Northeast Feltmakers Guild Juried Exhibition
JURORS: Wes Sherman and Patricia Spark

EXHIBITING ARTISTS: Sibel Adali, Leslie Alexander, Colette Ballew, Marsha Biderman, Robin Blakney-Carlson, Josephine Dakers-Brathwaite, Judith M. Daniels, Linda Doucette, Lyn Falcone, Susan Getchell, Rae Gold, Carol Ingram, Kerstin Katko, Denise Kooperman, Helene Kusnitz, LadyK, Cathy M. Lovell, Rachel Montroy, Charlotte Moore, Irina Moroz, Malgorzata Mosiek, Joy Muller-McCoola, Sara Pearsall, Debbie Penley, Stacey Piwinski, Etta Rosen, Barbara J. Ryan, Cathy Schalk, Ellen Silberlicht, Catherine Stebinger, Dayna Talbot, Linda Tomkow, Christine Vogensen, Nancy Winegard, Miriam Young

“My first exposure to the medium of felt came through Joseph Beuys’ art, and his many uses of felt (e.g. “Felt Suit,” “Plight,” and “Sled”), as well as Robert Morris’ industrial felt abstract sculptures. This early exposure, more than twenty years ago, helped me see wool, and other soft materials, as a medium for rigorous artistic exploration.

The submissions for this exhibition presented many wonderful uses of felt. The first time through the entries I looked at everything and then took a long break—returning the next day. At that point, I selected the work that had stayed with me from the previous day. The next review was more difficult. I had to eliminate several really good works to fit the limited space within the gallery.  At this point in the process, I asked myself: how does each piece relate to the term “contemporary” in the Center’s name? I considered how the medium and the composition work together to support the artist’s vision; how the objects contribute to the art community at large and to works in other media that are dealing with similar concepts.”
— Wes Sherman

Click Here to Read Wes Sherman’s Complete Juror Statement

Wes Sherman has been an artist for nearly 30 years. His 45 solo exhibitions include a show at Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton and at Johnson and Johnson’s Global Headquarters Gallery. He has been in hundreds of group exhibitions. He is the Curator and Chair of Exhibitions at The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster, NJ. He has been a frequent visiting artist at universities and schools and is regularly asked to lead art programs for organizations and clubs. An adjunct professor, Sherman teaches at William Paterson University and Raritan Valley Community College. He received his MFA at Rutgers University, where he studied with his mentor Tom Nozkowski.

Patricia Spark is the author of “The Watercolor Felt Workbook-A Guide To Making Pictorial Felt”, “Making Faces, Using Wet and Dry Felting Methods”, “Fundamentals of Feltmaking”, and “Scandinavian Style Feltmaking.” She has taught internationally in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Lakitelek, Hungary; Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia; Petajavesi, Finland; and in Korrö, Sweden. In addition, she has taught at several regional and national fiber conferences throughout North America.  Pat was the editor of the felt publication, the North American Felter’s’ Network and for many years, she was on the boards of various textile organizations such as HGA, ANWG, Weaving Guilds of Oregon (WeGO) and the Corvallis Handweavers and Spinners Guild.  Now Pat is happily creating her art and exhibiting as part of Gallery Calapooia in Albany, OR.