The Ontario Arts Council supports In The Middle of the World

Judy Martin thanks the Ontario Arts Council for their continued support of the exhibition: In The Middle of the World.  

The artist was awarded an exhibition assistance grant which will be used for shipping her large textile artworks to The Muse: Lake of the Woods Museum and Douglas Family Art Centre in Kenora, Ontario.  In the Middle of the World will show in Kenora March 30 - June 15, 2023.  

This exhibition is a two person exhibition, and includes Judith E Martin who currently lives and works on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, and Penny Berens, who lives and works in Nova Scotia.

In the Middle of the World  premiered in Almonte, Ontario at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, October 2 - December 10, 2021.  It will tour to Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia ArtsPlace in 2024.

Miranda Bouchard, free lance curator for this exhibition, also received Ontario Arts Council funding, first for curatorial work in 2019 and again for a catalogue which will be published in early 2023 with an essay by Miranda and professional images of Judy and Penny's artwork from the exhibition.   

 Public funding is important for the arts.  #ArtsAddValue

Minimalism exhibition opens in Europe September 2023

 Help Me To Balance, 2018, was is chosen to be included in the SAQA global exhibition, Minimalism.

  The juror for this exhibition was the highly respected artist, Dorothy Caldwell

The exhibition opens during the European Patchwork Meeting in Alsace, France, in September 2023.  44 pieces will be included in the show by artists from around the world.   For a complete list of all artists please click here.

Nouveau Louvre 2022

Anni Albers Visited Me   by Judy Martin   watercolour on paper, wooden frame with glass, 19" square, 2019.  This piece sold on opening day of the Nouveau Louvre on Saturday November 26 2022.

There are nearly 300 pieces of art available in person at the new GNO gallery in Sudbury, or online, click here to see and purchase.  All works are sold for $200.  Artist receives $125 and the gallery receives $75.  The sale continues until January 13, 2023.  You can give someone a gift certificate and they can choose their own artwork!   

Address of the gallery and hours: 

le Galerie du Nouvel Ontario, 27 Larch Street, Sudbury Ontario P3E 4R6 phone 705 673 4927

the GNO is part of the beautiful new Place Des Arts in Sudbury, northern Ontario.  

Underfoot The Earth Divine exhibited in the United Kingdom

August 18 - 21 2022 at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham

October 6 - 9 2022 at the Knitting and Stitching show in Alexandra Palace, London

 

November 17 - 20 at the Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate, Yorkshire

Thank you to Jane Walkley for these photos.  Jane's tapestry is entitled Rhythm of the Weave and was displayed near Jutdith E Martin's large quilt Underfoot the Earth Divine at all three venues.  You can see Jane's piece spread out on the large horizontal plinth.

For a complete list of the 14 shortlisted artworks, click here. 

Underfoot The Earth Divine was highly commended by the judges.  

juried into Quilt National 23

 Sheguiandah quilter Judy Martin has had her newest work selected for an international show.

Under Drifting Stars iron water on cotton, hand stitched, detail  

"My newest quilt, "Under Drifting Stars" has been juried into Quilt National 23.  This is my fourth Quilt National and the thrill is just as strong as it was the first time," stated Judy Martin. 

"One reason that I called my newest work Under Drifting Stars was to describe the feeling you get when you pull the blankets over you at night.  This quilt references that private space where you feel safe and begin to dream." Ms. Martin explained.

A total of 81 quilts were chosen this year for Quilt National.  There were 647 entries, most from the USA, but 20 of the successful entries are from other countries.  

Quilt National is based in Athens, Ohio in what is literally a renovated dairy barn.  "The show opens in May 2023, running to early September, at the Dairy Barn in Athens Ohio.  After that, the show travels for two years," explained Ms Martin.  "Usually, they divide the show into two or three different parts to be displayed in various museums and galleries,' said Ms Martin who pointed out that Quilt National is a biennial exhibition and has been mounted every second year since 1979. 

Under Drifting Stars, detail of the horizon line, the dots above the horizon are outlined with black or brown quilting thread, the dots below the horizon line are embroidered over with cotton floss. This embroidery acts as quilting stitch in that it shows up on the back of the quilt as well.  

"What makes this show different is that the submitted quilts reflect contemporary life today much like how a poet - artist would" said Ms Martin. 

"In my case, I sent a large drawing that I painted onto cotton cloth with iron water (it has rust particles in it) and the cloth reacted to make dotted marks of inky black.  I then stitched over or around the dots with cotton thread."  The full quilt is a child-like image of sky and water with a horizon line dividing the two.  The lower (water) section dots have been embroidered and in the sky section, the dots are all outlined.  The quilt is 91 inches high and 86 inches wide.

Under Drifting Stars  91" x 86"  cotton painted with iron water then hand stitched with cotton and silk threads, 2022 by Judith E Martin

"It is very difficult to get into Quilt National," said Ms Martin.  "It was always something I wanted to do, and I've been fortunate to have my work selected"

Ms Martin was also accepted into the Quilt National 2017.  Her quilt entitled "Soft Summer Gone" won two awards for surface design (it was dyed with goldenrod flowers, and embroidered with wool and silk threads) that year.  "It was purchased by the International Quilt Museum in Nebraska (which is a huge honour) because the museum is in the process of creating a Quilt National collection.  I know how much care they take with the quilts..  It is a very beautiful museum."  She pointed out that the top three prize winners of the 2023 Quilt National show will be added to this museum's collection with purchase prizes.  

Ms Martin also has another piece showing in England at the moment.  The title of that quilt is "Underfoot the Earth Divine" and the exhibition is entitled Fine Art Textile Award (the short list).  There are 14 other pieces of art in this exhibition and her quilt was singled out as 'highly commended'.

This article by Tom Sasvari was published in the Manitoulin Expositor October 19, 2022.  It has been slightly edited by the artist.

For a list of all 81 of the accepted artists for Quilt National 23 please click here.

Also please note that the full image of Judith E Martin's quilt Under Drifting Stars was not published in the local paper because of Quilt National rules.  Social media publication is approved.  Also please note that the photo of the artist is an old one that the paper had on hand from a previous article about Judy. (She's much younger and more beautiful now) lol   

Evolve closes October 2, 2022

Turning Forever To the Heart

Hand stitch on taffeta by Judith E Martin

12" x 12" sewn to heavy paper and framed under glass 20" square.

This piece is part of EVOLVE, an exhibition of six women artists at the Propeller Gallery in Toronto Ontario.  The show is at the gallery until October 2 , continue to view online for another 30 days.  The exhibition was curated by Loree Ovens.

On October 2, Judy Martin will be in attendance at the gallery from 1 - 5:30 pm.  She has three pieces in the exhibition.   

Click on this link to view the works in the exhibition along with artist statements, bios and also a gorgeous video created by the Propeller gallery.  

Click on the artist's names listed below to visit their professional websites.  Chum-Im Kim, Liz Menard, Eva Ennist, Saskia Wassing, Judy Martin and Loree Ovens.  

Turning Forever To the Heart has sold into private collection.

Not To Know But To Go On is in Mississippi USA during the Autumn of 2022

 

3-D Expressions shows August 23 - November 13, 2022

at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel Mississippi.

Judith E Martin's monumentally scaled journal textile, Not To Know But To Go On, is part of this exhibition.    For three years, the artist used one complete skein of cotton embroidery floss to stitch torn fabric from her collection to canvas.  The piece resembles a woven rag rug but it is not woven, but stitched..  The long runner measures 13 inches by 220 feet.  

The gallery is open every day but Monday, find exact address and contact information for the Lauren Rogers Museum here.