Traveling art exhibit in Everett fuses fiber with sculpture

EVERETT — Fiber arts often don’t get the attention that sculpture, painting and other fine arts garner.

Through April 15, Schack Art Center is hosting a fabulous fiber show that proves that fiber arts focus on the aesthetic rather than the utility of craft work. It’s an art form that is truly sculptural, made from textiles, yarn or other fibers.

Fiber Fusion, a group exhibition featuring the work of members of the Surface Design Association of Washington State, opened Thursday night. The Schack is the last stop for this yearlong, juried exhibition that celebrates textile art and surface design artistry.

What is surface design? It includes dyeing, painting, printing, stitching, embellishing, quilting, weaving, knitting, beading, felting and paper-making techniques that in some way manipulates or alters the surface of a textile. Some of the unusual materials incorporated into pieces selected for Fiber Fusion include sock monkeys, gunpowder, vintage kimonos and sand.

Fiber Fusion debuted in Richland in 2016, before traveling to Port Townsend and Redmond. Several new pieces have been added by jurors for the Everett exhibit.

You will see works by Whidbey artists including Fine Gelfand of Greenbank; Nancy Loorem Adams, Laura Stangel Schmidt and Cheryle Kamera of Langley; Janet King, Larkin Jean Van Horn and Debra Calkins of Freeland; and Danielle Bodine and Liz Axford of Clinton.

Also slated to show are Arisa Brown and Dorothy McGuiness of Everett, Patricia Resseguie of Camano Island and Barbara Matthews of Woodway.

Exhibiting artists were selected by jurors Layne Goldsmith of the University of Washington, Young Chang of Gallery IMA in Seattle and Rock Hushka of the Tacoma Art Museum.

While on exhibit in Everett, the Schack is offering several weekend workshops for varying ages in basketry, weaving and textile painting taught by Danielle Bodine, Barbara De Pirro, Lois Gaylord, Cameron Anne Mason and Rebecca Wachtman. Visit schack.org for a complete schedule and registration.

If you go

See Fiber Fusion through April 15 at the Schack Art Center, 2921 Hoyt Ave., Everett. Free admission. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call 425-259-5050.