We would like to belatedly acknowledge the talent and innovation of Fran Reed, a fine art basketmaker who passed away in late 2008. Her influence as a mentor, educator and artist has helped a wider audience understand the limitless possibilities of basketry as a modern art form.

Reed was best known for her unusual materials, dried fish skins. Inspired by regionally available materials, the Alaskan artist stitched skins and animal gut together into translucent vessels sometimes accented with driftwood or foliage and grasses. The smooth, delicate surfaces of Reed’s bowls are often punctuated with fins, resulting in an unearthly interaction between man and nature. Her work has been widely exhibited around the nation and she has received many commendations including the Rasmuson Artist Fellowship, the WESTAF/NEA Fellowship and the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Artists in Giverny, France Fellowship.

Fran Reed did not stop working during her long battle with cancer; instead, she continued to share her knowledge and expertise with students and researchers (including the Smithsonian Institute). She was 65. Reed is survived by her husband, Dick, and her children, Collin Reed and Jocelyn Davis.

Telos Art Publisher; http://www.telos.net
Fine art publisher with an excellent series of textile art books.

San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles; http://www.sjquiltmuseum.org
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, this Museum specializes in textile art.

Surface Design Association; http://www.surfacedesign.org
Non-profit educational organizaion publishes quarterly magazine,
SurfaceDesign Journal.

Friends of Fiber Art International; http://www.friendsoffiberart.org
Promotes the "collectibility" of fiber art and fosters dialogue among collectors,
curators, critics, dealers and artists.

Textile Forum; http://www.ETN-net.org/TFS/
A European magazine for textile culture.

S.F. Museum of Craft+Design; http://www.sfmcd.org
A new museum in San Francisco dedicated to craft and design.

Museum of Craft and Folk Art; http://www.mocfa.org
Located in San Francisco, this gem often highlights contemporary fiber.


Selvedge; http://www.selvedge.org
Directed towards an international audience, Selvedge magazine covers fine textiles in art, interiors, fashion, travel and shopping.

 

TAKE YOUR TIME
OLAFUR ELIASSON
SFMOMA
THRU FEBRUARY 14, 2008

Your tempo: Olafur Eliasson
In conjunction with BMW’s Art Car program
SFMOMA
THUR JANUARY 13, 2008

Olafur Eliasson’s work at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is meant to intrigue viewers. Yet, this soft-spoken Icelandic artist was shocked to hear his work associated with Fiber Art! He listened with curiosity as I pointed to the various mixed-media basketry in his “workshop” that serve as models for many of his installations.

One could also make a case that the ice work surrounding the BMW is fiber, very textural in its temporal patterning.

Eliasson’s exhibits engage visitors as they walk through color fields, mirrors and environmental displays. His Moss Wall anchors live reindeer moss to the gallery wall while the “prismatic tunnel generates a kaleidoscopic effect.”

Patterns, natural fibers—Fiber Art basics—abound in this exhibition. You will be thrilled with its many textures.

These Northern California Colleges and Universities feature advanced degrees in Textile Arts. Click on their names to link with their programs.

CCA (California College of the Arts), Oakland, CA

College of Marin, Kentfield, CA

San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA

San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

University of California, Davis, CA