Last weekend was a whirlwind of driving and good times!

The Artisans Center of Virginia exhibit, "Tapestry: People and Places" opened in Waynesboro, VA. Joan Griffin, who's a member of the Center, organized the exhibit and invited several tapestry artists to show with her.

The opening was on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. and Joan took a copper pipe loom for demonstration. Here's Joan heading into the building, loom and yarns in hand!



The exhibit is in the back of the gallery area, a U-shaped space. The five of us: Joan Griffin, Lynn Mayne, Becky Stevens, Pat Williams and me each had several works related to the theme we'd selected last year. Since we all work often in ways related to people and/or places that title seemed to be appropriate.


The center of the space had pedestals of different heights on which were placed the notebook of artists' statements, brochures, and--during the reception, punch and snacks.














Joan talked about tapestry as she demonstrated. One of her students is in the orange shirt at the right of the photo, and in front of her (in the blue shirt) is a student of mine who'd driven up from Shelby, NC (about 5 hours) to see the exhibit!










I was surprised by a former student from my early days of teaching at North Georgia College! She lives in Richmond, VA now and had gotten a postcard about the exhibit, I think, so drove over on the chance I might be at the opening. What fun to see her again after -- can it be? -- 30 years!!




The trip was long--there and back again was over 1000 miles for me and my car. But it was wonderful to get to spend time with Joan at her house in Charlottesville where we talked tapestry into the night. I also was able to visit Noel & Patrick's new babies on the way there...keets...baby guineas...lots of peeping! And, the 60" tapestry loom I bought from someone in Roanoke fit right into my station wagon without a problem...as well as the long bench that came with it.

The loom is still disassembled and in the floor of the new studio house right now. A few of the critical bolts were left behind (!!) and I'm waiting to see if the former owner can find them and send to me. If not, we've also left messages with Fireside to see if the current loom being made by them, that was designed based on this Crisp loom, has similar hardware. I still have three weeks of weaving on the black walnut so won't need this loom to be functional until later in the fall anyway. AND, it's not like I don't have other looms to keep me busy...after all, I can only work on one piece at a time.

Open house today at the weaving and textile studio of the university...lots to get ready for with that. We hope to show off the studios and work being done to other students and faculty of the school. Always scrambling to protect our turf!