Teaching Museum of Art to host tapestry show

The American Tapestry Alliance will present Small Tapestry International 6: Beyond the Edge at the Augustana Teaching Museum of Art from Sept. 6-Oct. 12.

 An opening reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 6 in the museum inside Centennial Hall, 3703 7th Ave., Rock Island. 

 Rowen Schussheim-Anderson, a tapestry artist and professor of art at Augustana, will offer a tour at 5 p.m. Two of the artists in the exhibition also will be on hand to talk about their works.

The American Tapestry Alliance, the flagship organization in contemporary tapestry, coordinates world-class exhibitions, said  Schussheim-Anderson.

“Small tapestries investigate the range of woven possibilities at a very fine scale,” she said. “This juried exhibition includes unique and varied expressions in fiber art from around the world." 

Artists from the United States, Italy, Scotland, Canada, Denmark, Australia, Russia and the United Kingdom are included in the show. Their work includes traditional materials such as cotton, wool, silk, but also things such as discarded plastic bags on linen, wire and newspaper.

Juror Jane Kidd, a tapestry weaver from Salt Spring Island in Canada, chose 43 tapestries from 116 entries for the show. 

“Many of the tapestry makers in this group have embraced risk-taking in their approach to composition and technique; they recognize the edge not as a boundary but as a place for exploration," she said. "For others in the exhibition the risk lies in the subject matter. The theme opens the door for provocative ideas that challenge the viewer to recognize and to participate in a conversation about issues and concerns that reflect our contemporary world.”

The American Tapestry Alliance was founded in 1982 to bring together weavers throughout North America but its membership now hails from countries around the world. ATA is a non-profit educational organization that offers support and exposure for tapestry artists through a quarterly newsletter, a website and educational and exhibition opportunities.  

Catalogs of the exhibit are available for purchase. The exhibit is traveling to Augustana after two months at the Orville J. Hanchey Gallery at Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, La.