November 21, 2008, Journey to the quilters’ mecca, By Janet Avery, What’s in store behind the Red Door, Wild women of art, The path of dharma art, Jalisco artist has first San Miguel show, Art Opening, Crucigramas

Journey to the quilters’ mecca
By Janet Avery November 21, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Exhibit and sale
San Miguel Quilters
Fri, Dec 12
Casa de La Turca B&B

Six San Miguel Quilters recently made the ultimate field trip to the mecca of the quilting world. They say everything’s bigger in Texas and that’s certainly true of the “world’s fair of quilts.”

The 34th annual International Quilt Festival of Houston was bigger and better than ever. Having attended almost 20 years ago, I can definitely confirm that.

It’s almost impossible to comprehend the size of this four-day show: 55,000 visitors, 1,100 vendors’ booths and 2,200 quilts, dolls and pieces of wearable art, as well as 418 hands-on classes and 32 lectures by 146 experienced educators. Prize money wasn’t exactly chump change: cash awards totaled US$101,250 for a dazzling array of quilts from around the world, ranging from 12-inch minis to king-size beauties.

Despite its name, the festival is not only about quilting. Classes or demonstrations on every aspect of quilting were available, as well as wearable art, original cloth doll making, fabric dyeing, painting and printing, edge finishing, fusing, foiling, home décor, needle felting, bead embroidery, basket weaving, color theory, digital photography, computer design and hand and machine embroidery. Even the non-quilter with us found things to get excited about.

The world’s premier wearable art event, the Bernina Fashion Show, entitled “Rendezvous” this year, featured the work of 48 incredibly talented designers who were invited to create one-of-a-kind garments showcasing creative stitchery. This runway show had all the glitz and glamour of a fashion show in Paris or Milan by a world-famous designer.

From “Patchwork Politics,” an exhibit of politically themed quilts from across the spectrum of history, to “Band of Hands,” an exhibit of wartime quilts made in Iraq featuring imprints from the hands of US soldiers, the themes and collections of exhibited quilts were as varied as the origins of the quilters and festival attendees.

The show included nine outstanding special exhibits and historical collections, including the first-ever showing of DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) quilts outside of their headquarters and works by the nineteenth-century Patchwork Divas.

Educational and/or charitable exhibits included Quilts Beyond Borders, the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Quilt Project, the Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness Quilt Project, the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Ovarian Cancer Awareness Quilt Project, Patchwork Promise honoring Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts), Quilt Conservation booth, Quilts of Valor, the Rowenta Iron-A-Thon for breast cancer and Bernina’s Sew Red Project for heart disease.

With something akin to sensory overload, seven weary ladies headed back to San Miguel, anxious to unload their treasures and use newly learned techniques to enhance their creations. The hard thing now is deciding what to try out first! We had been sad to leave behind one member who suffered a devastating fire at her house the week before the trip, but each of us had fun picking out a few little surprises for her.

The San Miguel Quilters host their first-ever exhibit and sale at Casa de La Turca B&B on December 12 in conjunction with the Sociedad Protectora de Animales (SPA). SPA has begun selling raffle tickets for their whimsical dog- and cat-themed quilt, which will be on display at the exhibit.

The quilt will be shown in the Jardín on Thursdays, 11am–1pm and at La Conexión, Aldama 3. At the beginning of December, it will move to the Biblioteca Pública. The winner of the raffle will be announced on December 12 at the exhibit and sale.

Janet Avery is a full-time San Miguel resident. She enjoys quilting, knitting, photo weavings, encaustics, making jewelry and wielding her red pen on the newspaper galleys.

What’s in store behind the Red Door

Art Opening
Sun, Nov 30, 2–5pm
Red Door Gallery
Ancha de San Antonio 3 (upstairs)
110-3200

The Red Door Gallery hosts an exhibit of work by Judith Jenya, Eunice Hundley, Julian Fedorak, Judi Thompson, Enrique Ortega de la Fuente, Linda Ericksen, David Orozco, Samuel Orozco Ramos and Jan Searle.

Judith Jenya’s works are filled with the brilliant primary colors and shadow images. The works include paintings in acrylic and tempera, mixed media and pastels. Her paintings include a vivid look at San Miguel and nearby landscapes, islands lit by sunshine in Dalmatia, flowers and abstract figures and scenes.

Her work shows a fine use of color and captures the essence of her subjects. It has a direct appeal with intense colors and an expressionist style mixed with sophisticated use of design and form.

Whereas color has always been the hallmark of her work, the clarity of light here in the highlands of Mexico gives her paintings a different dimension. Jenya experiments with a mix of gauche, watercolor, acrylic paint with pencil, ink, pastel and oil pastel. She uses a different mix of these media on watercolor paper. In her canvas paintings she uses layered acrylics mixed with less dense paints to achieve a depth of color and immediacy.

Jenya has been a teacher of art and a fellow at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, DC. She was an attorney in Honolulu specializing in international adoption and founded and directed Global Children’s Organization, a humanitarian aid organization helping children of war.

She used art as one of the tools for healing during the wars in Bosnia, northern Ireland, the Middle East and Kosovo. While personally experiencing much of the horror of war, she came to the conclusion that beauty and love are the two essentials of life, and she reflects that in her art.

She has expressed herself through many of the arts, including writing and photography, and has been a professional in several fields.

Jenya has had solo shows in Honolulu, San Francisco and Sarajevo and been part of group shows in London, Boston, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, Zagreb and Taos. Her work is in collections in the US, Europe and Mexico. She has won both national and international awards.

Wild women of art

Art Opening
Rochelle Wald & Donna Drinnon
Sat–Sun, Dec 6–7, 1–4pm
Casa del Boreas
Montitlan 25
Los Balcones

Once again, Rochelle Wald and Donna Drinnon have collaborated to present their most recent works, this time at the “Wild Women” art event at House of the North Wind, a private home in Colonia Los Balcones. They invite you to view their work while enjoying wine and hors d’oeuvres in the fabulous garden with fountains and a view overlooking the botanical garden.

The path of dharma art

Lecture/Workshop
Dharma art, Lance Bruner
Introductory Lecture
Fri, Nov 28, 6:30–8pm
Donation 50 pesos
Workshop
Sat–Sun, Nov 29–30, 9am–5:30pm

Shambhala Meditation Center
Terraplén 34
1,000 pesos

Last June, three dharma art teachers from Tepotzlan conducted a weekend workshop at the San Miguel Shambhala Meditation Center. Several of the workshop participants made a deep connection with the experience and formed a dharma art group here.

Dharma art is not to be confused with devotional art, which is approached differently. The term dharma art describes “any creative work that springs from an awakened state of mind, characterized by directness, unselfconsciousness and nonaggression.” This approach was developed by Chögyam Trungpa and has been presented in his book, True Perception: The Path of Dharma Art, which serves as a guide for the dharma art group’s program.

Dharma art addresses all creative media and can even be experienced as a creative approach to life. Trungpa says, “A work of dharma art brings out the goodness and dignity of the situation it reflects—dignity that comes from the artist’s interest in the details of life and sense of appreciation for experience.” By approaching creative experience from a meditative point of reference, one is able to develop an interior space that results in a certain grace and elegance and a sense of dignity.

The San Miguel dharma art group meetings are open to anyone who has an interest in creative expression and meditation. The meetings include a short study and discussion, a short meditation session and then about an hour of creative activity. The activities include various media and are intended to help in the exploration of some of the dharma art concepts. The group has explored sacred geometry, haiku and recently “deliberation exercises” developed at Naropa University as an aspect of their theater program. A recent emphasis has been on overcoming self-criticism and some of the more limiting and subtle aspects of fear. Dharma art is very effective in helping overcome “artist’s block.”

The goal of dharma art is to develop an easily accessible flow of creative energy that essentially originates from our deepest center. It is not especially concerned with art “isms.” There is no focus on good vs. bad art or any other critical assignments. However, the discipline and techniques of creative work certainly relate to mindfulness and are factored into the studies.

The Shambhala community brings Lance Bruner to San Miguel on the weekend of November 28–30. He is a highly qualified dharma art teacher who has years of experience sharing dharma art with others. This weekend workshop is open to all and is a rare opportunity to experience a more intensified immersion into dharma art. For information and registration, contact John Morrow at johnsanmiguel@mac.com or call 101-0135.

The San Miguel Shambhala Art Group meets every other Thursday, 6–8pm. Contact moderator Phil Roger at snowlion108@gmail.com or 154-6243 for more information.

Jalisco artist has first San Miguel show

Art Opening
Efrén González
Fri, Nov 28, 6:30pm
Actinver Lloyd office
San Francisco 33

Next week, Ajijic artist Efrén González shows his work in San Miguel for the first time. He has painted several murals in his hometown and also the stairway in the city hall in Chapala, Jalisco. González has owned a gallery in Ajijic for the last five years and is now seeking to expand to other places, such as San Miguel.

His impressionistic paintings portray Mexican life, locales and traditions. The exhibition he is bringing to San Miguel is recent work in oils, pastels and watercolors. González will attend the opening reception to explain and answer questions about his work.

The artist was born in Ajijic, studied at the Neil James Program and went to the Universidad de Guadalajara architecture and design school as well as the Escuela de Artes Plásticas. He was also awarded an art scholarship to study in Maryland.