My Contribution to the Rubia Project

I call my square "Thread by thread, Peace by piece". I am honored to be a part of such a powerful project such as Rubia.

I chose to incorporate and embroider my husband's grandmother Ruth's handkerchief which is almost 100 years old, to bring the energy of a past generation of an Eastern European woman to the quilt.

I chose to use the image of the Endless Knot because it represents unending love, peace, good fortune and the interconnectedness of all beings. It is an ancient symbol found in many cultures worldwide but the Tibetans were the first to recognize the sacred geometry of the endless knot symbol. The endless knot is an important symbol of our time in the midst of turmoil and this powerful symbol opens the heart chakra and is said to allow the healing energy of the heart to guide us to peace.

The image of the butterfly is very important to me because,

"What the caterpillar thinks is the end of the world...the butterfly knows is only the beginning!"

Rubia Project: Women Helping Women Stitch By Stitch

I am proud to be currently working on creating my fabric square to be included in the collaborative quilt project organized by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art and the Rubia Project. The project will begin to come together in February.
Fabric artwork embroidered by the Afghan women will be joined (quilt style) with squares created by WCA members, to create an impressive larger tapestry piece. News of our project has reached Afghanistan, and there is much support for this collaboration.It is the goal for this piece to travel to other chapters, to other venues, The completed piece will ultimately travel to Darrai Noor,
Afghanistan. I will keep you updated on the progress of this important project.
Opening Night : May 2, 2008 @ The City Government Building, Wilmington DE

Rubia is a project of Social & Environmental Entrepeneurs (SEE), a registered 501(c) [3], which provides non-profit status. Rubia serves women in Afghanistan, offering education, skills training and income opportunities through the promotion of their traditional handwork. Rubia is committed to building sustainable business in a fragile environment,empowering women while respecting traditional ways, reviving and preserving traditional crafts. http://www.rubiahandwork.org/

New Rubia/WCA website coming soon! Look for it soon at http://www.marycrowley.com/rubia

"Crimson"

First Friday February 1, will mark the opening of "Crimson" at the Janovec Gallery/Studio at 4504 Milwaukee at Holgate. My painting, "Jenni Unfolding" is included in the exhibit. The current Winter/Spring 2008 issue of the Oregon Literary Review is now online at http://www.oregonliteraryreview.org, and features the work of "12 artists from the Oregon Chapter of the Womens Caucus for Art ". My sculptures were also featured in the Summer/Fall 2007 issue of the Oregon Literary Review in the Art/Sculpture section.

WCA Artwaves International Postcard Exhibit

You can currently view my postcard submission to the WCA Artwaves International. This is an exhibit of postcards done by women from around the country using recycled materials entitled "Sustaining Our Environment". It calls attention to our ever growing environmental concerns and how we can personally impact our world by recycling and reusing material. My submission "Soothe The Soul" was posted on wcaartwavesinternational.blogspot on December 14, 2007 and utilizes used Yogi tea tags that have messages of wisdom on them. They are sewn onto my postcard and then tea stained. In addition to the web exhibit, the postcards will be on exhibit at the 2008 WCA and College Art Association (CAA) annual conferences at Ft. Worth-Dallas, Texas. At the exhibition, works will be auctioned to benefit the United Nations.