Kyra on Sewing with Nancy!

Check your PBS station - I had the honor of being interviewed on the famed Sewing with Nancy show during the Nancy's Corner segment. Actually, two shows! They will be shown on January 30 and February 6... and repeated July 31 and Aug 7, 2011. (Programs 2425 and 2426). Nancy shares with her viewers my books on Martha Ann Ricks and Harriet Powers.

Nancy Zieman has hosted Sewing With Nancy for the past 26 years. May I just share that Nancy and the staff at the Wisconsin Public TV station are marvelous .... from the make-up artist, film crew, and booking staff. And, Nancy herself is as friendly and as warm as she appears on tv. Enjoy!

2011 Call For Art Quilt Entries - North Charleston Arts Festival Art/Humanity

For those who enjoy exhibiting quilts, there is a call for entries into the 5th annual art quilt exhibit at the North Charleston Arts Festival. Here is part of the entry information:

"Art/Humanity is open to quilters of African descent within the United States, it’s provinces, Mexico and Canada. Only quilts or quilted hangings will be considered. A quilt is a fabric sandwich comprised of three layers: a top, a back and filling which are held together with quilting or tying threads. Integration of non-fabric embellishments is acceptable and encouraged.

"Quilts submitted should explore themes of Art, humanity, compassion, service, generosity, and love. What do these concepts mean to you as an art quilter? Quilts must be an original design or an original execution of a traditional pattern. Quilt dimensions must not be less than 12" x 12" nor exceed 84"x 84"and each quilt must have a 4" hanging sleeve and an identifying label on the back of the quilt. Quilts that have been exhibited nationally in the previous 5 years are not eligible.

"NCCA Department will make a list available to our visitors of quilts that are for sale. We will provide any interested parties with your sale price and contact information. We do require a 10% commission on any pieces that are sold.

"The 2011 jurying process will be done from digital images only. Entrants should submit two images per entry (one overall view and one detail view). All images must be of publication quality. Each entry must also include an artist's statement of no more than 100 words describing the story or the inspiration behind the quilt. Entries must be received via email no later than the close of business March 11, 2011.

A $25 non-refundable entry fee will cover submission of up to two quilts."

For the complete call entry information, please do contact Torreah “Cookie” Washington, Curator of ART/Humanity 2011. Her phone number is (843) 259-8108. Enjoy!

Art of Faith Ringgold at SCAD Museum of Art

"The Art of Faith Ringgold: Story Quilts and Freedom Quests" exhibit is on display at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, GA from January 31 to April 15, 2011. For your viewing pleasure will be 60 pieces, including new ones direct from Ringgold's gallery! Enjoy!

Women of Vision at Penn State New Kensington Campus

On exhibit January 10 to February 2, 2011 at Penn State, New Kensington Campus is the exhibit "Visions at 30: Celebration of Life," featuring quilts, drawings, photographs, prints and paintings created by the Women of Vision Inc., a nonprofit women's art collective based in Pittsburgh.

Some of the artist in the exhibit include Laverne Kemp (her "Spiritual Armour" piece is here in the photo), quilter Tina Williams Brewer, artist Delores Dee, photographic artist Joyce Baucum Currin, mixed artist Elizabeth Asche Douglas, photographer Gail Manker, mixed media artist Celeta Hickman, artist and quilter Harriette Meriwether, artist Tenanche Rose Golden, and about a dozen other artist. (Click here to see the photo gallery of the show.) Enjoy!

Ramsess Quilts a Magnificant Moor!

While visiting the famed Eso Won bookstore in Los Angeles, I was arrested upon seeing one of the most magnificent quilts I've ever seen .... one about 8 or 9 feet tall of a Moor warrior. You've likely seen the poster that inspired the quilt. You gotta understand - this magnificent Moor warrior looked as if he would step off the fabric and defend his family! The Moor is standing on fabric steps and, honestly, you can imagine him lifting his robes so his sandal feet don't trip.

I asked James there at Eso Won who the heck made the quilt and he shared that the quilter was a man named Ramsess, who also creates stain glass windows. I had to meet this quilter. A family friend eventually made an introduction for me and I met Ramsess back at Eso Won after Sunday services.

It was great meeting Ramsess in person. What a warm spirit - my iPhone photo here doesn't do him or the quilt justice. Anyway, he shared his technique for making the quilt - for him it is like making a stain glass window, only using fabrics. He has just a regular sewing machine. The quilt is still to be quilted, hanging with safety pins to keep the batting in place. Even the back of the quilt is fine.

Now the kicker - Ramsess just started to quilt in March 2010! Let me put this another way - he just learned to quilt March 2010!

A couple of his quilts will be on exhibit at the William Grant Still Arts Center in Los Angeles as part of the 28th Annual Black Doll show, which opens January 8, 2011. Enjoy!

Black Art Project

If you are interested in Black Art - you should bookmark George-McKinley Martin's blog titled the Black Art Project. He describes himself as an "[a]rt librarian, historian, and collector driven by a passion to raise the visibility of black art history and the work of black artists through documentation, education, and advocacy."

You will find info on the latest exhibits of African American art nationally. Now, I like to document aspects of African American quilting. I'm an infant compared to Mr. Martin, who is amazing! He has assembled an ANNUAL list of Black Art exhibits. And, for the truly serious among us, you've got to see his list of African American Art Books on WorldCat. Enjoy!