CreativeConnections June 2011 June fiber artists of san antonio FASA Meeting June 13 Our June program will be presented by Lalon and Theresa Alexander, owners of Elephant Embellishments, which Calendar of Events June 13: Elephant Embellishments specializes in hand embroidery and July: FASA members Showcase beadwork of various techniques. After August: Oscar Silva living all over the U.S. and Europe September: October: Ilze Aviks, ! FASA Annual Show obtaining their educations and experience, November: Cobweb Sale the two sisters returned to their hometown Feb. 24-26, 2012 : Texas Federation of Fiber Artists of Lockhart to start their own business. Conference Their resumes are extensive: Lalon has a B.S. in Fashion Design from Texas Tech Table of Contents: University, a MFA in Costume Design Runway Show Images…..2-4 from Carnegie Mellon University and has FASA Members News.....5-7 completed various courses from The London FASA Membership form...8 Fiber Arts Community.....9 Meet the Board....10-12 Texas Federation of Fiber Artists Call for Vendors….13-14 Check the FASA Website for: http://fiberartists.weebly.com/index.html College • Call for Entries of Fashion, The Paris Fashion Institute, • Forms to enter The Texas Federation of Fiber Fashion Institute of Technology, Ecole Lesage, Artists Conference & Juried Exhibition and the Japanese Embroidery Center. Before • FASA Members websites & blogs Elephant Embellishments, she worked • Runway Show photos for some of the great costume houses: • Fiber Arts related Classes Tricorne of New York and The Royal Opera House of Covent Garden in FASA Membership Renewal England. She is currently an adjunct Deadline: June 1, 2011. lecturer. We now can renew our $35 FASA membership Theresa holds a B.S. in Fashion Design online!!" For PayPal, there is a "Buy Now" button for each of the categories of membership: new, renew, prorated, and student. You also need to copy, paste, and print the form to mail with changes for the new year & to respond to questions that will help the from Texas Tech University, a MFA board serve you better. The membership form is in from Nottingham Trent University the newsletter. and has completed courses from the London College of Fashion, The !"#$%&'()**$+#,-( ./*(,*#*/.&&'( %*&0( "#($%*( -*1"#0( !"#0.'("2($%*( Paris Fashion Institute, Ecole Lesage, and )"#$%3( (4567( .)( 8( #""#( .$( 9&.)"( :*+,%$-( ;%/+-$+.#( ;%</1%=(>?6@( the Japanese Embroidery Center. A3( A*B( C/.<#2*&-( .$( D/+)/"-*=( "#*( E&"1F( #"/$%( "2( $%*( !1A.'( Theresa has taught for the Paris G#-$+$<$*3( ( H"/( .( ).I=( -**( $%*( !J!CJKL( I.,*( "2( $%*( B*E-+$*( .$( Fashion Institute and Texas Tech %$$I5MMN+E*/./$+-$-3B**E&'31")M( ( 900/*--5( ( H+E*/( 9/$+-$-( "2( L.#( 9#$"#+"=(D(O(C"P(4QRSQ=(L.#(9#$"#+"=(TU3((SVR743 Work by Elephant Embellishments University. She is currently an instructor for the University of the Incarnate Word as well as part of the Elephant Embellishments family. We are fortunate to have them share some of their wonderful experiences with us, as well as provide a hands-on look at some of their beadwork and dress designs. http://www.elephantembellishments.com 1 Congratulations & Thanks to Phyllis Jordan, Sandy Edsall, Jean Peffers, & Yvette Little on a Fabulous Runway Show!!! FASA’s thanks also goes out to all the BEST OF SHOW: Sandy Edsall’s Hibiscus volunteers….without you it couldn’t be done. Maria Davis---Publicity Vickie Kinder---Tickets Laura Beehler---Treasurer Lisa Mittler, Rachel Edwards-Ritter, & Jean Peffers--- Postcards Dale Jenssen & Jean Peffers---Program Cover Mary Ann Johnson---Program Layout Yvette Little, Anne Winsett, & Sarah Burke---Advertising Jean Peffers---Raffle Coordinator Dale Jenssen, Yvette Little---Silent Auction Coordinators Members of FASA & Jean Peffers---Table Decorations Sandy Edsall, Maurine Young---Model Coordinators Becky Heye, Eleanor Khattar---Vendors Cristy Mitchell, Phyllis Jordan, Maria Davis, Laura Beehler, Janet Hartnell-Williams---Sales Room Lindy Lindermann---Audio/Video Caryl Gaubatz---Challenge Garment Consultant Martha Grant---design on tote bags Raffle & Silent Auction Donors BEST CHALLENGE GARMENT: Sherry Tolar Berryhill’s Whimsy Girl Sherry Tolar Berryhill, Michael Quintanilla, and Sandy Edsall 2 On and Off the Runway Terry Bertling, features editor SA Express-News & editor of Trends Magazine, wrote an article about the Runway show, with photos, which appeared in the May 12th edition of the San Antonio Express-News’ SA Life Section. In an email to Maria Davis, Terry said “I really enjoyed the show & soaking in all the creative vibes from the talented FASA members. We'll have a page of photos in our June issue of Trends magazine….”. (Check H.E.B., CVS etc. for free copies the last weekend in May.) “I'm also loving the jacket ("Rain Forest" by Robin Early) and scarves I bought at the show. I get lots of compliments when I wear them. “ " For more photos of the Runway show: http://fiberartists.weebly.com/ and http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Wearable-art-wows- on-runway-1375449.php and http://blog.mysanantonio.com/trends/2011/05/wearable-art/ and http://twitter.com/#!/search/TerryBertling and http://blog.mysanantonio.com/trends/ (Maria Davis will be happy to help you set up a Twitter account: " http:// www.mdCreates.com) Georgia Zwartjes modeling her hat made of recycled Starbucks coffee filters & bags. Rachel Edwards-Ridder & Allison Brown- Cestero Madeleine Maciula & Kathy Furukawa at the regisration desk. FASA members Estelle Sutton & Betty Granheim entered ten garments. 3 On and Off the Runway....2 Becky Heye (modeling a vendor-purchase) & Yvette Little (modeling her entry, Lavender Fields) Dale Jenssen modeling her entry, Saturn Jacket Georgia Zwartjes entry, Pointer Sisters, made of Adrienne King recycled materials 4 FASA Member News JULY PROGRAM OVERVIEW me if I might know of a similar organization that serviced a needy population. I suggested Young Lives, which sponsors teen girls (teen Talent times 4: Member Showcase moms & their at-risk babies). This will be a fun and fascinating look at fiber art as presented by some of our members. In May 2010, Lee Pressly & I had attended a meeting where we met the rep from Young Lives. She gave a short presentation about the COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS organization. It was factual, professional & businesslike. She quoted statistics , related anecdotes & explained that most of the moms were A Letter to FASA’s Members….from Allison Brown-Cestero technically homeless. At no time did she use any of the language that If you were at FASA’s May meeting, you heard a presentation from she used at our last FASA meeting. a representative of Young Lives, an organization devoted to helping teenage mothers learn how to be good parents while finishing high I admit that I was blind-sided by her presentation. I was school and becoming productive members of our community. The uncomfortable as were many others in attendance. Our members Board had voted to support Young Lives as a service project for the have many faith traditions and philosophies, and we respect 2011–2012 membership year. and honor all of them. Our diversity is our strength as an organization. The Runway Show was a triumph of hard work and We were all taken aback by the nature of the presentation at our May cooperation on the part of our members, and it would be regrettable meeting. The Young Lives representative chose to highlight the to allow this incident to distract us from what we do best—the making religious focus of the organization, and defined success in terms of of wonderful ART.” girls accepting the group’s religious beliefs. This wasn’t at all the way Respectfully submitted, Caryl Gaubatz the group had been presented to us previously. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quite a number of FASA’s members were uncomfortable with the intense focus on a specific set of religious beliefs. The Board spent a week weighing options and discussing the situation at Alamo Heights Christian Church Food Pantry length. Eventually, we voted to withdraw our support from In May 2011 the FASA Board voted to continue our support of the Young Lives program. I have notified the group of our the church’s food pantry. Here is additional information decision and explained our reasoning. about this important community outreach. The people who come to the Alamo Heights Christian Church FASA is a secular group. Our members are adherents of a (AHCC) Food Pantry are primarily persons who have run out of food wide range of religious beliefs and spiritual practices. We not stamps, are unemployed, or are in a catch 22 situation in not being only welcome that diversity, we cherish it and we celebrate it. able to get food stamps." The church has information on each person That acceptance of each other is an important part of who or family that requests emergency food." The clients are limited to one we are. visit per month. In most cases, clients improve their situation & need no further assistance. Most of the “clients” come from the near It would be easy to say that FASA shouldn’t support any organization Eastside and the Southeast side of San Antonio." New Braunfels that’s faith-based or affiliated with a church. But that’s not really an Avenue seems to be the corridor which they follow." There is also a effective solution. For one thing, rejecting a worthwhile group just New Braunfels Avenue bus route that many use. because of their religious beliefs goes against the very acceptance that The church is in the process of developing a relationship with the San is a hallmark of FASA. On a more practical level, it would severely Antonio Food Bank which requires more documentation than the restrict the number of groups we could support. Most of the groups AHCC, although their forms require names of each person plus age doing the kind of meaningful work we want to support are, in fact, and sex of all those who will be receiving the emergency food, and the faith-based or church-affiliated.