Spinning SUCCESS
Fiber artists of all genres show off their work at festival
Quilts, dolls, lace, bead work and silk paintings are a few of the pieces artists will display at the 2017 Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta.
Hundreds of artists are gathering to show their craft at the Manuel Lujan Jr. Exhibit Complex on May 19-21. The fiesta is held every two years but this is the first year it’s not being held on Memorial Day weekend. The Albuquerque Fiber Arts Council, fiesta sponsor, decided to shift the date because many people are out of town Memorial Day weekend and cannot participate, according to council president Frances Starnes.
She said attendees can view the fiesta’s 675 entries, with the largest number of submissions coming from quilters.
Many guilds, each representing a different discipline, make up the Fiber Arts Council, which was started in 1997. The goal when forming the council was to find a way artists could showcase their pieces. Although the art pieces on display are not necessarily for sale, fiesta director Anita McSorley said they are a great source of inspiration.
“There will be a demonstration in the booths for every discipline,” McSorley said. “The guilds are always looking for new members and this is a great way to meet new people.”
As the years have passed the fiesta has become more popular. It has
grown from seven participating guilds to 20, with the first show having only 150 entries. Starnes said the event serves as a way to get more people interested in learning the skills used for the different types of art displayed at the fiesta.
“We think young people are taking them up,” Starnes said. “We see it on Pinterest and YouTube. But we don’t see them in the guilds. They think they don’t have time but they don’t see how much inspiration you can get from faceto-face interaction.”
This year’s featured artist is weaver Ruth Ronan, who has been honing her craft since 1966. According to the group’s media release, Ronan is known as a master weaver with seamstress skills as well.
“She is most recognized for her awardwinning garments, which incorporate her skills as a seamstress, her talent for matching and coordinating color and her expertise in weaving structure in garment design,” the release says.
The fiesta also has a Special Exhibit each year. This year’s exhibit will feature the work of nine-year yarn dyer and knitwear teacher Anne Podlesak, who owns Wooly Wonka Fibers.
The fiesta serves as the group’s major fundraiser. The money is used to put on a small fiesta in the spring, for the council’s scholarship fund and to benefit local nonprofit organizations. This year’s recipient is Susan’s Legacy, which provides recovery support for women that have mental health and addictive disorders. Visitors to the fiesta can make a donation of $5 or more. Those who donate can pick a gift that has been handmade by guild members. To learn more about the charity, visit susanslegacy.org.
Admission for the event is cash only and costs $8 for a one-day pass, $12 for a two-day pass and $16 for the three-day pass. People 18 and under are free.
In addition to displays of art, the event will have 65 vendors selling jewelry, beads, buttons, baskets, hand-dyed yarn, dolls, silk and quilts, to name a few. A full list of vendors is available on the council’s fiesta page, fiberartsfiesta.org. This year’s classes include doll making, bangle bracelets and beginning bobbin lace. The website also includes a full list of classes.