News

(HOUSTON, TX) April 18, 2017 — Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is delighted to host Small Expressions 2017, the Handweavers Guild of America’s annual juried exhibition of small-scale fiber works. Featuring the work of 24 artists using a wide range of fiber techniques, the show requires that each piece is no greater than 15 inches in any direction. Despite their small size, the works on view reflect a strong conceptual component, as well as emotive narrative content, a variety of materials and textures, and, of course, skilled craftsmanship. Mary Ruth Smith, an esteemed fiber artist and professor at Baylor University, juried this year’s applicants. The exhibition will be on view during the Contemporary Handweavers of Texas’ biennial conference, Crossing Threads/Connecting Cultures, in the Houston area.

Now in its 34^th year, the Small Expressions annual exhibition series was conceived in 1983 by the board of directors of the Handweavers Guild of America to mark the 15^th anniversary of the organization. The format was initially inspired by small-scale fiber shows in England and Hungary.  With thousands of pieces submitted since its inception, the show has included works by artists from each of the 50 states and more than 20 foreign countries and has traveled to art institutions across the U.S. and internationally. The series not only provides a platform for artists working in fiber but also a format that encourages innovation.

Small Expressions 2017 Featured Artists
Jennifer Angelo
Kate Barber
Linda Barlow
Julie Marks Blackstone
Beth Blankenship
Nicole Bunting
Al Canner
Andrea Cook
Sandra DeLozier
Emily Dvorin
Molly Koehn
Jean Koon
Jane Marie
Rebecca McEntee
Elizabeth Michel
Erin Miller
Joh Ricci
Michael Rohde
Kathie Roig
Ellen Schiffman
Amy Sloboda
Ruth Tabancay
Lillian Whipple
Peggy Wiedemann

About Mary Ruth Smith
The juror of Small Expressions 2017, Mary Ruth Smith, PhD, is a professor of art at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She teaches courses in fiber arts, fabric surface design, and weaving. Aside from her longstanding career in academia, Smith’s own work in fiber has been widely exhibited across the United States as well as in Europe, South America, and Asia. She holds a PhD in art education from Florida State University and an MFA in fabric design from the University of Georgia.

About Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is a nonprofit visual arts center dedicated to advancing education about the process, product, and history of craft.  HCCC provides exhibition, retail, and studio spaces to support the work of local and national artists and serves as a resource for artists, educators and the community at large.

Located in the Museum District at 4848 Main Street, HCCC is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM, and Sunday, 12 – 5 PM. Summer Hours: Closed Sundays, July 4th – Labor Day. Holidays: Closed Easter, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Admission is free. Free parking is available directly behind the facility, off Rosedale and Travis Street. HCCC is three blocks south of Wheeler Ave. MetroRail station on Main Street.

HCCC is supported by individual donors and members and funded in part by The Brown Foundation; Houston Endowment, Inc.; the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance; Texas Commission on the Arts; the Kinder Foundation; the Morgan Foundation; Windgate Charitable Foundation; and the Wortham Foundation, Inc. HCCC is a member of the Houston Museum District and the Midtown Arts District.

For more information, call 713-529-4848 or visit www.crafthouston.org. Find HCCC on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @CraftHouston.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jenny Lynn Weitz (jweitz@crafthouston.org)
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
713.529.4848 x.308