Lemonade: Day 11 - Following the Fiber Trails to Rancho Los Alamitos and the LBMA

We're making Community Lemonade in Long Beach.  Come and make lemonade with us!

!  I'm on a 100-day odyssey for community and creativity in Long Beach.  We've got such an amazing city, and I'm a huge fan.  I want to share it with you. I'm seeking out the creatives and the facilitators of creativity.  The art and the locations that inspire art.  Bringing them to you, here in this blog, and to others, on the streets of Long Beach.

I call it .

Today was Day 11 of Making Lemonade.  I visited two of the local fiber exhibits.  My trail will lead me next week to the Handweaver's Guild of America, Convergence conference.

I've dabbled in fiber, cleaning newly-shorn Dorset fleece, dyeing it with food coloring, felting little critters out of it, crudely spinning it with a spindle and spinning wheel.  The gals from the Greater Los Angeles Spinning Guild continue to patiently help me. It was from this group that I first heard of Convergence.

HGA's Convergence Long Beach runs from Sunday-Saturday, July 15-21.  As part of the conference events, HGA has worked with local museums and galleries to organize a few exhibits around Long Beach.  Today, I saw two of them.

Rancho Los Alamitos - Color and Costumes by Anne Abendroth

Rancho hours: Wednesdays – Sundays:  1 – ­5 pm; July 11 through July 22.  Admission to Rancho los Alamitos, parking and the Anne Abendroth exhibit are free of charge.

Rancho los Alamitos is one of two historic ranchos in Long Beach.  Both Rancho los Alamitos and Rancho los Cerritos are run by the City of Long Beach department of Parks and Recreation.  Rancho los Alamitos has recently undergone a multi-year expansion and now has a visitors center and gift shop in addition to its multiple animal stalls, historic home, ranch displays and extensive gardens.

I found Anne Abendroth's exhibit in the education space next to the gift shop.

The displayed pieces are exquisite examples of woven art.  Described as non-wearable costumes, they hang from the ceiling as if ready to be worn by some unseen body.  With names like "Sparkling Rivers" and "Raven's Wing", colors are inspired by nature.  Hand-embroidery and glass, pearl and metal beading are further used to convey the image described by the name.  Each piece is an example of a different type of weave, and the nuances of the art of weaving become apparent.  The weaving is perfectly executed.  Metallic fibers, leather, color are artfully placed.  The vision is complete.

I smiled as I read the description for "Squares", a color study mix... "using up the odds and ends in the yarn cupboard."  It is hard to imagine that anything so meticuously prepared could have begun as odds and ends.

Long Beach Museum of Art - Small Expressions curated by Carol Shaw-Sutton, renowned artist and chair, CSULB fiber program

Museum hours: Thursdays 11 am to 8 pm, Fridays – Sundays:  11 am – ­5 pm.  Exhhibit runs through August 12.

Museum admission is $7., free Thursday 5-8 pm and all day Friday.

The LBMA has the best location of any museum I know.  Easily accessed via the around-town Passport bus.  It's worthy of a visit if just to see the historic buildings of the museum and take in the view from the bluff.  While you're there, plan on having a snack, tea, or a meal at Claire's.  Feel free to wear a pair of white gloves and a (handmade fiber...?) hat while you're at it!

"Small Expressions" can be found in one of the upstairs gallery rooms. The exhibit is a collection of pieces selected by Ms. Shaw-Sutton.  There are 37 works.  Each is less than 15" and artists represent many states and countries.

The category is fiber, but the medium is varied.  Metal fibers, human hair, recycled paper and plastic, and yes, even wool and cotton.  Anything which can be woven fits the mold.

I have picked just three of the display pieces to describe.  In the interests of the artist these, and the rest, you will have to see for yourself.

Entering the gallery, visitors are greeted by a whimsical collection of "Little Guys" by Danielle Bodine.  Guaranteed to be a favorite, each "Little Guy" is a complex creation made from linen, paper core, mulberry paper, prints and various found objects.  The objects used in the creation are a thimble, glue, pie crimper, screws, and these are used to form facial features, heads, arms and legs.

Lichens, by Charlotte Bird.  this is an art cloth piece that combines hand dyed and commercially dyed cotton with cheesecloth, and polyester thread and batting.  I have been reading some books and blogs about art cloth and am a huge fan.  I could (and have) visualize a makerspace dedicated entirely to fiber and art cloth!

Buy 2 and Save by Julie Kornblum.  This is a fun and colorful piece that recycles plastic bags, caps, discarded object (there's a toy figure in there!).  All are woven together in a vase form.

Penguin note:  There is a third fiber exhibit that will open next week.  Re-evolution will open at the CSULB Gatov Galleries and runs from July 14-21.  Hours: Monday through Saturday 12-5pm.

And tomorrow...

Day 12: A meeting with a Robot Maker with Big Ideas

Tomorrow I visit with Walt Perko, a robot designer with big ideas of his own.

Want more lemonade? 

Items Needed

Nothing!

Need to contact me?  info@handmadepenguin.com

Trish Tsoiasue writes as herself about creative and maker topics for the Belmont Shore Patch and as Handmade Penguin for the Handmade Penguin Blog.