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'In Stiches' display featured at PHCC west campus
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Published: March 10, 2010
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NEW PORT RICHEY - Needlework is one of those crafts that's been around so long and has so many utilitarian uses that an occasional reminder is needed of the level of artistry that is possible in practiced hands.
Such a reminder is on display at the Alric C.T. Pottberg Library Gallery on Pasco-Hernando Community College West Campus. The exhibition "In Stitches" is being presented by the Gulfview Chapter of the Embroiders' Guild of America. The exhibit showcases needlework as a centuries-old art form that, like painting, has developed a wide range of techniques and styles that allow for infinite creative possibilities.
"A lot of embroidery started in Rome, and moved around on the Silk Road," said Jenna McClooney, Embroiders' Guild of America's regional director for Florida and Bermuda. McClooney was present for the exhibit's opening reception Feb. 25. "It spread all over the world, so there are Roman roots for a lot of types of embroidery."
Consisting of more than 50 pieces created by 25 Gulfview Chapter members, "In Stitches" is designed to show just how far embroidery and other forms of needlework have developed over time and around the world, with examples of counted cross stitch, surface embroidery, crewel, needlepoint, Hardanger, Rozashi, Temari, silk and metal, stump work, black work, mixed media and more.
It's an exhibition that invites slow, close scrutiny. Even for those who know nothing about embroidery, the amount of skill and patience it takes to create works of this intricacy can easily be appreciated the longer the pieces are examined. It also provides a starting point to learn something about embroidery, which is decidedly one of the guild's motivations to putting on the show. As reception guests took in the exhibit, McClooney also moved through it, pointing out some of the finer examples and how they vary by materials and technique.
She stopped at a particularly dignified piece done primarily in gold and royal blue to point out how metal pieces were sewn into the Japanese silk image; not an easy thing to do, McClooney said. A moment later, she stopped to point out a piece by guild member Joanna Williams called "Hummingbird and Honeysuckle."
"It's called stump work," McClooney explained. Elements are created separately and added to the main canvas, giving the image a 3-D quality.
Throughout the exhibit, McClooney pointed out examples of various styles - canvas work and cross stitch that from a distance have an almost painterly quality; black work, a method that dates back to the 15th century, where the pattern looks the same on either side of the canvas; various styles that evolved in places as diverse as Italy, Japan and Norway.
Along with what's on the walls, there are several cases that primarily serve to show the full extent of the range of needlework art, with many examples of beading and other types of wearable art.
Another purpose behind the show is to promote the guild itself. The Embroiders' Guild of America has an international membership of about 11,000, with 19 chapters in Florida. The Gulfview Chapter meets the second Wednesday each month from September to June at the Lakeside Club 12606 Shadowridge Blvd., Hudson. Those interested in joining can contact the chapter president, Betsey Agey, via e-mail at eagey@hotmail.com or 813-788-9155.
To learn more about the guild, visit the Embroiders' Guild of America Web site.
The PHCC campus will reopen from spring break on Monday, March 8. The "In Stitches" exhibit will be available for viewing from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through March 31.
The exhibit is free.
Klint Lowry can be reached at 727-815-1067 or klowry@suncoastnews.com.
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