(Be sure to scroll down to see images of this wonderful weekend event hosted by the Last Chance Gallery over the 4th of July!)
Hand Crafted Jewelry Using Textile Methods By Kim Vorel
Women of Fiber Returns to Lutsen
Last Chance Gallery and Sculpture Garden in Lutsen, MN presents "Women of Fiber," an event featuring various interpretations in the use of fiber as expressed by six women artists. The women are Debbie Cooter, Nancy Daley, Judie Johnson, Erika Mock, Kim Vorel and Jo Wood. They explore the many facets of fiber through basketry; bead work on hand painted felt; fun, functional art wear; hand made paper objects and rug weavings. Also feature a trunk showing by Cindy Walsh, Red Rover Clothing and Sally Ryan. You'll enjoy a unique dose of creative fiber to complement you and your home. Fiber is good for you.
The gallery exhibit and festivities begin on Saturday, July 5, 2007 from 10 am to 5 pm and continues through Sunday, July 6. Demonstrations on fiber art will be half past each hour on Saturday and Sunday.
A Tea Party will be offered from 2-4 PM, both days, with the music of Pluck and Toot. The tea will be provided by Teafox. Lessons on the art and history of tea will also be shared.
The Last Chance Gallery and Sculpture Garden is open 10-5 seven days a week with monthly events through September. Each of the theme-based events features art and food pairings that "celebrate the art of living."
For additional information and photos please visit our website, www.lastchancefab.com or contact:
Marcia Hyatt
Last Chance Gallery
17 Railroad Drive, PO Box 127
Lutsen, MN 55612
218.387.9239 voice
218.387.9243 fax
marcia@lastchancefab.com
www.lastchancefab.com
Welcome to the "Women of Fiber" event at the Last Chance Gallery in beautiful northern Lutsen Minnesota! The weather was perfect, and creativity was the theme of the weekend. Scroll through the pictures of the gallery, the demonstrations, and the talented participants of this wonderful weekend-long event! Many thanks goes to sculpture artist Tom Christiansen and his wife Marcia Hyatt for the planning and organization that went into this fun weekend (their second annual) over the 4th of July holiday.
 
The setting was on the beautiful north shore of Lake Superior at Lutsen, Minnesota. The weather was perfect for an outdoor event. The formal gallery as well as the working studio space was opened up for the event, even spilling outside to the sculpture garden and grounds.
 
Refreshments were served under the canopy, and live music was provided each afternoon by Pluck and Toot.
 
The formal gallery space offers a wide variety of art - print, ceramic, textile, paper, and jewelry. Outdoors (pictured below) a sculpture garden graces the grounds surrounding the gallery.
 
Especially for this event, Tom even surrendered his working studio space (pictured on the right and below on the left) to the women so they could display their beautiful wares!
 
Actually, he only surrendered Here I am beginning my demonstration
half of his studio space! Still, of ancient chain weaving techniques.
an exceptional sacrifice on his Notice the wire and dowel rods on the
part. right of the table. I create all of my
woven chains by hand from spools
of fine silver wire!
 
After cutting the wire for the links, I match up the ends and fuse them together with a hand-held butane torch.
As you can see, the weather was wonderful for working outdoors. While it held some challenges for fusing the links together (the flame and the color change of the metal while it was heated were difficult to see in the bright sunlight) it was really a treat.
After the links are fused and shaped, the weaving can begin! (Coming
soon - pictures of the actual weaving. Keep checking back.....) Next to me is Debbie Cooter demonstrating fiber weaving techniques.
 
Here's Nancy Daley demonstrating Judie Johnson talks about the
different techniques for hand materials and process she uses in
made paper. She demonstrated her basket making.
both a western style of paper
making and a Japanese style.
 
Judie likes to use sea grass for the basis of her baskets. She also showed us how she creates and maintains the shape of the baskets as she weaves.
 
Here's Daniel Soderstrom from Debbie Cooter and friends pictured
Teafox pouring tea after the in front of a wall of her amazing
Japanese tea ceremony. He hand woven rugs. The colors and
imports his teas directly from patterns were wonderful!
tea farms in Japan. You've
never tasted tea this fresh and
delicious!
 
Erika Mock demonstrates a few Jo Woods displays her fun and funky
of the many ways to wear her aprons to Betsy Bowen (from Betsy
unique textile creations' with Bowen Studios of Grand Marais).
Nancy as her model. She also talked about her creative
process in designing her intricate
"bead paintings".
Here Nancy shows visitors to the event
books and bowls she created using hand-
made paper.
 
The gallery also features an outdoor sculpture garden full of work by various artists. The glass sculpture and carved stone are a few of the displays you might see in this wonderful north woods setting.
 
Here are a few of Tom's many sculptures. He works primarily with metal, both fabricating and casting, and many of his pieces have a distinctly humorous flavor, as seen in his "Garden Angel" on the right.
The Last Chance Gallery is hosting another of their wonderful weekend long events in August. This one is playfully titled "Playing With Fire" and will feature artists that work with fire as part of their techniques. Included will be demonstrations on Raku ceramic firing, stained glass and other glasswork, and a foundry pour with Tom. Check it out!
Also, check out the websites of some of the very talented women who participated in the fun weekend:
Erika Mock - Textiles for Body and Soul www.erikamock.com
Jo Wood - Bead and Fiber Artist www.jowoodbeads.com
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