A Gem in Olde City Philadelphia

I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with Craig Wallen, owner of Gallery 51 at 51 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia.  Craig is an expert in antique textile art, specializing in 19th century Anatolian woven pieces.   Step into his warmly lit gallery and be enveloped by rich natural color, pattern and texture.  Each piece Craig has chosen is very special, you can feel the weaver's personality in the knot, the choice of color, the pride of workmanship for an textile meant for everyday use.  In the 21st century, these textiles adorn the walls as art.

Craig's taste is exquisite and he is willing to share his wealth of knowledge with those who are truly interested.   If you treat yourself to an hour examining the stunning pieces, you will walk away with a renewed energy from gaining new insights into a nomadic culture.  And if you are an artist, your brain will be imprinted forever and it will translate into your work.

The Light Bulb Goes On

What a week, I feel like the learning curve of this tech computer social networking stuff is finally making a neuro
pathway into my boomer brain.  I have just met some of the coolest textile people via the net, and one in person. 
Let me share the sites with you, I am sure you will find inspiration in their work and ideas.
First , there is a new blog, "TAFA, the Textile and Fiber Art List."    Rachel Biel has created this great forum and I encourage you to check it out.  I found out about it from the Fiber Arts and Mixed Media site.

Up in NYC earlier this week, I went to HAYKO Fine Rugs at 857 Lexington Ave near 65th.
What an awesome place, I just loved everything and he has it arranged so that you just want to poke in every nook and cranny.  He teaches rug weaving, his back room looked just like my dye studios with yarns, naturally dyed, hanging off the shelves.   I was selecting rugs for an upcoming show at Porter Studios and Fine Arts Gallery on March 27, Professor Peter Balakian will be giving a talk on "Village and Tribal Rugs."

And finally, I have been getting alot of my kimono fabric from Juliet "Shibori", and we finally made human voice contact this week,  learning that we share so much in common.    How would this possible if we did not have the net?

The snow is so deep, we can't get out, waiting for a plow.   On these days when you are stuck inside, hone your computer social networking skills.  With the economy in the dumps, you are laying the groundwork for the future.