The International Fiber Arts XII Biennial Exhibit, June 22-August 3, 2025, blog by Ileana Soto

In the greater California Bay Area, we benefit from numerous art centers that play a vital part in the health of their community. They include fiber-only exhibits as well as multi-media exhibits that welcome fiber pieces. One of those art centers, the Sebastopol Center for the Arts (SebArts) in Sebastopol, CA, sponsors a biennial show, “International Fiber Arts XII”, which opened on June 22nd . It was sponsored collaboratively by SebArts and the Surface Design Association. 84 artists were chosen by the Jurors, Jessica Hemmings and Ramekon O’Arwisters. I was honored to have a piece chosen, alongside two other Art Cloth Network artists, Deborah Weir and Viviana Lombrozo. This show was intentional in showing the ways that artists are pushing the boundaries of fiber. From the catalog: “In this exhibition, fiber becomes a medium of visibility: for identity, for protest, for care, and for joy. The works … come from a diverse range of artists … and together they reflect the deep, expressive potential of fiber at this cultural moment. They offer more than beauty; they offer presence, power, and perspective.” (Serafina Palandech, Executive Director)

On July 10th, I participated in a three-part panel with Mirka Knaster, George-Ann Bowers, and myself, at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts (SebArts) (https://seb.org). Jamienne Studley organized the questions for the panel and distributed them beforehand. That gave me an opportunity to prepare my thoughts … and appear spontaneous! Thank you, Jamie!

We were each invited to talk about our piece in the show from the perspective of what we wanted the audience to notice or understand about our piece. George-Ann shared the sequence of weaving steps that are compose the journey to the complexity of her woven “dresses”. The surface is dynamic and dimensional. Mirka talked about her artistic process through a series of slides of her work.

My piece is titled “On the Wings of Freedom”. Here’s what I had to say. This piece is a part of my Voting Rights series, inspired by the words and actions of civil rights activist John Lewis: “we will find a way, make a way out of no way.” I began to play with V shapes, creating “V is for Voting”, “Barbie Votes.” In this piece, the V’s have doubled, becoming wings, representing ‘wings of freedom.’ The ‘wings of freedom’ are a reminder that we can never give up the fight to encourage access to voting for all, to eliminate restrictions, to protect those in marginalized communities, and to safeguard and increase safety nets for those who have less. At one point while making this piece, after adding surface fabric, other color, over-printing, and stitch, it was not working. I recognized it and was (gulp) courageous enough to cut it into 3 sections that appeared to be good compositions. The next morning I woke up asking myself: what if I recombined the 3? The reorganization worked … the sum of the parts was greater than the original whole! The piece is printed on a section of a vintage, mended sheet from Belgium, so there are stitches that take the dye differently; there are irregular seams that give surprising results through dye and printing. That’s fun to me and creates irregularity that is unexpected. I value that.

We were then asked to talk about the evolution of our work. For myself, I focus on three aspects: 1) The theme: does it tell a story about our relationship to current events? 2) Is this an effective composition; how can I make it better? 3) Are the shapes, the marks, the expression, unique to me? When I look back at my work, I see that climate justice, voting rights, immigration, culture and community, my basic themes, are universal to our human condition and they are relevant today. Voting rights, (aka, human rights, Democracy, respect for one another, understanding that we’re all on this planet together and we must take care of each other) is still a concern. That is validating. Now is the time to add to my migration series. Migrants are our friends, neighbors, fellow human beings. It is legal for them to live in our world. We see on social media how cruelly migrants are being targeted. Also, we’re all asking ourselves how we can stay grounded in the midst of chaos and fear. How can we keep ourselves apprised, resist, and not let the outside narrative dominate our internal balance! Our art helps us to return to balance and then take effective action, whatever that might be. I think this winner of the first prize by Estzer Bornemisza, “Unseen Pangs” says it all.

Jamie asked us to think about the ways that fiber artists are pushing into new territories. The last three decades have seen the growth of 3-dimensional fiber pieces. In this show, artists are using beads, paper, wood, wire, sisal, recyclables, unrecyclables, electric cables, old saw blades, felt, inorganic and organic materials, to form their 3 dimensionality. It’s exciting to see: new uses of old materials; new uses of new materials. I also see artists I know continuing to explore and develop what they are drawn to, what they love to do and say. Judith Content’s muffin tins, with exquisite detailing, placed in antique muffin tins; then, she also takes her careful aesthetic sense into large outdoor and indoor installations. She makes sure we look more carefully at what we have.

Last, we talked about the benefits of arts organizations to the community. Local art organizations offer more than just exhibit opportunities. They educate their community of all ages about the joy and importance of art. Art is education. Art offers another way of thinking, using our hands and brains. Our hands are little brains. Some of our very talented artists may not do well in traditional school settings – and so art promotes self-esteem and success in life. Art organizations also form a community within their community. Sebastopol is 80 minutes north of the Bay Area. Within an hour’s time from my home, there are at least four vibrant local art organizations that include or feature exhibits with fiber: SebArts, Gallery Route One in Point Reyes, Olive Hyde Gallery in Fremont, and the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts in Mill Valley. I could name five others that I’m less familiar with. How about your area? I’d like to hear about community art centers in your area! I end with another quote from Serafina Palendech, Executive Director, from the catalog: “At a time when creativity and expression are being challenged and censored in many places – from classrooms to libraries to cultural institutions – fiber art offers a powerful reminder that art has always been a tool of resilience, resistance and remembrance. At SebArts, we are proud to stand with artists who speak through their work, and to hold space for voices that might otherwise be pushed aside.” Remember: now is the time to support your local art venues during this time in which funding is actively being taken away from the arts.