Artist Statement from the
YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE
exhibit STATEMENT During three decades of drawing political cartoons for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette I also painted: an old store here, a landscape there, a portrait way over there. All quite serious. A few years ago, a friend of mine, Pittsburgh artist Bob Qualters, looked over some of my work. Bob has hefty credentials: The Carnegie Museum recently bought one of his paintings for its permanent collection. Holding up something like “Barn by the St. George River” he said, “Well, it doesn’t look like you’re having much fun.” His review was succinct and perfect. After a few more years of landscapes and pubs, it finally sunk in. I had an epiphany: Paint what I like and paint how I draw. Artists can’t change their style any easier than their handwriting, and why should I? Last fall I was invited to be part of the annual “Gestures” exhibit at the Mattress Factory Art Museum here in Pittsburgh. I quickly accepted, but said I would not lug in a batch of political cartoons. The museum said, “Excellent.” I did an installation piece, the ersatz “Scorpio Travel Agency,” based on a column I wrote for the paper. I’ve long been a fan of art-deco travel posters, and did up five, all acrylics on water-color paper. The first was three figures slogging through a drizzle, and originally titled, “London.” Then I thought, Why pick on London? Seattle and Pittsburgh are just as rainy. It became “Chutney,” and one of those cartoon thought-balloon light bulbs clicked on. “Blinsk” followed, then “Arak,” “Karastan,” and (named after a comic strip I drew with a friend in Denver about an island ministate) “Iota.” Cartoonists sit for hours trying for the perfect idea, cartoony beads of sweat flying off their brow, then when they get one, six more burst forth out. The creative process works that way; it is rarely smooth. I soon ended up with a folder of thumbnail sketches, rough drawings, scribbles, doodles, notes, ideas and topics. The paintings in this show depict places we can visit only in our imagination. We may vacation in Ireland and have a pint in Skibbereen, but we will never stroll the lanes of “Smithereen.”Tim Menees drew cartoons for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for thirty years. He grew up in Seattle; graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in political science; served as an Air Force officer, including two years in Turkey; then wrote for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He moved to Pittsburgh in 1976. His work appeared in the national newspapers and newsmagazines, cartoon anthologies, and on network TV. He drew three syndicated comic strips, and his fans include Susan Ford who gave a drawing to her dad, the President. He wrote and illustrated a weekly column for the newspaper, as well as feature stories, such as accounts of his 24-hour visit inside Pittsburgh’s old Western Penitentiary; a week aboard a Great Lakes freighter; and a two-part series on the arts in prison, among others, California’s Folsom Prison and San Quentin. Besides the GalleriE Chiz, he has shown his cartoons and paintings at, among others, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, the Carson Street Gallery and Maine’s Port Clyde Arts and Crafts Society Gallery. The New Works Festival, an international one-act play competition, chose his Father Figure for a seated reading, and later picked his children’s play Rex The Mighty Hunter for a full stage production. His one-act Boots on the Ground was part of the production “Gored & Bushwhacked” at the First Stage Theatre in Los Angeles. He is married and has a son and a daughter. He teaches creative writing at a nearby state prison, and plays piano and accordion in a blues-zydeco band that has opened for, among others, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Roseanne Cash and Marcia Ball. Beverly Hilgert | Mary Hoffman | Wini Labrecque | Anne Medsger | Annette Moulton | Barbara Noah | Charlotte Slovik I, Beverly Hilgert, am finally comfortable with agreeing with the fact that I am an artist and a poet. I especially enjoy writing the observations of a young person, innocent and enthusiastically responding to the magical moments in life. The Art Doll Circle has been a perfect outlet for fantasy. My first doll was to be a tribal African Chief. Instead he returned to me after seeking his roots with a flashy mate and their baby. His story and garb was a hilarious time for all of us. When I was young my family lived in Cleveland, Ohio where I was introduced to the most wonder-filled art museum. Thanks to my Mother I learned to "see" with the appreciation of the artist. She prodded me along developing my self-confidence. Art, in my case, in all forms, must be playful regardless of the medium. I find needlework of any kind exacting and stressful so I try to get around it. The stories that accompany our dolls set them apart from other doll makers. I am very appreciative of the talents shared in our small group. I would be tickled if I would be invited to take the dolls on the road so that I could encourage others to do the same. Men are out there who would really surprise themselves if they were to do a version of this concept. I have been a wife, parent and recently retired from Nursing. Over the years I have had Barb Noah from our group as my playmate. Lucky me. Art Doll Circle Top Top of Page
Oh PLAYMATE, come out and play with me Since responding to Barb’s phone call for a creative doll group this song from my past comes to mind. No longer does any member of our group climb trees, slide down cellar doors, etc. However, our golden years haven’t kept us from gathering to play with our art dollies, have a lot of laughs and learn from the others’ creative endeavors. My roots are in southern West Virginia, though I have lived in Butler, PA for more years than there. My first doll was Goldie, in memory of my paternal grandmother, who introduced me to needle work on flour sacks, knitting and weaving / crocheting sock rings. After high school I graduated from WVU with a degree in home economics. I have taken adult education in art and fiber art classes for many years. Recently I have started bead-weaving jewelry, which I use for embellishing our dolls. Presently I am a member of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CMU where I have expanded my thinking outside of the box. I have valued playmates in our doll group. We’re jolly friends forever more. This creative outlet is something I wish others could experience. It’s fun to be young again. Art Doll Circle Top Top of Page Needlework has always been a pastime of mine. My mother instilled patience and creativity in me at an early age. For the past twenty or so years, I have devoted my career to fiber arts as a weaver, spinner, knitter and felter. I have had exhibits and sales of my works in conjunction with area art shows. Currently, I teach and lecture all over the country on all aspects of fiber and fiber arts. I am a fiber arts and spun skeins judge for the alpaca industry. My home life revolves around raising my seven alpacas, four cashmere goats, dogs, cats, and, of course, my very supportive husband John. When the doll group was proposed to me, I was hesitant at first due to the amount of free time I had to indulge myself with this project. Working with others who have a love for freedom of expression and creativity has been a very rewarding experience. Meeting monthly and seeing what each has contributed to the round robin dolls has been inspiring. The extent of talent and interpretation of the set goals for each month has been nothing short of amazing. Bringing new dimensions to a simple art form with each of the groups own expressions, it is a great stimulation to continue to create. The friendships nurtured through this endeavor continue to grow and I look forward to the new challenges presented each month. Art Doll Circle Top Top of Page I am a photographer by inclination and training, but have dabbled in other art forms, primarily embroidery and needlepoint. However, the invitation to join this group was too intriguing to pass up. The idea of working with other artists in a cooperative venture was new to me and a little baffling at first, but I quickly learned to love the surprises as each of us addressed new challenges and came up with imaginative ways to combine concepts, materials, and techniques to create unique interpretations of our agreed upon themes. I have been especially pleased with the opportunity to learn about new avenues for artistic expression. However, for me the best part of this experience has been the fun. We laugh together and truly enjoy the astounding creativity and imagination that each of us brings to this crazy endeavor. Seldom does one have the opportunity to work cooperatively with a group of talented artists in such an uncompetitive atmosphere. Pittsburgh has been my home for the past forty years. I retired from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in 2001 and I live in Squirrel Hill with my husband. My photography training was at Pittsburgh Filmmakers. My primary interest is black and white floral photography and I have participated in a number of local shows. Art Doll Circle Top Top of Page I have always had some sort of needle in my hand since early childhood - sewing, embroidery, surface stitching, quilting and knitting. The opportunity to join with a group of artists to create unique one of a kind dolls was so exciting. The experience of stretching yourself artistically with other fiber artists has been truly amazing. Being stimulated artistically by each other and the joy of companionship and newly found friends has been a real gift to me. In addition to constructing the dolls, I have also enjoyed creating the round robin journals we produce for each doll; their story changes each month as we look forward to the next chapter of our dolls' lives. I have lived in Sewickley all my life and retired as assistant administrator of Asbury Place two years ago. In the past, I have taught quilting at Sweetwater Center for the Arts and won a juror's award at an Embroiderer's Guild of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts annual show. My interest continues to be fiber and fabric with a new emphasis on beading. Art Doll Circle Top Top of Page The first time I ever saw Artists’ Dolls was at a Quilt Show in Florida about seven years ago. There was an exhibit of twenty or thirty different handmade dolls that had been entered into a competition sponsored by a fabric company. I was absolutely enchanted. All of the elements that I loved were here. The beautiful fabric, vast variety of fibers, and intricate workmanship were all represented in these pieces. I was immediately interested. The next few weeks were filled with finding articles from magazines and books. The discovery of the book, The Art Doll Chronicles, cinched the deal. In what seemed like a very short time, six of us like-minded women created The Art Doll Circle. The rules are simple. Each of us presents a simple blank doll and journal. A theme is agreed upon, a list and schedule for both the meetings and the determined area to be worked on is decided, and off we go. For the next six months, at our meetings, we eat, laugh, and marvel at the direction each of these dolls is traveling. Such fun. I have lived and worked in the Butler area since my husband Bob and I married. I retired as a Registered Nurse in the late 1970’s. Within a year or two, I opened a Custom Picture Framing Shop, and two years later, added a Cross-Stitch Shop. Many stitching classes were offered, and because of this, the interests I grew up with were enhanced with additional skills. Hand sewing, embroidering, and crazy quilting has become my passion. We have all discovered that The Art Doll Circle is a fantastic challenge for all of us. Art Doll Circle Top Top of Page Charlotte Slovik is the seventh member of the group. She lives near Butler and was with us for the first two projects. She is a talented and imaginative doll maker, and we have missed her contributions to this collaborative effort. |
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| For More Information Contact: Ellen Chisdes Neuberg, Owner/Director GalleriE CHIZ 5831 Ellsworth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15232 Tel: 412-441-6005 FAX: 412-661-5662 Internet: galchiz@hotmail.com |
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