in the Mezzanine Gallery
September 15 – November 14
“The Artists’ Attic 2023″ Fiber creations by Jo Manginelli, felt sculpture by Debra Salazar, and textile works by Judy Book
4th Friday Art Walk reception with Jo and Debra September 22 and October 27th 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Jo Manginelli
I have enjoyed creating with fiber for as long as I can remember. In my youth I learned to crochet, knit , sew and quilt and as many girls did, I would weave pot holders on a hand loom. I loved the process of weaving even then, but could only do it on a small scale for lack of space. There wasn’t a lot of room for a floor loom in a New York apartment.
When my husband and I retired to Prescott, I finally had an opportunity to learn the art of weaving. I’ve been weaving for 19 years now and still feel such an excitement each time I sit at my loom and begin to weave a new piece. There are such a multitude of structures and fibers to work with allowing me to play with colors, patterns and texture. There’s always new adventures to explore at the loom.
Debra Salazar
Debra is a local fiber artist using wool roving to create whimsical animal sculptures. The process to create them is called needle felting. Each has their very own personality sometimes serene or full of mischief and occasionally just plain grumpy.
“Felting is also exciting to me. It’s a more freeing to work with fiber off the grid. In a way it’s more tactile and I find I use different color pallettes when I felt.
Judy Book
Before retiring to Prescott, Judy’s creations were mostly items of clothing and an occasional quilted wall hanging. In 2007 she began participating in Prescott Fine Arts exhibits, creating works using a less traditional approach to textile art.
As a member of “Tangled Textiles”, an online fiber art challenge group, she began to try many different techniques and methods. Printing on fabric with a desktop printer allowed her to incorporate text and personal images in her work. In addition, fabric dyeing and mono printing are also methods she used to create unique fabrics. Recycled tea bags and envelopes have even found their way into some creations. Fused fabric collages are another method of creating textile art which has unlimited possibilities.
Eco printing, a method of using moist heat to transfer the pigment from dried or fresh leaves onto fabric, was added to her repertoire of fiber art techniques. This process never ceases to amaze and no two creations are ever identical.