SDA 2022: A Year in Review
December 23, 2022
Thank you to everyone who made this year at SDA possible! We are fortunate to have such passionate staff, board, volunteers, committees, and members who continually help us grow, learn, and expand.
The past few years have been extremely trying on so many people and I am continually impressed with the hard work and dedication that so many of you show and embody. Here’s a look back at some highlights from SDA for 2022, and I can’t wait to see what comes next in 2023.
Community Ties
ONLINE CONFERENCE
Community Ties 2022 celebrates the many connections we share as artists and makers. The conference included more than 15 hours of programming spread across January 22–January 29, 2022.
Fiber Revolution
SPRING 2022 SURFACE DESIGN JOURNAL
“This issue’s theme, Fiber Revolution (after all, what is a revolution but a circle?), highlights the work of artists and educators in our community who draw inspiration from the natural environment and adopt sustainable practices as part of their artistic output.” – Elizabeth Kozlowski, Journal Editor
Being With
PREMIUM MEMBER EXHIBIT
Curator Soledad Fátima Muñoz was interested in works reflecting on the role of textile artists and designers within the art world and society at large. The works exhibited remind us—either directly or with nuance—that the private vs public and nature vs civilization binaries are not opposing constructs but one and the same. That being said, the pieces in this exhibit also demonstrate the importance of deconstructing the power structures derived from these binaries and make tangible the concerns behind social and environmental justice through the use of materials and their archival properties.
Gabriela Nirino, Bulletproof, 2018. Woven linen and cotton, 43 x 61 inches.
Current Threads 2022
REGIONAL EXHIBITION
Current Threads 2022 explores the boundaries of contemporary textile art and design through works from Western Canadian SDA members. This annual exhibition showcases recent work. A curated sample of these creative and explorative pieces are in the Online Gallery.
Linda Coe, Garden Almanac: Summer l, 2020. Painted and dyed linen substrate with cotton, linen and silk yarn, 32 x 33 inches.
Textile Talks
ONLINE EVENTS
SDA was grateful to take part in eight Textile Talks this year in partnership with the International Quilt Museum, Quilt Alliance, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, and Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). Textile Talks are presented free of charge. If you enjoy these talks, help ensure they continue with a gift today.
Raised by a Maker
SUMMER 2022 SURFACE DESIGN JOURNAL
This issue is filled with stories of those who have touched our lives in profound ways. Looking outside the traditional higher education and craft school systems of teaching, this edition continues to expand on what SDA defines as a teacher and student. From parents and mentors to lost crafts and families displaced by war, this Journal is just a sample of the traditions centered around skill-sharing. Yet these stories are so much more. Loop-by-loop, stitch-by-stitch and warp-by-weft, we have learned to build a tactile world, whether through family or community, which will shape generations of makers to come.
FUTURE TENSE 2022
STUDENT EXHIBITION
FUTURE TENSE 2022 celebrates the creative work of student artists, designers, and makers working with or inspired by fiber or textile materials or techniques. This exhibition offers a glimpse into the future of contemporary fibers by presenting the very best work being made by students in the field today. Juried by Ben Cuevas and Carrie Burckle.
Cynthia Evans, Descanso, 2022. Vessels: overbeaten abaca, glass, blood, tears, nail clippings, yucca blossom, steel, rust solution; Display: wood, leds, frosted plexiglass, 64 x 12 x 53 inches. Photo: Angela Shaffer.
SDA Southwest Regional Exhibition
REGIONAL EXHIBITION
“I was privileged to see some incredible art and had many “why didn’t I think of that?” moments. Selecting work was challenging. My approach was for the exhibition to have a personality, not a theme. The final selections resonated with me; made a statement or displayed unusual approaches with words, design, or techniques. These works showcase the artist’s imagination through a variety of technical skills, and each provide insight into the maker.” – Annie Lopez, Juror.
Danielle Shelley, What Unites Us, 2021. Cross stitch and double running stitch, cotton thread on linen Aida fabric, four panels, each 60 x 20 inches.
The Fusion of Fiber Arts, Fashion & Design, International Exhibition in Print
FALL 2022 SURFACE DESIGN JOURNAL
This year’s International Exhibition in Print pushed artists to explore the various ways fusion as a concept can be expressed and incorporated into fashion and fiber art. Co-juried by Amber-Dawn Bear Robe and Lauren Sinner, The Fusion of Fiber Arts, Fashion & Design examines artists’ interpretation of the process of joining two or more things together to create something totally new.
Holding Space: Unraveling Appropriation in Fiber Art
ONLINE EVENT
Born, borrowed, or stolen, textile traditions and practices are intimately tied to all of us. During Holding Space: Unraveling Appropriation in Fiber Art, we’ll delve into appropriation vs. appreciation and why this distinction matters. Join us for a virtual panel discussion amongst artists and educators Emi Ito, Japheth Asiedu-Kwarteng, and Meghann O’Brien with moderator Karen Baker.
Awards & Grants
HONORING SDA’S DEDICATED MEMBERS
SDA’s Awards & Grants Programs supported the creative growth of over 60 individuals in 2022. Recipients demonstrated excellence in the studio, professional development, organized exhibition opportunities and events, and engaged in practices that positively impact their community. SDA’s 2022 Grants and Awards are made possible by a generous grant from the Lenore G. Tawney Foundation.
Youngmin Lee, Blue Bojagi I, 2017. Stitch-resist and indigo-dyed cotton, 22 x 22 inches. Photo by the artist.
Forecast // Recast
SDA JURIED MEMBER EXHIBITION
Forecast//Recast brings together artists and artworks that explore ideas of predicting, reshaping, and re-predicting—works that offer a glimpse of possible futures, reexamine historical narratives, shed light on needed social and ecological interventions, and bend inquiry towards new aims to reframe the way we view the world. Juried by Tanya Aguiñiga.
Katayoun Bahrami, The Weight of the Wall, 2022. Installation with crocheted cotton and metalli, forty cement bricks and video projection, 25 x 50 x 120 inches.
Traditions & Techniques in Beading
WINTER 2022 SURFACE DESIGN JOURNAL
“This issue takes us on a journey across time and space—from contemporary North America and Uganda to China in 2700 BC, to planets and stars billions of light years from earth—to celebrate the traditions and techniques of beading.” – Elizabeth Kozlowski, Journal Editor
Have something that you’re thankful for and want to celebrate and share with SDA’s community? Comment below to let people know!
Cheers to 2021, I hope everyone’s holidays are filled with warmth and joy.
–Lauren Sinner, SDA Managing Editor
