On May 16 I had the pleasure of viewing the 2022 RAA Fibers Exhibition. One of the nice things about this fibers exhibition is that such a wide variety of work from so many different walks of life are present. I was impressed by the number of different types of fiber techniques and of scale of work, from the very intimate to quite large. There are traditional items such as sweaters, weaving, books, quilts and so on; and there are also contemporary takes on these traditional methods. A strong sense of craftsmanship can be seen from the entire community of work.

When I judge an exhibition, I look for many things. I get an overall feel of the show then start paring it down, which in this case was tough. There are great examples of different types of actual quilting methods, some machine, some free hand. I also like the various uses for fabric in quilting and books and I like the fact that there were garments included – wearable art is great!

The postmodern deconstruction of traditional fibers expectations is very interesting. We think of fibers through the ages from underground railway wayfinding quilts, to the Bayeux tapestry and we carry our expectations. Those traditional viewpoints are very limiting and I think an exhibition like this can really open eyes. One can anticipate the familiar textures and be surprised to find new sensations. I look at fiber works in terms of being related to sculpture or related to painting dimensionally and positionally and feel they should inhabit the same public space. I think an exhibition like this also calls out the thought that the fiber art genre belongs only to the domestic sphere and are therefore less desirable in the art world. I think those thoughts can be put to rest!

The most wonderful thing about all of these artworks is that you want to touch them! The fibers are so gorgeous. It was an honor to have the opportunity to really explore these works through judging.