Interconnections: Contemporary Scottish and Irish Weavers

Organized by Joan Baxter and Frances Crowe, the Interconnections exhibitions has re-invigorated tapestry artists from Scotland and Ireland, providing them with a focused and dedicated community that promotes professional representation of tapestry as an art form. In addition, it has also opened up creative opportunities and relationships with artists from around the globe. This online exhibit features the work of artists that have been exhibited in previous Interconnections exhibits, highlighting their take on contemporary issues in tapestry specifically within Scotland and Ireland, as well as sharing the future outlook of contemporary tapestry in the region.

The online exhibition will include the work of four Scottish tapestry weavers (Clare Coyle, Elizabeth Radcliffe, Joan Baxter, and John Brennan) and four Irish tapestry weavers (Angela Forte, Frances Crowe, Mary Cuthbert, and Terry Dunne). A detailed history of the formation of the exhibition can be found in an essay found here.

Curator’s Biography-Frances Crowe

Frances Crowe was born in Waterford and studied Fine art in The National College of Art and Design Dublin, where she discovered the weaving department and fell in love with Tapestry. She moved to Roscommon in 1980 and opened Grange Studio. She worked as an art teacher for many years while still maintaining her artistic practice. She is a member of WAR, VAI, DCCOI, BTG and ATA. As an educator, collaborator and curator Frances has facilitated many school and community based art projects. In more recent years, with the support of local and national agencies Frances has brought Irish and International artists/ weavers together to exhibit, and discuss their practice in her home town of Roscommon. Her work has been selected for many high profile fibre art exhibitions in Ireland, England, China and Canada. She has been commissioned to create tapestries for public spaces and private collections, in Ireland and abroad.

Curator’s Biography-Joan Baxter

Joan Baxter was born in Edinburgh. She studied tapestry at Edinburgh College of Art, graduating in 1976, and completed her postgraduate studies there in 1977. During her summer holidays, she worked as a weaver at the Dovecot Studios. She spent a further two years of postgraduate study at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, Poland.

Returning to the UK she worked for 8 years as a Studio weaver at West Dean Tapestry Studio, weaving tapestries from artworks by Henry Moore, John Piper, Howard Hodgkin, and others. During this time she was seconded for a year to work in the Victorian Tapestry Workshop (now Australian Tapestry).

In 1987 she set up as an independent tapestry artist weaving her own designs for commission and exhibition. Since then she has continued to weave, teach and give lectures as well as write about tapestry and work collaboratively on projects with groups and individuals.  Her tapestries have been exhibited regularly in the UK and internationally.  A move to the far North of Scotland in 2000 allowed her to live in the landscapes that have always inspired her work and prompted a period of experimentation and creative growth that continues to this day.

Her award-winning work is represented in many private and corporate collections.

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