Stitch it out, sisters

The Irish Times – Saturday, February 5, 2011

RóISíN INGLE

The innocent embroidery sampler has developed a serious attitude in recent years. One website – subversivecrossstitch.com – features samplers with messages such as “You lie like a cheap rug” and other less printable adages. Visual artist Niamh White has been researching how this very feminine artform developed over the centuries and wants contemporary Irish women to get involved.

“Many women learned to write through the medium . . . samplers were often used as notebooks and as a way to make public very private parts of these women’s lives,” she says. “Before they were married, women would often incorporate their maiden names into the work and they were passed down as a maternal legacy.”As part of what she hopes will be a national “maternal legacy” project, White is inviting women to create their own samplers, a “running thread that picks up fragments and extracts from your life”. At her weekly Stitch Sisters gatherings, participants can learn how to cross stitch their own textiles. The sessions take place at Airfield Overend Cafe, Dundrum, Dublin 14, where White is artist-in-residence, every Thursday at 11am, and admission is free. More information from niamhwhite.com or tel: 01-2984301. No stitching experience necessary.

 

Invite

Interesting article by Gemma Tipton

Culture » Art & Design » Features »
The Irish Times – Tuesday, January 18, 2011
I’m an artist – can I take your order?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0118/1224287752457.html

Few Irish artists make a living solely from their art – with cuts in funding, even recognised artists have to take part-time work to support themselves, writes GEMMA TIPTON

Stitch Sisters

Weekly ‘Stitch Sisters” Sessions
with artist in residence
Niamh White
Thursdays at 11am in Airfield’s Overend Cafe, Dundrum

Starts Feb 3rd materials supplied
Free admission

Airfield artist in residence Niamh White is investigating the idea of maternal legacy & is calling for participants.

Join her weekly stitching club to create group pieces and personal samplers to pass on to the next generation.  Beginners and experienced stitchers welcome.

Your sampler is an opportunity to create a legacy, a running thread that picks up fragments and extracts from your daily life.
Call Airfield 01 298 4301 for more info or contact Niamh at niamhlwhite@gmail.com

Feeding with Eamon

Today I tagged along with Eamon for the morning rounds. There was a group of transition yr students in so they took care of the calves and sheep in the big field. I went with one of the volunteers to feed Glen, who has a serious fanbase, and I have admit I can see why! He wasn’t too interested in me as I wasn’t holding the food but he did let me rub his ears while he munched.
I followed Eamon down to the red barn where the cows and the young calves live, we gave nuts to a mature mother and her calf and put straw into the main pen with the rest of the cows and calves. Having worked in a mart on a previous project I was a little wary of hopping into the enclosure but these aren’t like regular cows. They are ladies- so gentle and affectionate, nuzzling for rubs and chin scratches.
From there we went to the pigs in the wildflower meadow. The piglets needed water and I nearly lost a welly stomping through their beautifully ploughed lawn.
The goats were being fed as we passes by on the way to the chickens in the stables and on to the piglets mother in the farmyard.
The weather has turned here now so I’m back in doors having a scone with butter made by the children from a local primary school in on a visit!
Brilliant day an it’s only half 2!

Airfield Artist in Residence

Niamh White has been awarded the 2010 Airfield Artist in Residence

About Airfield

 Airfield is a  35 acre estate with working farm, formal gardens, café and shop situated in Dundrum, Dublin. It is a non profit Charitable Trust set up for educational and recreational purposes.

Airfield is a place that reconnects people and nature, it is a place where they can reflect, be replenished and celebrate the fusion of man and nature through the activities of farming and gardening. We aim to nurture a respect and awareness of the natural environment.

 We offer a range of inspirational, active learning and cultural experiences that grow out of Airfield’s natural resources. We aspire to make Airfield accessible to people of all ages and communities.

Artists Statement

My work revolves around relationships, relational and social, often using biological and natural processes to explore and develop parallels with emotional exchanges and bonds. My work usually revolves around a place, material or mode of communication, often subverting the traditional function of objects and situations to create new meaning. Accessibility is a major concern of my work and using everyday objects and images helps to make the work more inviting and “user friendly”. I also incorporate workshops, artists talks and teaching alongside my practice to engage various publics who may not otherwise participate in my work.