Welcome

Material ARTistry is a group formed from five artists of a like mind but broad experience in the fiber and fine arts.

A passion for creating art that makes use of fiber, textiles, thread, and other seemingly humble materials brings together the diverse visions of Sally Zehrung, Jae McDonald, MarDee Hansen, Sandra McMorris Johnson, and Janet Hiller, the members of Material ARTistry.

Each is drawn to the idea of presenting ideas which appeal to two senses simultaneously--the visual and the tactile. Each works in some way with cloth, but the results are as varied as their makers.

While acknowledging the tradition of textile based art from many cultures, Material ARTistry pushes the edge of the genre. The group is especially interested in the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the medium with which they choose to create. Fabric is soft, familiar, and accessible, an integral part of life from birth to death.

In the hands of these artists, fibers are manipulated, cut, dyed, fused, and sometimes burned. The resulting works of art, ranging from quilts, to dolls, to collage structures, challenge conventional notions of textile art. The artists are committed not only to exhibiting and promoting their own work, but their medium as well. Making connections with viewers--communicating on a sensory as well as a cognitive level--is the goal.