The Milweed Project at The Eclipse Gallery

The Milkweed Project and Other Flawless Fibers is on exhibit at The Eclipse Gallery in Algoma, WI from January 14- February 28, 2011.  The opening reception is Friday, January 14, from 5-8 pm and free and open to the public.  The Eclipse Gallery is located at 507 St., Algoma, WI.

Another Project Update

This is a studio shot of the assembled sculpture.  Visit this page to read a bit about scale of the piece and see some detail images.  I wish photos had the ability to convey sensory experience because the sculpture is so tactile and peaceful.  It is very different than anything I would have created on my own and truly became the result of many different creative visions.  The assembled piece is best viewed from the inside and viewers will be encouraged to sit and spend time in the piece.

My plan is to post new photos as the work is displayed in other locations.  Several local venues are scheduled for next year and I will pursue other venues soon.  Watch the blog for updates on the exhibit schedule. 

Also, I remain behind on posting individual pieces.  I still have many more to post so keep an eye on this page.  Thanks to all the participants for your amazing creativity and patience.  This continues to be a fascinating experience for me. Thanks, also, to photographer Francis Holt for taking studio photos of the installation.

Project Update

All but a few of the contributions are here!  I've reserved a studio (much larger than mine) in which to assemble the project on my spring break from teaching in early March.  So watch the blog for images of the assembled installation in March. 

I am still working on photographing and documenting all of the contributions that arrived last month.  Watch for them to show up on the blog in the next few weeks. 

Thanks for your interest and/or participation in this artwork.

Molly Hunt, Pennsylvania, United States

 

This is a really fun, expressive, sculptural piece that I couldn't quite capture in the photo.  Molly writes:

I used this project as an opportunity to let my knitting wander, a task I often find difficult.  I experimented with new stitches and paired some old stitches to see how they would interact.  I am more of a spinner than a knitter so one of the pieces is knit from my handspun.  The handspun I used was another experiment, this time a fiber I hadn't tried before... Halloween spider web.

My contribution is the result of putting together pieces I started for the project that I set aside considering them to be too old or not "nice."  I then commanded myself out of the box and found a way to connect them all together.  The result may not be "nice"  or it may be a little odd but I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone. 

I love it, Molly.  Thanks so much for sharing your creativity with us.

Mary Longshore, Texas, United States

These lovely pieces are a creamier color than shown here.  The top piece is thick and chunky and the bottom piece is light and airy.   Both are at least eight feet in length.  Mary writes:

I started knitting seriously in November of 2009, after much prodding from my older sister.  One of the first knitters that I met in my area introduced me to The Milkweed Project.  One of my pieces is made with a knot stitch out of wool.  The second piece is lighter and made out of Alpaca.

Thanks, Mary!

Linda Bryan, Wisconsin, United States

   

   

These three pieces were created by my mom and I'm thrilled she chose to participate in the project.  They are all crocheted and wonderful.  My favorite is the third piece, made out of granny squares.  The white on white granny square idea is a clever one and I have many memories of my mom crocheting granny squares throughout my childhood.   Thank you, mom!

Larissa Estrella, North Carolina, United States

 

  

This soft, textural piece has some sparkle that was difficult to capture in a photo. Larissa writes:

Knitting and crocheting have been long time passions for me, passions that have led to a road of discovery and creativity.  They have introduced me to ways to express the inner artist in me and have opened paths to meet wonderful people and explore difference art forms.  So when I read about this project I immediately fell in love with the idea and knew I had to participate.  Wild ideas spiraled through my mind about the possibilities of a piece.  I thought of making a hammock or some funky, elaborate piece.  Of course, soon the reality of time and materials came to the picture.  While not discouraged, the project took another direction.

What began as a project to express the funky, silly and playfullness became a project that reflects the personal journey that began while I simultaneously began creating the piece.  It reflects many transitions, new insights, changes and challenges I faced in the last year; all interwoven in a continuum that is not seamless, yet it is smooth and held together by sparkles of funkiness, just like life. 

That last bit mimics some of my feelings about this project, in general.  I love the imagery of "wild ideas" spiralling.  Lovely.  Thank you, Larissa.

Kathleen Long, Alberta, Canada

I love the contrast between the thick wool and and loose stitches. 

Julie Harris, Texas, United States

 This gorgeous, airy piece around 8 feet in length.  Julie writes:

I am a stay-at-home mom of three super kids.  My sweet husband encourages me in my knitting endeavors.  My contribution to The Milkweed Project consists of three lace patterns.  The first section reminds me of a blooming dandelion--sort of a starburst (I've never seen a milkweed pod but we have plenty of dandelions in Texas).  The second and third sections are more linear in nature.  As I knit, I realized the overall piece became more solid, like the portion of bloom that holds the fluff to the plant. 

I appreciate Julie's willingness to interpret a plant she has never seen and create such a beautiful contribution.  I, too, am charmed by dandelion fluff.

Miho Fletcher, Jerusha Schoenhoff, Herran Schoenhoff, Hawaii, United States

     

These wonderful pieces represent a collaboration with in our collaboration. Miho writes:

We are a group of three girls who come from all over the globe and are very good friends.  I (Miho) was born in Japan and moved to Hawaii to learn art after high school.  I studied here for three years and moved to California to study at Azuzu Pacific University.  I graduated in '08 with a a B.F.A.  While I was there I became more and more interested in blurring the line between craft and fine art. I mostly concentrated in mixed-media painting while in college but picked up learning to knit and crochet, which I first learned from my mother when I was little.

One day after I moved to Hawaii, I got an email from a friend with a link to The Milkweed Project.  She said she thought of me because she remembered I had a similar idea when we were in painting class together.  I shared the project with my friends Jerusha and Herran and said I could teach them to crochet.  We started "Tuesday Night Crochet Club." Other people joined here and there and it became such a joy in our life. We continued until our lives took us in separate directions.  We finished our pieces separately.  They many not be master pieces but they have our own hearts.

Thanks so much for sharing this story and these pieces.  I love that a teaching experience and crochet club grew out of this project.  Best of luch to all of you with your various endeavors.  Miho, have fun blurring the line of art and craft!