Fiber artists from left, Gloria Sharp, Samuel Buelow, Nicole Dunn, Katy Korkos and Valentina Devine are participating in the ‘Threads of Community’ exhibit at Step Up Gallery. Courtesy photo
COMMUNITY News:
A new exhibit, Threads of Community, opened Feb. 17 in Step Up Gallery at Mesa Public Library. The colorful and diverse fabric art pieces created by local artists draw visitors in the door and leads them to everything from large quilts to humorous 8-inch-tall dragons.
An artists’ reception will be held 2-4 p.m. March 12. The public is invited.
Five artists, well-known in the local arts community, include: Gloria Sharp, Valentina Devine, Samuel Buelow, Katy Korkos and Nicole Dunn of Albuquerque, formerly a long-time Los Alamos resident.
Sharp exhibits her batik dye paintings, bold, full of color and movement.
She said the process of creating every piece is a lot like dancing. An astute viewer can hear the music behind each and want to move with its rhythm.
Devine calls herself a “creative knitter;” she said she follows no patterns, but is inspired by the shapes and colors in nature. Through dying her own yarn and using natural fabrics, Devine’s wall hangings and “wearable art” are true, one-of-a-kind creations.
Buelow’s art defies categorization, with crocheted and felted figures and wall hangings. His newest creation, a joint project with fashion artist Sara Myers, is a wonderful, coquettish, 18-inch, Rococo-era lady called “Keep My Secret,” made of felted wool and mixed fabrics.
Korkos has taken up a life-long challenge of expressing her creative attitude, beliefs and practical priorities in fabrics of all kinds. A room-full of fabric collected over decades, fuels her passion around social justice.
Dunn focuses on art quilting, some with the practical use of a bed quilt that could fit a California King-size bed. Other quilts are designed solely as art pieces to display on the wall. Those pieces are exciting, innovative and carry her unique spiritual message.
These inspiring fabric art pieces, many available for purchase through the artist, can be viewed until March 15. Threads of Community can be viewed 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The Step Up Gallery is inside Mesa Public Library, 2400 Central Ave.
Biographies:
Gloria Sharp earned a B.S. in art education from Indiana State Teachers College and participated and earned honors in numerous juried shows including Fuller Lodge Art Center, Bicentennial Show 1976–second place award, Que Pasa–Art in New Mexico 1994 and 1997, The Biennial 1995 and 1997, and New Mexico State Fair 1995–third place award.
Katy Korkos is a life-long creative. She has made literally thousands of cloth masks during the pandemic, working with the Auntie Sewing Squad. She recently became involved in social justice sewing, making banners and quilts for the Social Justice Sewing Academy, and making quilt blocks for the Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Center’s Peacemaker Quilts project.
Samuel Buelow is a fiber artist who currently works mostly with the techniques of free form crochet and sculptural needle-felting. Buelow grew up in Los Alamos and can be found at Mesa Public Library’s main desk, connecting with people through books and information.
Nicole Dunn has always been attracted to all things fiber. She began making quilts in 1988 after the birth of her first child. She enjoys making quilts as art pieces as well as blankets. When she isn’t sewing, she is traveling with her husband and spending time with her grandchildren.
Valentina Devine has always knitted and crocheted. Growing up in Berlin, Germany, needlework was part of her daily routine. Living in the United States, she had the opportunity to study with fiber artists like Kaffe Fassett, Alice Starmore and many others. One of the highlights of her career was knitting costumes for the Folger Theater and two important costumes for the musical “Cats.”
