Show features top fiber artists

Sisters is a Mecca for innovative artists, especially those who work with fiber, fabric, stitching and color. Beginning June 1, Sisters artist Kathy Deggendorfer will present "View from the Village." The show features some of the top fiber artists in Oregon.

Nine women, all Oregon artists, each working in a different medium, will incorporate the form of a house or dwelling as the basis for creative expression. 

"It should appeal to those who love to see innovative uses of traditional materials and new ways of combining techniques and materials," said Deggendorfer.

View from the Village takes a love for quilting, textile and fiber art to new realms. Deggendorfer sought out a diverse group of women who use challenging and unique methods and diverse materials. The inspirational use of materials mimics traditional methods used in quilting but is executed with sheet metal and silk, beaver sticks, sea grass roots and woven glass.

Artists include Jean Wells-Keenan, founder of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, author and a member of the Quilter Hall of Fame. Wells-Keenan is known for her bold use of color and her experimentation with new quilting techniques. She works with strips of fabric, cutting free-hand and detail piecing to achieve an amazing blend of line, pattern, color and texture to achieve her bold new views in quilting.

Trisha Hassler is a metal and fabric artist from Portland who uses a mixture of hand-dyed fabrics which she quilts and embellishes. Those pieces are incorporated with torch-cut steel to create domains that house and touch the heart.

Calling Shannon Weber a basket-maker can't begin to describe her creations. Weber weaves one-of-a-kind vessels and assembles collages of multiple layers of weaving, stitching, typing, encaustic and paint that work around the edges of traditional techniques. Collected internationally, Shannon has work in museums and private collections around the world.

Lori and Lisa Lubbesmeyer are textile artists and twins blending their former disciplines as printmaker and oil painter to create strong visual statements in fiber. Their collaborative textile images present a new point of view immersed in strong color and dimension.

Tonye Belinda-Phillips, quilter, author, lecturer and instructor, also collaborates with Kathy Deggendorfer on projects that bring together Deggendorfer's colorful paintings with Tonye's highly respected quilting and hand appliqué work. Deggendorfer's paintings have been translated into fabric, quilts, glass and tile. The duo will present five new pieces in the View from the Village show.

Jenelle Kathan creates glass pieces that often reflect techniques found in quilting and weaving. She uses texture and light to create depth and mystery. Her new glass series brings a compelling dimension to the show.

Anna VonRosenthiel is a ceramic artist known for her use of slabs of earth to layer her pieces into existence. Whimsical style, brilliant use of color and unique shapes make Anna's pieces different from most contemporary ceramic work.

"Each of these artists brought their personal creative response to the project," said Deggendorfer. "During the Quilt Show, visitors will be taking in a view of Sisters draped in quilts from across the nation; we offer a smaller version of that experience inside the Sisters Art Works building."

View from the Village will be open from June 1 through July 15. Artist receptions will be held on June 2 and July 10, when Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) attendees will be in town, so that they may meet the artists and learn from them. Sisters Art Works is located at 204 W. Adams Ave. For more information visit www.sistersartworks.com, call Kathy Deggendorfer at 541-420-9695 or email [email protected]