Opening tonight – “Warp and Weft”

Just heard from Emily Reed that there’s a new show opening tonight at the Island’s Museum of Art. Here’s Emily with more:

“Berry Grove”, by Seiko Atsuta Purdue – part of the new show opening tonight at Island’s Museum of Art

The exhibition of Japanese-American Fiber Artist Seiko Atsuta Purdue, Warp and Weft: the Northwest and Japan, opens Friday, January 25, 5-8 pm at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art in Friday Harbor. There will be a talk by the artist at 6:30 and music by Susan Osborne of Orcas Island.

Seiko Atsuta Purdue is a faculty member at Western Washington University. She moved to the United States 20 years ago from Japan and her goal is to make connections between this country and Japan. While in Chicago she started a “Wish Tying” project reflecting the Japanese tradition of purchasing paper fortunes at shrines and temples, called “omikuji”, where individuals tie them to trees while making a wish; she collected thousands of wishes from public sites in the area. A recent influence on her art was the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011. One of her works, “After the Flood”, is in this exhibition.

She is concerned that many of the old techniques of art are disappearing so she studies traditional Japanese techniques and revives them in her own way. “Berry Grove” in the exhibition is a recent piece which is like a bamboo grove but one producing berries, using the contemporary shibori (tie-dyeing with polyester) technique. She says, “I am connecting Japan and the Northwest using a combined form.

The exhibition continues January 26 – April 5. Hours: Thurs, Fri, Sat: 11-5; Sun 1-4. Location: 232 A Street , Friday Harbor, above the ferry lanes. For more information, check out www.sjima.org.

Kakehashi: a Bridge to Japan is a two month Islands Museum of Art program of special events to further interpret the exhibition and to create cultural connections – origami art for children, the art of making sushi, music, film and more. Watch for announcements of programs beginning in mid-February.

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