Explorations in Fiber Art Exhibit at Columbia College of Art and Design Barbara Schneider

 I am a member of a Chicago area fiber group of about 25 people that have been working together for over 20 years.  On June 2 we hung our latest exhibit It's A Wrap, in the Michigan Avenue Gallery windows at Columbia College which is located a few blocks south of the Art Institute of Chicago. This was the culmination of an almost 2 year long project. It started when I went to Columbia to visit with the head of the Textile and Fashion Department about donating some of my Chinese and Japanese textile garments to  for their collection.  Kathleen Cunningham came with me and we ended talking with the department chair about how this group of people has developed over the past 20 years by working on an exhibit theme every year.  It's normal cycle is to be shown at the Fine Art of Fiber held every year at the Chicago Botanic Garden, moves to Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha, WI, and then often goes on to other venues.  One of the great things about the group is that we meet every few months to look at where people are with their work and often help one another move past difficult problems by putting our heads together. This theme started out a bit differently because we had to have a connection to a garment in some way, shape or form. 

One of the things I like best about this group is to watch the development everyone has made over the years, how work has deepened, how people have dealt with life issues through their work. For example, one of the artists addressed finding out about her husband's coming out after 40 years of marriage and how they have survived it. Another piece uses the wool blankets that her parents had during their escape from Germany during World War II to construct a cape. Kathleen created a jacket to honor her mother.  One used a line from a poem - we all bleed red to create a large cape about diversity and inclusion.

There were many logistical problems we had to plan for, and different ways the exhibit had to be displayed in its various galleries. One of the issues I dreaded and then it turned out to be a non-issue was unloading artwork and mannequins and other equipment while parked with hazard lights on one of the busiest streets in Chicago!

It feels quite wonderful to have our work be recognized in this way, to have it be so visible to anyone and everyone walking by.  If you are in Chicago any time before June 29, take a look!