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Mariana Mace — fiber

The Arts Center Exhibitions:

• 'Portals,' Winter Show & Silent Auction, 2011
• 'Calculated Result - Mathematical Art,' Main Gallery, September 2011
• 'Where Birds Dream' Winter Show and Silent Auction, 2010

Artist's Statement, 'words are the keys to the door of my thoughts' - 'Portals,' Winter Show & Silent Auction, 2011:
For almost my entire life, I have been fascinated by using my hands to make things, to put materials together, to interconnect elements. Yarns, beads, fabric pieces, parts of plants – each small stitch, or row, or piece of fabric is much like every other, but, oh,  how they combine to create endless variety!
Working with my hands connects me to family – to the aunt who taught me to knit, the parents who encouraged me to bead, the daughter who wound skeins and balls of yarn for my weaving, and the granddaughters who learn basketry from me. Hand work also connects me to artisans of other times and other cultures.
My academic background is in anthropology, Native American art history, and world textiles. I study the art and fine craft of many cultures in museums, books, and world markets.  My goal is to respectfully use some of their ideas, materials and techniques in my own way, in my own work, creating new art from old traditions.
I enjoy collecting or creating the materials I use, going out in the woods to pull bark from cedar trees and grub in the dirt for spruce root or tules.  The weaving that travels through my loom is inspired by my handspun or hand dyed yarns.
For this show I somehow began to think of the journals I keep and how they are portals into my immediate and distant past, or a to a trip, or an experience.  I thought of them in the same way as my handwork – putting one letter after another to form words, one word with others to form ideas and memories.  I hope someone will use my entry: “The keys to the doors to my thoughts” to open their own doors..

Artist's Statement, 'Calculated Result - Mathematical Art,' September 2011:
Folk traditions of weaving often involve complex but informally learned mathematical concepts. The Soga mat weavers of Uganda work with color, a twill weave structure and alternating color sequences in groups of warps and wefts to produce intricate geometric patterns. Diagonal axes of symmetry, discontinuous lines, toothed squeares all combine to create a viaually stunning work. For this exhibit I designed a woven wall piece using strips of stiffened African print fabric alternating with a deep indigo blue.
As a textile artist I always work with the concept of putting together pieces to create a whole. Baskets, beadwork, quilts all build on interconnection. The geometry of each small stitch, or row, or piece combines in an endless variety.

Artist's Statement,  'Where Birds Dream,' Winter 2010:
I have had a lifelong fascination for using my hands to interconnect elements – parts of plants, yarns, beads, fabric pieces. Each small stitch, or row, or piece is much like every other, but they combine in endless variety.  It is important to create or gather  most of the materials I use.
Working with my hands connects me to family members who taught and learn from me. It also connects me to artisans of other times and other cultures.  I study their art in museums, books, and world markets and respectfully use some of their techniques, in my own way, in my  pieces.
The theme for this show -"Where Birds Dream" - came at a time when climate change, Oregon forests and the spotted owl were once again in the headlines.  Bird houses are the human attempt to provide refuge for wild animals.  They can't really replace the natural settings that support the wellfare of many species.  I was reminded that many birds thrive only in habitats protected from human activity.  If those disappear or are overrun by other displaced animals then there will truly be no vacancy for too many threatened birds.

Artist's Resume:
Mariana Mace is a fiber artist living and working in Corvallis, Oregon. She has a background in anthropology, textiles and Native American art history. Her work in weaving and basketry uses local materials that have been gathered and/or prepared by her combined with ideas from many cultural backgrounds, including her own.
Born in upstate New York and raised in Ohio, she moved to Oregon more than 40 years ago. She has earned two master’s degrees that combine textiles, anthropology, Latin American and Native American art history and museum studies. Her work has been exhibited and collected in the Pacific Northwest, other regions of the United States, Europe and Australia.
Mariana is curator emerita of the Jensen Arctic Museum at Western Oregon University. While in that position, she taught Native American Art History and Museum Studies. She also curated several Arctic art exhibits on the campus and at the Oregon State Capital as well as the Corvallis Arts Center. She co-authored Woven Beauty, an award winning book about the Clark County, Washington Museum’s basket collection. She has written articles on beadwork for the American Indian Art Magazine and Sotheby’s Auction House and on basketry for the National Basketry Organization and the Smithsonian Institution.

Affiliated orgs and galleries:

2011
Oceanic Arts, Newport, OR,

2010
Call and Response: the Conversation Continues, eight member group show, Giustina Gallery, Oregon State University

2009
Nothing New, national juried show, Textile Center, Minneapolis, MN
Call and Response, seven member group show, Giustina Gallery, Oregon State University
Personal Journeys, individual show, Corvallis Arts Center, Corvallis, OR

2008
Intertwined, three person invitational, Benton County Historical Museum
Small Expressions, national juried show, Handweavers Guild of America, Tampa, FL
Living With Beauty, national juried show, Business of Art Center, Manitou Springs, CO
Weaving Wright From the Garden, regional juried and invitational show, Gordon House ( Frank Lloyd Wright), Silverton, OR

2007
Sticks & Stones, group show, DIVA, Eugene, OR
Public Lands/Personal Art, featured artist show, Gallerie Nouveau, Corvallis, OR
Corvallis Community Open, ArtCentric, Corvallis, OR

2006
Corvallis Fall Festival Gallery, invited artist

2004
Trees to Treasures, group exhibit, Footwise Gallery, Corvallis OR
Basketry Reviewed, juried exhibit, Corvallis Art Center/ArtCentric, Corvallis, OR

2003
Around Oregon, juried exhibit, Corvallis Art Center/ArtCentric, Corvallis, OR
Group Show, Footwise Gallery, Corvallis, OR
Corvallis Community Open, Corvallis Art Center/ArtCentric, Corvallis, OR

2000
Hidden Talent, Art by Oregon Museum Professionals, Benton County Historical Museum, Philomath, OR

2001
Group Show, Northwest Basket Weavers Retreat, Pilgrim Firs, WA

2000
Best of Oregon, juried traveling exhibit, Weavers Guilds of Oregon
Corvallis Community Open, Honorable Mention, Corvallis Arts Center/ArtCentric, Corvallis, OR
Empty Vessel, Corvallis Art Center/ArtCentric, Corvallis, OR

1998
Featured Artist, Canby Flock and Fiber, Canby OR
Juried Basket Exhibit, Convergence, Handweavers Guild of America, Portland, OR

1997
Sunburst Gallery Invitational Basketry Show, Lake Chelan, WA

1994
From Many Hands, juried group exhibit, Multnomah Art Center, Portland, OR

Visit Mariana Mace's website.