September 6th to October 25th, 2008      
PIECED TOGETHER:
THE ART OF COLLAGE
Receptions: Saturday, September 6th and Saturday, October 4th, 7-10 P.M.
This exhibit will present people with an opportunity to view and purchase collages in a multitude of mediums, elevating collage to new levels of artistic merit.   

Read Poems by Ingrid Aspromatis and Patricia Bowne,
read and written at the Drawing Down the Muse Weekend.

Welcome to a sampler of WomanKraft members, and their art. Each member described is a professional artist and is regularly showcased in WomanKraft Gallery shows. To find out more about any listed artist or to see their displayed art, call WomanKraft at 520-629-9976.

Gayle Swanbeck-
Director, Instructor, and Founder of the WomanKraft School of the Arts.                 

When I was in Highschool, my art teacher asked me what I wanted to do with my life?
I instantly replied, "I want to be an artist, I want to teach art, and I want my own gallery."
She smiled and replied as positively as she could., that our dreams can become reality if
we work at them. She was right about the work. She left out a few of the other details, but
I've figured most of it out along the way, often with a lot of help from a lot of great people.

I have been selling my art for 41 years, teaching for over 30 years, and I've been the
Director of Exhibits for the gallery branch of WomanKraft since 1986. In 1996, our senior
art programs became formalized as the WomanKraft School of the Arts through the
expanded support of a local foundation. This generous ongoing financing allows us to
provide free workshops and classes to low incomed people 50 years and older.

See her page here

“Art is my path, it's the language of my spirit with which I communicate. It's for me the greatest tool for healing, transformation and the creation of reality.“
 Kati Astraeir

Robin White- Fiber Artist
Robin shown her fiber art in many galleries in Arizona and beyond, and has been a member of WomanKraft since 1987. She gathers and processes the natural fibers she uses in each piece.

“Hundreds of hours are needed to prepare the materials before I can begin to create an individual piece of work. I have a great respect for the ancient tradition in which I work and hope I am adding to it as a contemporary artist.”

Robin crafts work in all sizes which allows many people to collect her work.
 

Terri McGuire-
Terri McGuire is a singer, visual artist and has been an instructor at WomanKraft for several years. She came to us in 1999 as a student. It took her a while (with a lot of coaching from Gayle Swanbeck) to be able to say she is an artist. Since then she has gone on to facilitate and instruct Once Junk, Beaded Bookmark, Crochet and a few Collage workshops. She also makes and sells crocheted boas and has recently taken up photography. .
 

Patricia Bowne- “Dreaming Muse”
Home of
Dark Muse Designs
and Touch of the Muse Massage
Patricia Bowne is a visual artist, massage goddess and writer/storyteller.  She is also an instructor at the School of the Arts.

See her page here
 

Quynn Elizabeth- Video Producer, Photographer and Author
As a teen aged girl Quynn wrote poems and made photographs of the human form. As she grew older and began to connect with Nature, she switched her interest to photographing the forms in the Natural world (and she still writes poems).

Quynn looks to document the American west for people today, and as an archive to describe what the land looks like now, for interested people in the future.
.
Her websites are www.shamanworld.com and
www.earthtribetv.org

Ana Yanez- “I started making natural clay pots as a little girl, five years old. I finally had a chance to paint as a grandmother, when my daughter took me with her to a community class. I have been painting ever since in many mediums here at WomanKraft for the past six years, experimenting and sharing.”

Ms. Yanez shows her work regularly in WomanKraft’s Gallery and sells her art often.

Jane Macomber- “I have been making art for about seven years now- so I guess you could call me an emerging artist. Something about Tucson changed my focus after moving here from the Northeast.  I have been affiliated with WomanKraft for almost a decade and credit this wonderful organization with enabling and encouraging my efforts through the years.”

Laura Leighton- “When I was young I was interested in art but was urged to prepare for a ‘real job’ as I got older. 
When my mother died I discovered painting, not only as therapy, but it is also a fascinating experience. I went to some lessons with a friend and was hooked. I have been painting ever since.”

Mary Ng- “Returning to art after a thirty year detour documenting traditional textiles is exhilirating.  WomanKraft has been very supportive in this transition- back to where I began.”

Lilla Luoma
Art and Music of the Spirit

“I have been creating art in one form or another all of my life. Nature, the earth and her creatures, have been a continual source of inspiration to me. Animals have always awed and pleased me, from the family pets to the wildest beasts. Art has been my greatest teacher and my greatest pleasure. It has taught me to focus my energy, to observe the world around me, and to find my place and connection with nature.”

See her page here...