Fiber Arts Sedona, an organization of seven professional studio fiber artists, will host its 4th annual Open Studios Tour Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Four members of the group plus two guest artists will welcome art lovers into their studios for a weekend of shopping, education and feedback. Check out sculptural and traditional baskets, paper and gourd art, journals, jewelry, wall hangings, clothing, home décor, screens, vessels and works in hand-dyed tissue paper, felt and more. The artists, who are all centrally located in West Sedona, include Shirley Eichten Albrecht, Wendy Bialek, Dee Durkee, Margaret Anderson, Komala Rohde and Joanie Wolter. Maps for the tour can be downloaded at www.redrockbaskets.com or picked up at the Sedona Arts Center (15 Art Barn Road in Uptown).
In years past, Fiber Arts Sedona’s Open Studios Tour has attracted more than 400 people from Sedona and across the country, says Dee, the group’s founder. While the artists offer items for sale at a wide range of price points, Dee and Shirley say the tour is just as much about educating the public about fiber arts and the amount of time involved in creating the art. “Primarily, we all work alone,” says Dee. “We like to receive feedback about our work not only to fill our souls but also to help us make decisions. And we all love to talk about our art.”
Fiber Arts Sedona began in 2010 as a way to promote fiber art, which includes anything from clothing and basket weaving, to papermaking and tapestries. Members of the group participate in national shows and have won numerous major awards. “In the past, fine crafts have gotten a bad rep,” says Dee. “But textiles have really come into their own in the last five or 10 years. Textiles are starting to make a big statement.” – Erika Ayn Finch
