Nudity in art

As artists, I think we all need to speak out when art is censored. Here is a case I found particularly objectionable, especially since I am trained as a journalist and taught that the right to free expression (whether in words or images) is critical to the democratic process.

The Virginian-Pilot, the newspaper in Norfolk, Va., holds a competition for high school art students each year. This year, the student artist originally named first place did not receive her prize. It was taken away by newspaper executives who rejected two winners chosen by the first jurors because the work involved nudity.

The first judge selected Nancy "Beth" Reid's painting, a self portrait in which she is crouching, unclothed, but with no private parts visible.

The second judge selected a ceramic sculpture of a pregnant nude torso by Jasmine Childs. It was also rejected.

Local art lovers are raising $1,000 to give to Reid to make up for her lost prize winnings.

You can read the full story here, on The Virginian-Pilot's website:
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/04/art-lovers-raise-money-teen-who-lost-student-gallery-title

And you can leave a comment after you read the story.

Denver National Quilt Festival acceptance

I got news earlier this week that my quilt “Harbinger’s Hope” was juried into the Denver National Quilt Festival, to be held May 1-4, 2008. I'm not going to be able to attend the Denver show, so if anyone out there is going, please write afterward and let me know how you liked the show. I attended Mancuso's Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival earlier this year, and it was wonderful. Don't miss the Fiber Force exhibit curated by Lisa Chipetine of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA); it features cutting-edge fiber art, and is a knockout!

For more information on Fiber Force: A Futuristic Approach, go to Lisa Chipetine's website.

I've made the decision to go for the first time to Quilt Market in Portland this May. Quilt Market is a trade show for those who make and sell quilting products and services. I'm hoping to learn more about how to market my quilt patterns, and about general trends in the quilting world. It will also be an opportunity to meet other designers, quilt shop owners, fabric company reps, etc. I realized yesterday that I am about to publish my 25th quilt pattern!