Gwendolyn Magee (1943 – 2011) - Sister Quilter and Friend

It is with profound personal sadness that I share this news. Our Sister Quilter Gwendolyn Magee passed away after an illness. For those who had the privilege to see Gwen’s magnificent art quilts, hear her infectious laughter, or read her art commentaries, you’ll know what a great loss we’ll experience.Gwen, from Jackson, Mississippi, was an award winning quilt artist:

· 2011 – Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts http://www.arts.state.ms.us/special-projects/governors-awards.php

· 2007 – Ford Fellow, United States Artists http://www.unitedstatesartists.org/user/gwenmagee

· 2006 – “Honored Artist,” Mississippi State Committee, National Museum of Women in the Arts.

· 2003 – Visual Arts of the Year – Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters

Gwen also inspired many textile artists and quilters nationally through her online outreach efforts. She was among the first to create a website dedicated to quilting and textiles by minorities worldwide. She owned and operated from 1999 - 2007 QuiltEthnic.com (http://quiltethnic.com), a leading textile history website. Additionally, she hosted the informative, creative, and instructional blog Textile Arts Resource Guide (http:creativityjourney.blogspot.com).

Gwen’s marvelous, emotional creativity was shared through her art and story quilts. Photographer and folklorist Roland Freeman was among the first to document Gwen’s quilts in the landmark book, Communion of the Spirits (1997). Her quilts were also included in such exhibitions as: Spirits of the Cloth: Contemporary Quilts by African American Artists (1999), Threads of Faith (2004), Honored Women Artists of Mississippi: A Retrospective (2007), Sou’s Journey: Inside the Creative Process (2009), Tradition/Innovations: American Masterpieces of Southern Craft & Traditional Art (2008), and more.

Gwen’s work was also documented in the solo traveling exhibition and catalog Journey of the Spirit: The Art of Gwendolyn A. Magee (2004 – 2007). You can see her artwork on Black Artists in America (http://blackartinamerica.com/profile/GwenMagee) or her own website (http://gwenmagee.com/). Here is a link to a article about Gwen from the Jackson Free Press newspaper: click here.

Gwen is survived by her loving husband, Magee (that’s all I ever heard her call him!), her two daughters, a son-in-law, two grandsons, and a host of other family and friends.

A memorial service for is set for 5 p.m. May 6 at the Mississippi Museum of Art: 380 South Lamar Street, Jackson, MS 39201. Tel: 601-960-1515.

May we celebrate Gwen's life and extraordinary creativity - and ask for blessings for her family.

Black Creativity 2010 - call for entries

January 13 through February 28, 2010

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago commemorates Black History Month with the Black Creativity program, which includes one of the country’s oldest African-American art exhibitions. Prominent artists from around the globe submit their work to the Juried Art Exhibition in the categories of ceramics, drawings, mixed media, paintings, photography, print media, sculpture, textiles, and video. Participants are recognized at the annual Juried Art Reception, a gathering celebrating the diversity of African-American participation in the applied arts.

CATEGORIES
Ceramics • Drawings • Mixed Medium • Paintings • Photography • Sculpture • Textiles • Video

AWARDS

A panel of judges will choose artists to receive prizes.

1st place: $3,000 • 2nd place: $2,000 • 3rd place: $1,000

ENTRY FORM: Apply online: www.msichicago.org/bc2010 or mail to: Black Creativity, Juried Art Exhibition Museum of Science and Industry 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60637-2093

Black Creativity 2007 - Enter Today!

There's a call for entries in the 2008 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibit in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry. Textiles are one of the categories. $3,000 first prize award. Entries are due by November 5, 2007. The judges include: Jonathan Green, Faheem Majeed, Charles E. Bethea, Patric McCoy, Jumaane N'Namdi, and Kymberly N. Pinder, Ph.d. Last year more than 300 applied to this show. Here's a link to the 2006 show. Enjoy!

Enter Your Quilt - Black Creativity 2007

Last night I received in the mail a Call for Entry application for Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry's Black Creativity 2007 juried exhibition. This event is in its 34th year! Categories for entries include ceramics, folk art, painting, drawing, photography, print, video, sculpture, and.... of course,.... textiles. Click to view the 2006 exhibit winners, including Robert Lewis Clark (photo).

Unfortunately, you'll need to act fast! The entries are due November 6. Call the museum at 773-947-4161 for an entry form. I've had a quilt to be included in a past exhibit. It really is a marvelous opportunity, and the museum does an excellent job of hanging and promoting the show - which attracts artists from across the country!

Update! Carole Lyles Shaw has received a 2007 Honorable Mention award for her mixed media collages titled "Memories and Dreams: Fragments"! Congratulations Carole!