Art Cloth Network continues to celebrate its 25th year. While some early history remains only in the participants’ memories, as time went by, the organization became more professional. The group shifted a bit and some original members moved on. This began a second phase: new members were vetted, guidelines were established and a more focused and defined organization emerged. Among the additions were a website, an active social media presence (ArtClothNetwork.blogspot.com; Facebook.com/ArtClothNetwork; Instagram.com/ArtClothNetwork), and a mission statement. An annual juried call for an exhibition, articles in journals, show catalogs and the group’s developing reputation for world class, cutting edge textile art.
During this period a definition of art cloth was agreed upon: "ART CLOTH is cloth TRANSFORMED by adding or subtracting color, line, shape, texture, value, or fiber to CREATE a compelling surface." It allowed for a wide range of artistic materials, techniques and artistic freedom. It is currently undergoing revision.
Annual in-person meetings began to be held across North America as members from Canada joined the original US cohort. Well vetted new members are juried in most years for a maximum of 35. Their acceptance is based on their commitment to their art practice, and their drive to keep ACN at the forefront of the contemporary fiber movement as determined by their submission portfolio. ACN became a strong, well functioning organization during this phase.
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