Frigard s Show Blue Bird s Wish Inspired by Travels to Northwest Territories

Kelly Frigard, assistant professor of art and area coordinator of the art program at UC Clermont College is exhibiting her work, Blue Bird's Wish, in the UC Clermont College Art Gallery from January 18 – February 6.

Blue Bird’s Wish is an entire body of work made up of woven, felted, hand and machine embroidered mixed-media fiber sculpture.  “In my sculptures and mixed-media installations, I often use traditional processes including weaving, knitting and embroidery. I have been influenced by my travels to the Northwest Territories and Scandinavia where traditional processes are still widely used,” said Frigard. 

Meet the artist at her reception on January 24 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

As a visiting artist in the arctic region of the Northwest Territories, Frigard worked with Inuit women’s sewing co-operative sharing felting and spinning while learning how to work with seal and caribou skins.   She also pursued her interest in traditional textiles and clothing with the assistance of a Fulbright Fellowship to Sweden where Frigard studied weaving, embroidery, textile history and contemporary fiber art at Saterglantan Hemslojdens gard in Insjon and Handarbetets Vanner in Stockholm.  Pursuing her interest in felting and natural dyes, she taught and studied at Jurva College of Arts and Crafts in Jurva, Finland. 

Frigard has shown her work at the Cohen Gallery at Xavier University and the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft in Louisville. She participated in the following shows in 2007 - Stitched at the Surface Library Atelier and Gallery in East Hampton, New York; Sum of the Parts at the International Surface Design Association, Kansas City, Kan., and - Intertwining Ideas at the Robert A Peck Gallery, Central Wyoming College, Riverton, Wyoming. Frigard earned national recognition for her artwork Paper Angel at the National Handweaver's Guild of America 2006 Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The art gallery is sponsored by Park National Bank and located in the Snyder Building on the UC Clermont College campus in Batavia at 4200 Clermont College Drive. Hours are Monday - Thursday 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

Exhibit dates:  January 18- February 6, 2008

Exhibit title:  Blue Bird’s Wish

Reception date:  January 24, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.