Fiber Arts Exhibit at the Museum

Yesterday I went to the Fiber Arts Exhibition at the Museum of Natural and National History here in Kherson (it was translated to me as the Museum of Local Lore - I just gave it the title of what is actually in the museum). My tutor, Lyudmilla, and my team mate, Melinda, went with me.

I went to another exhibition there a couple years ago. Really enjoyed that one a lot, so wanted to see this one, too.

This one was very different. First, there was a size limit on the submissions. According to the website, they could be no bigger than (30x30x30cm). Actually, here is the add for it:

2011
THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION ON MINI TEXTILE

June 15 - 22, 2011, Kherson, Ukraine

International juried exhibition on mini textile (30x30x30cm). Artists from all over the world, who work in different techniques of textile are invited.
Deadline for slides, photos and CV - 1 February 2011.
Please contact to receive the Entry Form.
http://anschnei.public.kherson.ua
anschnei@public.kherson.ua

If you click on this, you will find information on another exhibition to be held later this year - FIBERMEN - for men only. I think that's a wonderful idea. I'm hoping to go to that exhibition, too, when it happens in October. If we are here then - we might be in a different part of the country at that time. We'll see.

Anyway, the exhibit was "interesting". The pieces were small and made of many kinds of "fiber" - paper, metal, cloth, string, wool, felt, etc. Some were painted, some were felted, some were woven, some were cut out. Some of them were nice to look at, one was obscene, and most were the kind where I stood there and said, to myself AND outloud - HUH?? There were 3 or 4 I would have hung on my wall in the livingroom if they'd been given to me. I would not have bought any of them. I'm very picky about things like this, I guess.

However, we enjoyed it. A lot. I want to go again. And I have several ideas running around in my head now about things I could make like that. (Such as - get out the sewing machine and just stitch random patterns in a contrasting color to the fabric, mount it and hang it on the wall - I don't know why, but I could do that - or give it to a friend for a birthday present....). No, actually, I do have some real ideas. Don't know if I'll ever get around to them because I have so many other things I want to do, need to do, as well as just live every day life. Laundry and vacuuming do exist in my world.

After we looked at all the exhibits, Lyudmilla, Melinda and I then looked at an exhibit on the Cossacks and Tatars in Ukraine many years ago. You know, those long baggy pants in red or blue cloth, can kind of look like a skirt when a man is just standing there getting his photo taken - but somehow there is NEVER any question as to his maleness, his masculinity. No, infact, I find them very attractive. Too bad guys don't wear those anymore, except in reinactments! (The photos were from the 1800's or early 1900's I'd guess.)

Quite often they are portrayed wearing red or blue pants. In fact, that is what traditional dancers wear.

After the museum, we walked up to the main walking street and stopped at a little shop that sells Italian Gelato. Yum yum! I had a scoop of lemon and a scoop of "forest berries" which turned out to be cranberry. Both were very tart, the berries being more tart than the lemon. It was exactly what was needed. Lyudmilla had never had this before and I enjoyed her delight in tasting the 3 different kinds I bought for her. :-) It was a simple pleasure on both our parts. The lemon, however, was too tart for her taste. She did, however, love the chocolate. :-)

Outside it was hot, and more than a bit humid for me. I do not like being covered in sweat all the time. In fact, I'd brought along a dry washcloth to wipe the sweat off my face while in the museum, but used it the whole time I was away from home. I noticed Melinda doing the same thing with a tissue and a younger woman on the marshrutka home using what looked like a hankie. It was miserably hot and humid for me, but then I was raised in very dry Colorado.

So, now I have ideas running around in my head about new things to create with my hands, with the loom, with floss and needle. However, at this exact moment what I need to do is create something with flour, sugar, eggs and butter! Tomorrow is one of our team mates birthdays and I'm bringing the dessert for our team dinner. So - off to the kitchen I go to at least get started.