When you are at an SDA/SAQA conference, there will be fabric! But, really, the best part of this conference has been the food for the brain. Our speakers today provided a plethora of inspirational fodder.

The first speaker was Marci McDade, editor of Fiberarts Magazine. She walked us through several exhibitions that have been transforming the face of fiber. Next, was Jane Przybysz, Ex. Director of the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, speaking about what makes Fiber Art. After lunch, we first heard from Stefano Catalani, curator for the Bellevue Arts Museum who addressed, Reinvention or Reassertion?, Fiber Art and the Contemporary Identity Discourse. The last speaker was Kill D’Alessandro, from the De  Young Museum, who took us through the evolution of fiber art at the prestigious museum.

Probably the meatiest stuff came out of the panel discussion with all of these speakers at the end of the day. A lot of discussion around the Q word and should we use it, embrace and love it or leave it behind. Quilts conjure up comfort and mother love and grandma and babies for most people. They just can not equate the word with art.

Back to the shopping. Exotic silks has these absolutely gorgeous iridescent silk scarves for sale. I might have to buy some for printing or discharging.

Here is an overview of our small shopping area.

Ok, now for some photos of friends. Here is my friend Teri with her new red do. She has to start chemo soon and she figured, what the heck!!

Here is one of the Twelves, Karen, with my friend, Deborah Weir, part of the SoCal contingent.

And here are the gadabouts, Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison, curators of the Beneath the Surface show. They have been out and about San Francisco today, missing most of the conference!! They do know how to have fun.

The conference is great, but the accommodations are less than desirable. First, the hotel is pretty far from SF State, the site of the conference. The shuttle system did not work well this morning. Thank goodness, Teri had a rental car so we rode with her. Tonight, the restaurant and the bar were closed in the hotel. We ended up getting take out from an Italian restaurant and eating in the lobby with wine purchased from the front desk. Apparently, when they do not have business men, they do not provide these amenities.

That’s all for tonight!