Visiting MAD

Hello!  Yesterday was my third day of the residency at MAD, and I thought you might be curious what it's all about.  With no scientific accuracy, here is a list of the most frequently asked questions.

1.) How did you (I) get interested in embroidery?  I got started embroidering in the midst of a feminist art history class in college in which we were studying colonial samplers.   If you (blog reader) are curious, I wrote more about that here.

2.) How are your eyes?  I am happy to report that I am lucky to have excellent vision, and do not wear glasses.  (this is the second most popular question among museum visitors!)  I try to stretch my eyes (and my hands) every twenty minutes or so when I'm working.

3.) How did you get this residency? There is an open application to the Open Studios residency.  The recipients are chosen based on portfolio review and interviews.  There are six residents in all, one for every day that the museum is open.  I am there every Wednesday, and some Thursday evenings.   My work will be on display in the museum until the end of July.

4.) How long does it take you to finish a piece?  It is hard to say, since I work on a lot of things at once, but on average, pieces tend to hang around my studio getting stitched on for a few months to a few years. 

5.) What is your background?  I went to a small liberal arts school in Iowa called Cornell College for my BA, and then I got an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where I then taught for seven years.