Join Artist Suzanah Furtick at the Dyersburg Welcome Center at I-155 (Mile Marker 8.7) for a Tennessee Craft Week demonstration event on Sunday, October 7, 2018 from 10AM-4PM. Suzanah will display her work and share examples and information on different quilting techniques such as On-Point piecing, applique, improvisational quilting, and stitching. Gather around with family and friends as you design a square for a community quilt. Materials will be provided. This is a free event. 

Demonstration Schedule: A brief presentation (5-15 minutes each) will occur at the top of every hour on subjects listed below.

10 AM: Quilts Around the World Quilting is a dynamic art form, which has the power to bring communities together through creativity, collaboration, and storytelling. This will be a quick educational look at how quilts have brought communities together across the world and at different points in history. 

11 AM: Designing Quilts The possibilities of quilt design are limitless! This presentation will briefly cover the main things a quilter considers when starting a quilt such as supplies, patterns, and techniques.

12 PM: Piecing “On Point” A traditional quilt that is pieced on point is like an inside-out jigsaw puzzle. This presentation gives an overview of the process of piecing a traditional quilt “on point”.

12 PM: Improvisational Quilting Just like a jazz musician can improvise a song, quilters can design quilts as they go along. This presentation will give you ideas on how to pop colors, create rhythms with patterns, and harmonize shapes in an improvisational quilt.

2 PM: Appliqué Similar to a paper collage, appliqué attaches smaller pieces of fabric onto the surface of a larger, background fabric. Come learn a few tips about appliqué, discover the possibilities, and spark your inner Henri Matisse. 

3 PM: Shashiko Stitching This decorative stitching craft originated in Japan from the 1600s-1800s as a way to reinforce fabric so that it would last. This presentation will show you the basics that you can explore at home on textiles ranging from clothing to quilts.

4 PM: Demonstration Ends

A space for artists by artists-- created by the members of Art Collective, the Art Center in Bemis will be a community oriented space to create and showcase local visual and performing art. 

The dream becomes real this Saturday as we begin renovating and bringing life to the Art Center in Bemis. 

WHO: Art Collective is a group for artists, makers, designers, musicians, writers, and creators to build a thriving art community in Jackson, TN.

WHAT: The goal of this group is to build a support network among artists of all disciplines to push our work forward as individuals and to create a buzz in the community by working collectively toward goals we set together.

Some ideas for goals we might set are: Art Shows, Group Critiques, Artist Collaborations, Silent Auctions, Fashion Shows, Art Festivals, Art Crawls, and starting an artist hub or arts district of working Studio-Gallery Shops in Jackson.

WHERE: 541 Wiley Parker Rd. Jackson, TN 38305

CO.STARTERS PITCH NIGHT

• Thursday, July 24, 2018
• 6:30 PM  8:30 PM

• theCO(map)

CO.STARTERS Pitch Night is a celebration -- for the businesses that have participated in this session of CO.STARTERS, this is the culmination of the program.  

Between 6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. will be a come and go time where each business will be set up at a station. You'll get to enjoy some snacks and drinks while you go from station to station to get to know each of these businesses a bit more one-on-one. 

Then at 7:00 p.m. we'll start the pitch presentations. Each business will take the stage and pack everything they've been learning from the past 6 weeks into a quick but thorough presentation.

Join us to celebrate and encourage these businesses to thrive in and around West TN!

Showcase On View:

2018: July 21–29  Memphis College of Art: Rust Hall, Main Gallery

Gallery Hours:

Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday, noon – 4 p.m.

Closing Reception:
Sunday, July 29, 2018 2–4 p.m.

Mural Collaborative Artist Statement

This mural commemorates the life and legacy of American icon, Helen Keller, 50 years after her death. After losing her sight and hearing to a fever at 19 months, Helen spent the early years of her life lost in darkness without language of any kind. Anne Sullivan, her teacher, helped her to understand that everything in the world has a name, and that she could learn and communicate through words. During her life, with the help of her teacher, Helen went on to graduate college, publish books, speak with presidents and world leaders, and, most importantly, to advocate for women’s rights and education for disabled Americans.

In the mural collaborative class, eight high school students planned every element of this mural. Students first researched the context of Helen’s life and chose imagery to communicate the theme. Next, students brainstormed, workshopped, and voted as a group on every color, every line, and every component of this mural.

The color pink represents Helen's work for women's rights. The stippling technique of her portrait, represents how as she touched braille and learned to read, her brilliant mind and personality came alive. The braille alphabet on the left side of the mural propelled her forward in life to face the darkness of injustice. Language and education unlocked the door to life for Helen Keller and helped her move from darkness into the light.