25 for members and $35 for nonmembers. All entries must be ready to hang/display. Submit artwork from noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 22 to 26 at the Kenai Fine Art Center. For more information, call 283-7040, email ourkfac@gmail.com or stop by the center.”

We also discussed the Anchorage Gorilla Knitters project to recover the people chairs at the Loussac Public Library. If you are interested in this project you can learn and follow their progress on the Facebook page. 

Cat Larrea gave an update on the joint exhibition we are planning with the SAQA Hawaii group. It has been decided that the pieces for the exhibition must fit in a board game flat rate box which is 23 1/2” by 11 1/2”. We discussed possible names for the exhibition with several members liking the idea of playing around with the word non-contiguous which is what we are. There will be a Go to Meeting for both Alaska and Hawaii SAQA members to discuss the exhibition plans. The meeting is scheduled for 12:30PM AK time on Monday February 22. If you would like to participate in the meeting, please contact Cat via her website for more information. Cat would like some one to be in charge of locating exhibition space for the show. We are planning on having the show in 2017. A Hawaii member has agreed to write a grant for SAQA. Maria Shell agreed to proof read the document if necessary.

The Valley Quilters Guild program coordinator Jessica Salter contacted us about having an AK SAQA presentation for their quild. Kate Beebe, Gail Ramsay, and Cat Larrea agreed they would do a presentation called “Let’s Talk Art Quilts” on August 4th for the Valley Quilters Guild. They would like AK SAQA members to loan pieces to them for this presentation. If you are interested, please bring your quilts to a AK SAQA meeting. 

Cat Larrea is also giving a class called Color Confident Fabric Selection at the Quilt Tree. She would also like to borrow quilts to share with her class. If you have a quilt with great color composition, please consider loaning it to Cat for her March 5th and 12th class. 

We will not be having a ART CLOTH NORTH in 2017. Amy Meissner has offered to continue to work with the Blue Hollomon Gallery to make a 2018 ART CLOTH NORTH III happen. 

Cat will be offering a Photoshop Elements day long workshop for artists (including SAQA members, but also other interested artists) on Monday February 29th. If you are interested in this workshop, please contact Cat.

ART CLOTH NORTH is currently on exhibit at the Blue Hollomon Gallery here in Anchorage, Alaska. You can see the show until the end of February. You can see photos of the First Friday event here.

Jan Wallace had some great 3-D quilt pieces to share.

Gail Ramsay made this beautiful small piece entirely out of up-cycled materials. 

Faye Steihm shared a large piece she is working. She is in search for more of the fabric. She lost her last bit of stash when the latest earthquake knocked tea all over it. We are glad the quilt wasn’t harmed. 

Our next informal coffee talk meeting will be Tuesday March 8th from 10AM -12PM at the Kaladi Brothers on Brayton . We will be in the meeting room with Nixon. We hope to see you there!