“Distant Echoes” by Canadian artist Ingrid Bachmann of a digital photo by David Leeson printed on fabric. From Fiberarts International Show at the Clay Center through June 22, 2008.

SOUR: “So, Sweet, what were some of your favorite art exhibits/events of April, now that “the cruellest month” is done for?
SWEET: “I have two favorites, in terms of innovation and artistic relevance and excellence: No. 1: The photographic installation by Doug Minnerly, Mark Wolfe and company at the “Stations of the Cross” exhibit during Easter. That collaborative effort was outstanding. It worked visually and intellectually. Really unique, unlike anything else attempted here in Charleston in that vein. Also, kudos to the church for showing this always interesting and consistently outstanding creative art exploration of the Easter Season.
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SWEET: No. 2 favorite thing on display in April is the excellent fabric show on view at The Clay Center. This is indeed a worthy showing by a regional art player (which the Clay Center purports to be and hopefully will continue to grow into). Here’s the official statement of the show, organized by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh:

Fiberart International 2007 features the work of 73 nationally and internationally renowned contemporary fiber artists and highlights a diverse cross-section of works in the fiber medium. Juror Naomi Kobayashi, an internationally recognized fiber artist from Japan, writes, “The entries represented a wide variety of techniques: textiles using up-to-date computer and jacquard weaving, conventional hand woven pieces, submissions using silkscreen, shibori or patterned dyeing techniques, sewn works, knitted works, embroidered, constructed, hand corded, felted and pieced works.”

SWEET: When they were theorizing about what a boon to the local and regional economy The Clay Center (then unnamed) would be, they were sure the exhibits and concerts there would draw a huge crowd of visitors from in state and a significant crowd of visitors from out of state. They were sure it would be a magnet for repeat visits from denizens of surrounding states. They were sure they would have shows that would register in the regional art world.

They were even going so far as calling themselves “The Gateway to WV” (which, of course, irritated the city-states of Huntington, Parkersburg, Wheeling, etc that are actually ON THE BORDER of the state). But Charleston irritating the other city-states with self aggrandizement is really nothing new… Anyway, it remains a great debate about whether those grand plans about the significant impact of the Clay Center have actually materialized anywhere near the inflated great expectations.

“Divalia” by Reina Mia Brill of the United Staters, a knitted and sewn piece of silver-plated wire, nylon, resin and wood. From Fiberarts International Show at the Clay Center through June 22, 2008.
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SOUR: “Yeah, where are the hordes of visitors from Columbus and Pittsburgh who were supposed to come?”
SWEET: “Well, now we have a regionally important show, The Fiberart International Show, that came from Pittsburgh. The art is first rate, the selections are impeccable, it is installed well………”
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SOUR: “The question is does anyone care?”
SWEET: “Let’s hope that enough people care and the show gets enough interest from Charleston, the rest of the state and Beyond. The show is worthy of regional impact. Let’s hope it garners it.”

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