“Space Between” by Carolyn Ryan - http://www.carolynryanart.com/

“Answered Prayer” by Susie Swan - http://www.susieswanquilts.com/

“Beato, Duchamp, Picabia" – 1917 – Beatrice Wood Center Archives

Portrait of R.E. - Tapestry by John Nava from collection of Ventura County Museum

1884 Crazy Quilt – Private Collection - Photograph by Roger Conrad

“Buddha Six Supports” - Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo - http://threadsofawakening.com/

“Sonny and Chair” by Frances Bulwa (1921 – 2007)

Beatrice Wood portrait “Young At Heart” by Photographer Jill Stattler

The Ojai Valley Museum opens its 2013 exhibition schedule on Saturday, January 19th with two distinct and original exhibits, “Fiber Arts Master Pieces” and “Beatrice Wood, Duchamp & Chess.” The exhibits will run through Sunday, March 31, 2013. The opening reception on Saturday January 26, 5 to 7 p.m., is open to the public and is free to 2012-2013 museum members and $5 for non-members at the door.

The museum’s Rotating Gallery presents a group exhibition titled “Fiber Art Master Pieces,” displaying the fiber artwork of fourteen contemporary regional artists. Their two and three dimensional works encompass techniques in pieced silk, appliqué, hand or machine quilting, crochet, tapestry, knitting, mixed media, crewelwork, loom weaving, embroidery, paper, and batik. Antique quilts, borrowed from Ojai families, are juxtaposed with the contemporary fiber artworks.

Fiber Art is defined as artworks made of natural materials that communicate some sort of message, emotion or meaning. The focus of the exhibit will be on various manipulations of tactile materials and on the manual labor involved in creating the works. Whether antique or contemporary, every piece in the exhibit can be appreciated close-up, as a whole and from a distance as well.

The exhibit showcases Ojai and Ventura County fiber artists in the following categories: Contemporary Quilts and Textiles by Kyle Crowner, Carolyn Ryan, Valerie Schmidt, Suzie Swan, Lynne Woods; Portraiture by John Nava, Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo; Sculpture by Fran Bulwa, Gerri Johnson-McMillin, Linda Taylor; Wearable Art by Bernadette DiPietro, Ruthie Marks, Lise Solvang, Ginny Rockefeller, Lynn Woods, Fran Bulwa.

Individual fiber art pieces on exhibit include: a (non-wearable) ball gown fabricated of hand-made paper; woven sculptures of yarn, or with thread and beads; crocheted, knitted, loom and hand woven pieces of wearable art; tapestries, either hand-pieced or machine/computer generated; and utilitarian rugs and quilts. Each object will entrance the viewer with materials, techniques, and visual delight.

Antique quilts from the Haggerty and Thacher families of Ojai and from the textile collection of Dorothy Combs are also displayed along with a loom, spinning wheel, quilt rack and other tools used by fiber artists.

This exhibition surrounds the viewer with a wide range textures, patterns and color. Wall texts, artist’s statements and object labels describe fiber art techniques, histories of individual pieces and the inspiration for making the art work.

Simultaneously on exhibit in the Alcove Gallery is an installation by Ojai artist Valerie Freeman titled “Beatrice Wood, Duchamp and Chess.”

The exhibit is in homage to Beatrice Wood, in recognition of her friendship with Marcel Duchamp and in celebration of her 120th birthday on March 3, 2013. Freeman has sculpted an oversized ceramic chessboard and equine chess set that fills the 10’ x 10’ Alcove Gallery space. Environmental artist and ceramicist Tom McMillin assisted with the firing of one set of the pieces with Wood's secret luster glaze and fellow artist, Larry Carnes, assisted Freeman in the firing of the faux raku pieces.

In addition to the chess set installation as a symbol of Ojai’s most famous ceramicist, wall texts illuminate the history between Wood and her mentor, Marcel Duchamp. Kevin Wallace, Director of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts wrote the text about Beatrice Wood and Freeman added text describing her concept, process, and purpose of the chess set.

The installation includes portraits of Beatrice Wood and her friends, on loan from photographer Jill Sattler and the Archive of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts.

A video monitor, installed above the chessboard, displays looped interviews by those involved in the Alcove exhibit. A virtual chess game played by two (yet un-named) famous people will also be on view when the match is scheduled. For Valerie Freeman, “It’s more than a chess set. It’s a way . . . to stimulate thinking, to stimulate the intellect, and to support the arts and education

The Ojai Valley Museum and the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts will host a birthday party for Beatrice Wood on her actual birthday, March 3, 2013 at the museum. Special invitations will be sent out.

The Ojai Valley Museum, established in 1967, is generously supported in part by Museum Members, Private Donors, Business Sponsors and Underwriters, the Smith-Hobson Foundation, Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, City of Ojai, Rotary Club of Ojai, and the Ojai Civic Association.

The museum is located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA. Admission: free for current 2012 members, adults - $4.00, children 6–18 - $1.00 and children 5 and under – free. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Tours are available by appointment. Free parking is available off Blanche Street at back of museum.

For more information, call the museum at (805) 640-1390, ext. 203, e-mail ojaimuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum website at: Ojai Valley Museum.org Find us on Facebook Ojai Valley Museum