Fall 2011 Art Shows

What an unusual year this has been. I am pleased to be showing my art again and I have three shows in the fall.

I am participating in a group show at the Gallery at Birmingham Botanical Gardens during the months of September and October. The gallery reception will be Friday, September 23, from 5.30 to 7.30 pm. The reception is open to all and will feature my fiber art work with some other artists who work with clay, glass, intaglio prints, gourds, and jewelry. I hope you can stop by for a little light food and wine to enjoy while viewing our art.

On October 1 I will be showing at the Bluff Park Art Show. This is a great show always held the first Saturday in October. See www.bluffparkartassociation.org for more info. The show is from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Admission, parking, and shuttle rides are free so you have more money to spend on art!

As a juried and showing member of Alabama Designer Craftsmen, I will also be at our annual Fine Craft Show the Saturday and Sunday after Veterans' Day, November 12 and 13.
See www.alabamadesignercraftsmen.com for additional information. Show times are Saturday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm and Sunday, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. For many years now some of you have been coming to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for this show and I hope to see you again this November.

Sacred Threads

I am so pleased to have one of my art works accepted into the national art quilt show "Sacred Threads." "Eclipse: Moving Through the Darkness" is one of my personal favorites and I am happy to share it with a wider audience. It can be viewed as a realistic view of an eclipse, but I think most people relate to the way our lives have periods of darkness. As with all my work, the visual rendering is an expression of part of my personal journey. "Eclipse" will be on display during June and July outside Washington DC; please see http://www.sacredthreadsquilts.com/ for more information. When you look at the website, you can view selected pieces from earlier years in the Gallery section. I have admired the work shown by this organization for some years, and I'm happy to be included this year.

Exploring Turtle Island

ECVA has an online exhibition called Open Studio. This is an opportunity to see works by artists of many different media. http://ecva.org/exhibition/OpenStudio2011/OS-2011-Thumbnails.htm

You can find a copy of my work here: http://ecva.org/exhibition/OpenStudio2011/051BarbaraMitchell-OS-2011.htm

I really enjoy doing seascapes; this was the first time I did the scene from an underwater perspective. I tried to hint at sunlight coming through the water onto the community below.

Purses

A local store called Alabama Goods asked if they could carry my line of purses. This shop has moved from Pepper Place to the downtown area of Homewood. If you're in the area, stop in and see my purses and other items. Everything in this store is hand-crafted by an Alabama artisan. Shop local! Support your local artist!

Second Cooler

Earlier this year, I received an intriguing request from documentary filmmaker Ellin Jimmerson. She wrote, directed, and edited a film called The Second Cooler/ La segundo nevera. The subject matter deals with migrant justice and part deals with how textile workers in the Ft Payne area of Alabama have been impacted by NAFTA. Ellin asked if I would be willing to do a piece of fiber art to illustrate these changes. I enjoy architecture, so I decided to create my interpretation of a factory, moving from an active brightly lit building to a closed, dark factory. This piece, which I call "Transitions" will be featured in the film. Ellin expects to have the editing completed soon. For more information, please see http://www.secondcooler.com/