Tatraordinary

Stitches'

Fiber artists represent
many directions in
a new exhibit at the
Janice Charach Epstein
Museum/Gallery.

SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to The Jewish News

reations of one-of-a-kind
fiber art, finished either for
display or wear, make up the
"Extraordinary Stitches"
show opening Jan. 14 at the Janice
Charach Epstein Museum/Gallery.
The museum/gallery scouted local
and distant talent for its fourth pre-
sentation of quilts and fibers. This
year's show features 23 exhibitors.
While there will be Judaica among
the designs, most pieces represent
secular directions.
"In the past, we concentrated on
quilts," says Sylvia Nelson, gallery
director. "To keep enlarging the
show, we decided to include works
that went beyond that form."
New York artist Ellen Wertheim,
who also delves into mixed media on
paper, brings appliqued silk ritual
textiles to this show. Her techniques
create collage-like images on layered
materials of varying weights and tex-
tures — shantung and moire, sheer
organza and chiffon.
"I create a language that can
express both tangible aspects of
nature and history and more ethereal
or ephemeral concepts," says
Wertheim, who places her designs
under a Hebrew company name,
Atifa ("Wrapping"). She produces
Torah mantles, ark curtains, syna-
gogue textiles, tallitot, chuppot and
custom-designed pieces.

1/8
1999

68 Detroit Jewish News

Wertheim's textiles have been
exhibited at the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations in New
York and the Reconstructionist
Rabbinical College in
Above and opposite page, top left:
Philadelphia, and her tallitot
Quilts by Carol Wineman
and chuppot are available in
grace the "Extraordinary
Jewish museum shops.
Stitches" exhibit.
"I will be including wall
hangings suitable for life-cycle
Right: Karen B. Willing
occasions," says Wertheim,
created this small
who works with 18-inch by
wall hanging.
18-inch squares for these pro-
jects. "I use the Yemenite
Below: This detail from
Hebrew alphabet in designs
a quilt by Vivian Gottlieb
that feature the first letter in
depicts a floral theme.
the name of the person being
celebrated."
Although Marilyn
Kaczander Cohen will be show-
ing two chuppot made for her
daughters, her focus will be
photo quilts. After arranging for
pictures to be transferred to
material by a specialty company,
she cuts and puts the fabric
together for personalized wall
hangings.
"I've taken art classes and
enjoy photography," says Cohen,
who started her study of quilt-
making five years ago. "I make a
lot of quilts as baby gifts, and I
don't like doing the same thing
over and over.
Another technique used by
Cohen involves using fabrics to
make abstract designs. She cuts
cloth into two-inch by two-inch