A couple of years ago, I started helping my friend Rebecca Reasons Edwards curate an annual show at The Art Place in Marietta, GA. This year’s show opened last Thursday night.

We asked the artists to make a piece 24″ x 36″ using a playing card as inspiration. Our artists came from the group Fiber Art Fusion and some invitational artists.

Curating is a funny thing. When a show isn’t juried, not all of the artists follow the rules — in fact, most of them don’t. Sadly, some artists hold the curators responsible. In the end, we had a responsibility to fill the gallery walls. Not everything fit the theme and not everyone followed the size restrictions. In the end, I still think that the show hangs well and shows how fiber art is progressing in North Atlanta.

Here is my co-curator Rebecca in front of her wonderful Cubist piece.

Love Song by Rebecca Reasons Edwards $900

Love Song
by Rebecca Reasons Edwards
$900

Sharon, on the left, made this wonderful piece, thread-painted and mounted on paper and canvas. Diane Shultheiss stands to her right.

Fairy Queen by Sharon Ahmed $1200

Fairy Queen
by Sharon Ahmed
$1200

This is my piece, Jacks are Wild, next to Susan Big’s piece I Felt Happy.

I Felt Happy by Susan Big $350 Jacks Are Wild by Virginia Greaves $1200

I Felt Happy by Susan Big
$350
Jacks Are Wild by Virginia Greaves
$1200

Debbie Smith made this whimsical piece.

Venus Midnight Bloom by Debbie Smith $350

Venus Midnight Bloom
by Debbie Smith
$450

Maggie Gershon from SEFAA joined us for the show and created this silk piece based on the Joker’s Wild card.

Joker's Wild by Maggie Gershon NFS

Joker’s Wild
by Maggie Gershon
NFS

We managed to convince our old friend Heidi Miracle to make this marvelous (and HUGE) piece for the Queen of Hearts. She looked lovely in the center of our back wall. Heidi used to make more textile pieces but now concentrates mostly on paintings.

Queen of Hearts by Heidi Miracle NFS

Queen of Hearts
by Heidi Miracle
NFS

She also made this smaller piece we put in one of our niches.

Queen Bee by Heidi Miracle NFS

Hellenne contributed this luminous piece created from silk. The colors in this are truly amazing — I don’t know that my camera was up to the task of truly capturing its magical sense of light.

Tree With Moon by Hellenne Vermillion $500

Tree With Moon
by Hellenne Vermillion
$500

And finally, Hellenne also contributed this silk piece with trapunto and hand stitching.

Koi Fish With Plants by Hellenne Vermillion $600

Koi Fish With Plants
by Hellenne Vermillion
$600

This is only a sampling of the wonderful pieces hanging. The exhibit will be available to the public at The Art Place through October 3rd. Then the majority of the collection will be available for viewing at the SEFAA Center October 8 – 26 with a reception October 10 10am-2pm.