January/February, 2026

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
January/February, 2026

Slowinski's small, celestial works,

Tulip Constellation,   Blue Stone Meteorite,
Chrysanthemum Meteorite,   Red Worm Hole

can be seen in person as part of 

THREADS OF IDENTITY
a curated fiber exhibition
presenting the work of over 25 artists.

February 6 - March 8, 2026

at the Scarab Club, 
217 Farnsworth, Detroit, MI 48202
1-313-306-9191

OPENING RECEPTION:  February 6, 2026
5:30 - 8:30 PM

Gallery Hours:
Thursday 2-9 PM
Friday 12-5 PM
Saturday 12-5 PM
Sunday 12-5 PM

September, 2025

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
September, 2025

Jennie Osman showcased many Detroit area artists in the Manoogian Gallery at University Ligget from 2015 - 2025.  She has invited us to celebrate her tenure as curator with submissions of small work to mark the creativity the students and faculty have witnessed and in which they found inspiration.   

Congratulations Jennie!  And thank you for the opportunity to create my first installation in my solo show in 2016, and also to work with 2nd graders.  I am delighted to be presenting two pieces from that time.

Four Seasons

Four Seasons, 2014
Thread wrapped wood with beads on a fabric covered base.
5 in H x 6 in W x 2 in D

Streetscape

Streetscape, 2015
Thread, hand-made paper, spray paint, insect mounting pins, felt,
on corrugated cardboard.
3.75 in H x 6 in W x 4 in D

Manoogian Gallery, University Liggett School
1045 Cook Rd
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
(313) 884-4444

Opening Reception: September 12, 2025 from 6-8 PM with light refreshments.
Hope to see you there!

Exhibition Dates:  September 12 - October 3, 2025

Please remember that the gallery is only open during school hours. 
Call before you go in case of school events or holidays.

November, 2024

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
November, 2024

Magnetism

Magnetism, Hand-stitched, thread on paper, 6.75 x 4.5 in.
Will be on view at
Woman Made Gallery
1332 S. Halstead St., Chicago, IL 60607
November 23 - December 21, 2024.
Opening Reception: Nov. 23,2024 from 4 - 7 PM
Hours:  Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun. 12 - 5 PM.
Phone:  312-738-0400

This is a new address for the gallery, now at street level.

If you happen to be in Chicago, stop in and check out the show! 

October, 2024

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
October, 2024

Fiber Art is finally getting the attention it deserves in the local, national, and international art world.  Pick up any art zine in print, online, or on social media and you will find images of art made with cloth, yarn, or thread; both new and recycled, and the myriad ways any of it can be manipulated...made by artists trained in textile arts as well as neophyte wannabes; artists who are skilled as well as unskilled; artists of all ages pushing the boundaries of what art is and how it can be created. 

I am happy to have been making fiber art even before it became the burgeoning milieu it has become together with many fiber artists who have done the same.  We have endurance and resilience.

This was a busy summer.  I had work at Materia: Edition Pop Up "Fiber Art 2024" from June 22 - July 20, 2024 in Detroit's Core City neighborhood; at the Jordan River Art Center (JRAC) "With Every Fiber of My Being" from August 4 - 31, 2024 in East Jordan, MI; in the JRAC Member Show in East Jordan from  September 8 - October 5, 2024.

The momentum continues with shows in Ferndale and Fort Wayne!

Garden of Human Variation,  above, addresses and symbolizes the variation in human sexuality.  Paper leaves with text explain the differences between biological sex, gender, gender expression, sexual attraction and practices. 

This work will be on view from October 2 - 25, 2024
at the Lawrence Street Gallery,  22620 Woodward Ave,  Ste A, Ferndale, MI  48220.  Opening reception:  October 6, from 2 - 4:30; mid-run reception is on October 20, also from 2 - 4:30.  These dates are Sunday and parking in Ferndale is free on Sunday!

Radiation

Radiation, above, will be shown at ART LINK Gallery from October 24 - November 17, 2024 as part of the "Compact: Small Works" (under 6 inches) exhibition in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

The gallery is located in the Auer Center for Arts and Culture,
300 E. Main St, Suite 100, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
Hours: Thurs 10 - 8, Fri/Sat 10 - 6, Sun 12-5  (260)424-7195  
If you happen to be in Fort Wayne, Indiana, please check it out!

June, 2024

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
June, 2024

I invite you to attend the opening of Edition: Fiber 2024 on June 22 from 6-8 PM. 

Materia Flyer

Simone DeSousa, the owner of Materia and Edition, gave me my first opportunity to show my work, Threadlines Sketchbook, in her commercial gallery in September, 2010 when it was called Re:View, located on Willis in the Cass Corridor.  Perhaps you remember that installation of 110 hand-stitched cards on the wall and even made a purchase to add to your collection!

The gallery has been so successful that she opened a second location in the Core City Neighborhood (Grand River and West Warren) and changed the name of both locations to Materia, embracing her Brazilian heritage.

This spring Simone invited me to submit my work for this fiber exhibition with 10 other fiber artists in Edition, next door to  Materia which will be hosting a solo show of paintings on PVC by Ian Swanson, a Brooklyn based artist.

It promises to be an exciting evening.  There will be a sewing performance by Thaddaeus Beals in the park across from the gallery.  And PUMA, a new bar and restaurant has opened in the same stretch of storefronts on 16th street.

Join me.  Experience the renewed energy in Detroit!

January, 2024

Slowinski Studio Newsletter
January, 2024

Dolores Slowinski is one of nine fiber artists invited by the Southfield Public Arts Commission to present work in the lobby of the Southfield City Hall from February 9-April 30, 2024.  Artists attending the opening reception on February 15th will talk about their work and the conversations contained therein.

Slowinski will present work from her Threadlines Sketchbook series.

September, 2023

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
September, 2023

Directions:  The Adrian Center of the Arts is located on M-52, just north of Adrian, Michigan. The street address is 1375 N. Main St., Adrian. The Center is on 55 acres owned by PlaneWave Instruments. PlaneWave’s administrative building is curbside facing M-52. ACA studios and classroom spaces are on the west end of the campus. The ACA occupies Buildings 43, Glass;
46, Gallery, Classrooms and Youth Studio; 47, Clay Studio and Classrooms. Acorn Studio is our 2-D studio and located on the southwest side of campus. Landmarks helping to locate the ACA include the Lenawee Intermediate School District, directly across the street; and Curtis Road, which runs across the north edge of the campus. See MAP below:

This promises to be a dynamic exhibition of work by fiber artists with active imaginations, and formidable skills in manipulating their materials.  Not only do they demonstrate a commitment to their studio practice that requires the endurance and determination of Olympic athletes but they also thrive within the contemplative isolation of their studios by maintaining a balance that friendships with fellow artists, and family provide.

Make plans to attend the artist reception to learn more about the work from the artists themselves.  Hope to see you there!

June, 2023

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
June, 2023

The online catalogue from the exhibition, We ARE Here: More Than Just a Number, at Cultivate Grand Rapids, is available here:  https://issuu.com/cultivategrandrapids/docs/exhibition3_wearehere?fr=sNmNhZTUyNzE0OTc  The show ran from April 7 - May 26, 2023 and addressed the issue of ageism in the art world.  The catalogue includes all the work, a statement and a brief biography for every artist in the show.   The exhibition was attended by over 500 people during the entire run.  Children responded to the work and were inspired to create their own work using some of the techniques used by the artists in the show.  It was wonderful to be told that some young visitors made their own embroideries on card stock after seeing my work!

Disassembly and Vapor Barrier, below, will be included in "Follow the Thread" sponsored by the Grosse Pointe Artists Association at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial. 

Ann Delisi, radio host of Essemtial Music and Essential Cooking on WDET, was the juror and will be giving a gallery talk at the opening reception on June 8, 2023 at 6:30 PM.

Exhibition dates:  June 8 - July 21, 2023
Location:  Grosse Pointe War Memorial, 32 Lakeshore Drive, Grosse Pionte Farms, MI. 48236
Exhibition/Business Hours: Mon - Sun 10 AM - 6 PM
Admission: FREE
Phone: (313) 881-3454

See you at the opening reception!

Disassembly

Vapor Barrier

March, 2023

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
March, 2023

 Cultivate GR, a relatively new gallery in Grand Rapids, MI,  is hosting: We ARE Here: More Than Just a Number, an exhibition showcasing the work of 11 artists from across the country, who, while working in a variety of media, share the distinction of all being over the age of 50. I am delighted to have the opportunity to show these two of my favorite small works.  My good friend and fellow Detroit area fiber artist, Boisali Biswas, also has work in the exhibition. 

Back to the Wall, the Being Slept, 2016,
Hand-stitched, waxed, single strand embroidery floss,7 colors, on black paper.   4.5” H x 3.25” W   

My use of the word "Being" in the title of this piece recognizes that this is an unusual individual who felt exhausted and needed the support of the wall to hold it upright and to protect it while it slept.  I think all of us have felt ostracized and in need of rest and protection in one way or another at some point in our lives.  All the stitched lines in this drawing are intentional in that they are placed to portray exactly this image.

 

Flight, 2016
Hand-stitched, waxed, single strand, shaded embroidery floss, 2 colors, on black paper.  4.5” H x 3.25” W

Flight is very different.  It is made entirely of unintentional lines, the lines that appear on the back of the work that I cannot see as I stitch.  The lines overlap.  The knots are visible.  It illustrates not only all the gestures and movements my hand made while stitching the piece, but also the energy it took to create it; the energy it takes to launch a body into the air!  When I finished the work and turned it over to look at these unintentional lines, the title immediately came to me and the decision to show that side was made.

We ARE Here, More Than Just a Number
Dates: April 7 - May 24, 2023
Opening reception: April 7th from 5 - 9 PM.

Cultivate GR
620 Wealthy St, SE,
Grand Rapids, MI  49503
Hours:  M - F 10 A - 8 P
            Sat 10 A - 5 P
            Closed Sunday
Website: https://www.cultivategrandrapids.org/

If venturing to the West Coast of MI, I hope you take the time to stop in and see the show.

More news will be forthcoming this summer, so be sure you have my email in your contact list or in your address book.  Thanks!

July, 2022

Slowinski Studios News
July 2022

I have had the honor of being included in Live Coal Gallery's Aired Out Quilts project which is a contemporary riff on the use of quilts by the Underground Railroad to broadcast messages of safety or danger.  I was interviewed to tell the story of our connection to our neighborhood.  April Anue, a very talented quilt artist, interpreted one of those stories and made it into a beautiful quilt which was displayed on the porch of my studio in November, 2021.  In addition to receiving the quilt, I have also been included in the documentary film about the project.  The film premiers on August 6, 2022 at 6 PM at the Michigan Science Center.  Details are in the image above.

The premier is a fundraiser for the gallery.  Live Coal offers art programming to local communities in the form of its Artsmobile as well as exhibitions at The Red, a gallery space on Clairmont Avenue.

Please join me on the red carpet at the Premier and see some of the quilts made for the project!  Tickets are $30.00/person.  You can buy tickets at the door or pre-order tickets online from the Michigan Science Center:
https://buy.acmeticketing.com/orders/469/tickets?eventId=62d19109d0bcf724800241c2&cdEventIds=62d19109d0bcf724800241c2&date=2022-08-06T18:00:00-04:00

Thank you Aired Out Quilts team for including me in this wonderful community project!

REMINDER:
Dates for my televised MetroArts Interview on Wayne State University PBS station, Ch. 56.3:
August 8, 2022 at 12:30 PM,
with repeats on
August 10, 2022 at 6:30 PM
August 14, 2022 at 9:30 AM.

It will also be available on WTVS3 on Comcast Digital (Channel 288), Charter Digital (Channel 433), and on Bright House Digital (Channel 156).

Afterwards it will be available on the MetroArts website: www.metroartsdetroit.com

June, 2022

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
June, 2022

Urbanization: The Bloodlust of the Built Environment 

Is currently on view at Woman Made Gallery in Chicago as part of the gallery's 30th anniversary celebration.  The show is up until July 16, 2022.  You can also see the work online. 
For details: https://womanmade.org/generations-30-years-of-woman-made-gallery/

As I was stitching this piece I thought of the red rectangles as city blocks, graves, parking lots, farms, as well as the death and displacement of  human beings who were in Detroit before my ancestors (who were themselves displaced persons) arrived and all that has been paved over since then...the bloody history of this world.

Photo credit: Tim Thayer

Lather Up! will be shipped to the Textile Center in Minneapolis, MN in mid-July for an exhibition of members' work: Common Thread, from July 26 - October 15, 2022. 
For details: https://textilecentermn.org/acommonthread2022/

I stitched this piece right after the first COVID lock downs in Michigan.  I was determined to depict all the soap that was capturing and carrying away the corona virus and also making my hands raw from frequent washing.  I finally found olive and laurel oil soap at a local Middle Eastern market that healed my hands.

Photo credit: Tim Thayer


All Women Are Daphne will be installed at the Jordan River Arts Council Gallery in East Jordan, MI as part of the Members Invitational Show from August 28 to September 30, 2022.  For details:  https://www.jordanriverarts.com/

I will be adding an entire garland of leaves because of all the women whose work I've read, seen, and learned about since 2021.  I will be stitching 5 new pieces to replace work that had been purchased from the installation when it was on view  at the Hannan Center, Kayrod Gallery: Poetic Cloth exhibition in November, 2021.

Photo credit: Tim Thayer

MetroArts Interview

In November of 2021 I was interviewed about my work by MetroArts, the Wayne State University PBS station for later broadcast. I just received a notification from MetroArts that my segment will be included in Season 11 of MetroArts Detroit which begins the week of July 11, 2022.
My segment will be broadcast on Ch. 56.3 on August 8, 2022 at 12:30 PM, and will repeat on August 10, 2022 at 6:30 PM and again on August 14, 2022 at 9:30 AM.

It will also be available on WTVS3 on Comcast Digital (Channel 288), Charter Digital (Channel 433), and on Bright House Digital (Channel 156).

Afterwards it will be available on the MetroArts website: www.metroartsdetroit.com

November, 2021

Slowinski Studios Newsletter    
November, 2021

All Women Are Daphne is the installation piece I created for an invitational fiber exhibition, Poetic Cloth, at Hannan Center, Kayrod Gallery, curated by Najma Wilson and Richard Reeves, Jr.. Measuring 9 ft. x 8 ft. it is the largest installation I have created and took over a month of 6-10 hour days to execute.  I hired a studio assistant for the first time.  Elaine Ltief cut 90% of the paper leaves and glued some of the base leaves onto the satin ribbon I used to carry the garlands.  She also volunteered to help with the installation.  Bob D'Aoust provided the wood frame and hauled buckets of approximately 150# of river rock into the gallery for me and helped arrange them.  Even with careful planning, we did experience a few glitches but were able to resolve them on site.

Hope you can come to the opening or at least see the exhibition over the next two months.

Daphne is a beautiful river nymph in Greek mythology who only wants to live in the forest.  Trouble begins when Apollo, son of Zeus, mocks Eros’ abilities as an archer.  Eros knows that Apollo desires Daphne and retaliates by shooting a gold arrow into the heart of Apollo which enflames that desire and a lead arrow into Daphne’s heart which makes her reject Apollo’s advances.  Apollo relentlessly pursues Daphne.

Daphne flees and appeals to her father, Peneus, the River god, for help.  Peneus obliges by turning Daphne into a laurel tree!  As a tree, she is immobilized, rooted to one spot.  Apollo still desires her and lounges beneath her branches and exploits her by making crowns from her leaves which he bestows on his favorite artists and poets.  Thus, mythology begets misogyny.

All Women Are Daphne celebrates women from all cultures and countries who are creative in surviving in a misogynistic world that is still trying to keep us in our place while exploiting our talents.  It is made of paper leaves in shades of green and blue that represent Daphne’s transformation into a laurel tree as well as her prior existence as a water nymph.  They are all hand-cut from templates made from actual bay leaves.

Over 670 names hand-printed on paper leaves in gold ink, honor women from all cultures.  It is important to name names.  Blank leaves honor women who remain anonymous or non-existent in historical records.

45 two-sided, stitched cards are named for women in my family or whom I have met.  An image of trees or natural environments is collaged on the back to tie the card to Daphne’s story; the stitching on the front abstractly relates to the woman for whom the piece is named.

Preserved fresh bay leaves, embody the mythical, transformed, and immobilized Daphne.  Each is hand-stitched and placed in the garlands to honor women’s handwork and culinary skills because we all stitch our lives together and feed our creative selves in all we do.

River rocks, in the frame below the garlands, represents the rivers and streams with which Daphne is associated.  (The halo chandelier is the type of lighting at the gallery and not part of the installation.)

Special thanks to Elaine Ltief, my studio assistant on this project for all her cutting, gluing, and help with installation; to Bob D’Aoust for his technical expertise and muscle; to Claire D’Aoust for being my sounding board.  Thank you to Richard, Jim, and Michael who also helped with and recorded moments in the installation.  To all the Daphnes in my life, you inspire me!  Thank you.

On November 14, 2021, I will be interviewed about my work by MetroArts, the Wayne State University PBS station for later broadcast. 

I have had the honor of being included in Live Coal Gallery's project:  Aired Out Quilts.  The project is a contemporary riff on the way quilts were used by the Underground Railroad to broadcast messages of caution or safety.  I was one of the interviewees and told stories of our life in our neighborhood.  April Shipp, a very creative quilter, was assigned to interpret one of those stories in a quilt.  On November 20, 2021 the quilt will be installed on the front porch of the studio from 11 AM to 5 PM for travelers to see.  Hope you can come by to see it!

September, 2021

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
September, 2021

The Healing Memorial Unveiled at the TCF Center
August 31, 2021 at 12 Noon

I attended the media unveiling of The Healing Memorial since I had been in communication with some of the speackers who would be at the event.  Deputy Mayor, Conrad Mallett introduced the work, addressed the importance of the project for all Detroiters and pointed out the many detailed objects on the 24 x 24 inch panels.  Thus far, 32 panels have been completed and mounted on the wall.  More panels will be added throughout the remainder of this year.

Rochelle Riley, (first photo) Director of Arts, Cultural Affairs and Entrepreneurship for the City of Detroit spoke of the heavy losses experienced by Detroiters during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  She addressed the inability of families to hold funerals and grieve together.  She referred to the Memorial Drive which honored the first 900 people in Detroit who died of COVID-19 that was organized by her department on Belle Isle one year ago and of the many who have died since.  She also spoke of the collaboration between the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the City of Detroit, her department, the TCF Center, the Cranbrook Art Museum, and the artist, Sonya Clark, as well as the individual makers who worked together to make this memorial a reality.

Mark Wallace, President and CEO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy (not pictured), spoke enthusiastically of the project and the Conservancy's efforts to collaborate with the City of Detroit, the TCF Center, and the Cranbrook Art Museum in making the concept of the Healing Memorial a reality.   Laura Mott, Senior Curator of Contemporary Art and Design, at the Cranbrook Art Museum (also not pictured), addressed the museum's involvement in working with Sonya Clark, the history of Clarks's Beaded Prayer Project and the unique aspect of this project for Detroit.  This is the first time that Clark has designated such an installation for a specific city.  The museum is also charged with collecting the amulets, mounting them on the panels, presenting, and preserving the installation for the future.

Rachel Frierson, (second photo) Director of Programming for the Riverfront Conservancy, spoke of her own loss of her husband (not due to COVID) in the past year and of her inability to mourn with family due to the pandemic.  She understood the need for some personal expression of grief, not only for herself, but also for everyone else during this pandemic.  She was only too glad to initiate hosting “making stations” on the Dequindre Cut, the Riverwalk and to facilitate more such events at the Sidewalk Festivals, churches, neighborhoods, and other locations around the city to promote the healing process for Detroiters.

Maureen Devine, Curator for the TCF Center, indicated that she was delighted to house The Healing Memorial at the TCF Center.  The space it occupies was unused and open and would provide adequate space for people to be able to experience the panels both from the 3rd and 4th floors as the space is two floors high.  There is also an escalator that connects the two floors that will allow people to see the work as they descend from the 4th to the 3rd floor.   The explanatory panel will also be in place until the panels are returned to the Cranbrook Art Museum where they will become part of the collection some time after August 31, 2022.

32 panels have been completed thus far and are in place.  Each panel measures 24 x 24 in, is made of wood, has a piece of archival foam core laid on top and is tightly wrapped in muslin.  Each amulet contains a handwritten message that is folded, covered with fabric, stitched or tied closed, and embellished with at least one bead.  Preparators at the Cranbrook Art Museum  pinned each amulet in place, carefully packed the panels and installed them at the TCF Center.  Approximately 1200 amulets have been included in this portion of the installation.  More amulets are in process and still more will be collected from future making sessions at the Cranbrook Art Museum and around the city.  People are encouraged to host making stations at their churches, in their neighborhoods and in their homes with family and friends.

For more information, go to:
https://detroitriverfront.org/thehealingmemorial
or
https://cranbrookartmuseum.org
or
Attend an upcoming making station: 
September 4 & 5, 11 & 12, 18 & 19
Cranbrook Art Museum, 12-5PM

September 18 
West Riverfront Block Party
West Riverfront Park, 11-6PM

October 9 & 10
Detroit Harvest Fest
Dequindre Cut, 11-6PM

I was fortunate to have been interviewed by The Detroit News writer, Maureen Feighan, for an article about The Healing Memorial that appeared in the paper on August 24, 2021.  I met her for the first time on August 31st at the TCF Center and we spoke briefly. To see her articles please go to my website:
https://www.doloresslowinski.com click on MEDIA in the menu bar, then scroll down to the items listed under the video.  Click on the one you want to see.

Thank you to everyone who came to Slowinski Studios in July and August not only to work on amulets, but also to be in community and share stories about our losses.  Thanks too to those of you who invited friends to your homes to give even more people the opportunity to express their grief and transmute it into something beautiful encompassing us all.  I hope all of you have the opportunity to see the installation at the TCF Center.

Exhibition News!

Urbanization: The Bloodlust of the Built Environment, will be on view at the Watermark Art Center, 505 Bemidji Ave., Bemidji, MN 56601  from September 3 - October 30, 2021 as part of the Surface Design Association juried, members exhibition called Earth Matters.  For more information, please go to:
https://watermarkartcenter.org/earth-matters/

Wildernization: The Triumph of Overgrowth, will be on view at Woman Made Gallery, 2150 S.Canalport, 4A-3, Chicago, IL60608 from October 7 to Novermber 6, 2021 as part of the gallery's 5th Midwest Open exhibition.  For more information, please go to: https://womanmade.org/

March, 2021

Slowinski Studios Newsletter    
March, 2021

An invitation to submit work to a juried show at the Jordan River Arts Council (JRAC) prompted me to complete work on an idea that I have been thinking about executing since 2012.  It gave me the motivation to experiment with paper shapes both 2 D and 3 D and merge them into wall mounted reliefs.

The title of the exhibition is Pieced, Layered, & Stitched.  It asked for quilted work with an architecturally inspired theme.  However, the JRAC, encouraged me to submit my stitched paper work, knowing that I don't usually work with fabric. 

I had begun stitching a large sheet of watercolor paper that I had previously perforated into abstract forms.  I usually work standing and stitching large sheets of paper suspended from the ceiling.  Since I was only concerned with two areas of the sheet of paper, I cut them out and stitched them by hand while manipulating them on my large work table.
 

Urbanization: The Bloodlust of the Built Environment, 2021 
Dimensions: 13.5 in H x 22.5 in W x 2 in D

I had several blank papier mache structures left from my 1997 Structural Diaries series.  I cut one in half, removed the base, closed the open back and base and created a paper "skin" for each half that I would cover with the same stitch pattern that was developing on the background shape.  I cut away some of the stitching that had been completed on the background and outlined the areas to accept the architectural elements.  Once the background was completely stitched, I outlined the form on archival mounting board, cut it out and perforated the mounting board matching the holes on the edge of the stitched background.  I stitched the background to the mounting board utilizing those perforations to create an outline.  Then I fabricated a foam core support and attached it to the back of the mounting board with loops of archival, self-adhesive, linen hinging tape.  Finally I glued the architectural elements in place to the front of the stitched form. 

As I was working on the piece, with different tonalities of red and pink thread, I thought of city blocks, subdivisions, buildings and all the blood that was shed in the process, from the initial taking of land from indigenous people, to the wars fought between colonizers and native people, to the restrictive covenants discriminating against people of color and ethnic origin, to the declaration of eminent domain to take homes and land from people for building highways without adequate recompense, to the paving over of masses of land for parking lots…all of which are still ongoing in our white supremacist society.  Thus the title became Urbanization: The Bloodlust of the Built Environment.

Wildernization: The Triumph of Overgrowth, 2021
Dimensions: 17 in H x 21 in W x 2 in D

The second piece already had the structures stitched and ready to be glued in place.  But the surface stitching had to be completed.  I intended to cover the entire surface of the background with stitches.  I pushed myself to add different shades of green and tan to allude to vegetation and earth since this piece was the antidote to the first.  Whereas Urbanization represented the destruction of people and the natural environment to build cities, Wildernization represented the natural conquest of abandoned cities by vegetation as I personally witnessed in parts of Detroit over the last several decades.  We have a tendency to think of ourselves as the most highly developed species on the planet, when in fact we are merely a part of the ecosystem.  Were we to disappear, nature would not miss us so much as decompose us and return our components to nurture our fellow inhabitant species.  Every gardener knows this to be true.

With the two pieces completed, I had to figure out how I could safely ship them to East Jordan, MI.  I purchased a special art shipping box from ULINE and customized it for my purposes.

It was a double walled box with three foam pads in it.  The top and bottom pads were dimpled.  The center pad was flat on both sides and perforated into small squares so parts could be removed to hold a framed work of art snuggly cradled between the top and bottom.  This was the pad I had to customize.                

I cut templates of each piece out of glassine paper, taped them in place on the middle layer of foam, cut out depressions in the foam to accommodate the architectural elements and lined those depressions with glassine as well.  I did this to prevent the foam from abrading the thread on the front of the work which would be placed face down on the glassine.

Once the two art works were in place, I included nitrile gloves to be worn by the person lifting the work out of the box and mounting the work on the wall.  You can see the 3M Command Picture Mounting Tabs on the back of each piece.  I also included extra mounting tabs in case of an emergency repair.  You can see the dimpled foam layer near the top edge of this photo.  That was placed on top of the work and the box closed and taped shut.

Then the box was slipped into a large plastic bag, tied shut and encircled with a double row of air pillows I had woven and tied together with a strong cotton cord.  I always ship art packed in a box which is then packed into an outer box in an effort to do as much as I can to prevent the work from being damaged.

This is the exterior box with a label indicating which end should be opened.  I also included instructional labels at each step of the unpacking and emailed a sheet with same and thumbnail images to JRAC to give them a "heads up" as to what to expect.  From their response, all went smoothly.

Here is the announcement postcard with  details of the exhibition:

If you need a trip away, please consider a drive up to East Jordan, MI  to see the show.  Be sure to email the JRAC if you would like to schedule a weekday visit.  Details above.

A view of the interior of the JRAC Gallery as you enter.  This is one of the few places that has the courage to use color on the walls of the exhibition space.

Pieced, Layered, & Stitched  awarded cash prizes as follows:

              

1st Place

$500 prize sponsored by Pat O'Brien and Associates

Sarah Bearup-Neal

He Burned Down the House on the Way Out


2nd Place

$250 prize sponsored by JRAC

Dolores Slowinski

Wildernization: The Triumph of Overgrowth

 

             

3rd Place

$100 prize sponsored by Jennifer Burr-Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors

Boisali Biswas

Palace Speaks at Night II
(This work was also used  on the banner on the exterior of the building!)
 


with Honorable Mentions going to:             

Amy Donaldson- Cityscapes

             

Mica Harrison- Where the Witch Lives

              

Marcia Meyer- Gables


There are many other fine works in the show.  You can see them on Facebook at Jordan River Arts Council.

Thank you to the Jordan River Arts Council for their consistent support of Fiber Artists and Art in Michigan!

October, 2020

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
October, 2020

Woman Made Gallery

Independent curator, Juana Williams, selected only 35 out of 600 pieces submitted for the 23rd International Open at Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, IL.  My work, Wiggle, shown below, was among those selected.  It will probably be the smallest piece in the show as it measures a mere 3 in x 3 in.
 

The exhibition will be a hybrid:  virtual and in person, from October 30 - November 21, 2020.  Woman Made Gallery is located at 2150 S. Canalport, #4A-3; Chicago IL 60608.  Please call (312) 738-0400 or email the gallery general@womanmade.org if you wish to make an in-person visit.  Gallery Hours: Th-Fri 12-6 pm | Sat-Sun 12-4 pm or by appointment | Closed on Major Holidays.  For more information go to https://womanmade.org/

Grandmother

I was also fortunate to have work included in the Grandmother exhibition at the Hannan Center Kayrod Gallery in Detroit's Cultural Center from August 21 - September 30, 2020.  This was a lovely exhibition that presented visual work together with the stories the artists told about the work inspired by grandmothers. I had three, prismacolor pencil drawings on black paper included in the show.

On the left is an image of my maternal grandmother as I remember her in her garden.  She worked wearing a worn vest sweater and her babushka/head scarf. 

In the middle is a three generations drawing with my Mother reaching up to the tree of life: me, the Virgin, sitting at the base of the tree; and my Grandmother, the Crone, picking strawberries. 

On the right is a dream mandala drawing.  I am lying on my side, pregnant with my daughter, Claire.  Beneath my head is another fetus, my creative imaginination.  I am protected by the arms of my grandmother below her all-seeing breasts.

Dorothy Jett-Carter, April Anue, and I talked about our work at the invitation of Kathy Bricker, who organizes outings for the Needle Work and Textile Guild of Michigan, on September 23, 2020 at the Kayrod Gallery.  It is always a delight to meet other fiber artists and enthusiasts.

Marking Time
 

At the start of the stay-at-home order I thought I would start working on something very different and BIG BIG BIG in my studio!  But I just couldn’t do that.  BIG just didn’t seem important.  The pandemic was BIG and it was making people miserable, sick and killing them! 
 
Then all the face mask patterns became available and I thought I would make a lot of those.  I made two and stopped.  There were so many patterns coming out almost as fast as I found them.  It was no use.  It was all too confusing.
 
Out of frustration, I picked up narrow strips of scrap booking paper I had in my studio and cut them in half so that they were about the size of a bookmark.  I perforated lines in the paper with my sewing machine and then stitched into the holes by hand.    

I made 30 for people I write to every month.  Some are almost blind, but these were pieces they could touch and run their fingers over the stitches.  I used bright colors too, hoping that even if the lines were blurry, at least the colors would be pleasing.

I tore handmade paper into strips too and kept on stitching.  Soon I was putting texture between the lines. 

Then I was covering almost the entire piece of paper with stitches. 

I call this my Marking Time Series…as we are all marking time until this pandemic is over.  This series will be ongoing until I feel comfortable working larger...or perhaps this will remain my way of putting art into peoples' hands so that they can touch something besides computer keyboards or the glass of their smartphone screens.  One of my pen pals now addresses me as QEM...the Queen of Exquisite Minutiae.  I delight in the moniker!

STAY SAFE
WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN
WEAR YOUR MASK IN PUBLIC AREAS
 VOTE AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT!
RBG-RIP

July, 2020

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
July, 2020

I am delighted to have work selected not only for the exhibition Uncommon Threads at the Scarab Club, but for the piece to have also been selected for use in the signage for the exhibition.  It is quite wonderful to see Carnival, which measures only 3 in x 5 in, on such a grand scale in detail.
 

I hope you get a chance to see the exhibition. 

The Scarab Club
217 Farnsworth St
Detroit, MI 48202
(313) 831-1250
presents

Please be aware that the Scarab Club is adhering to the guidelines provided by the State, CDC, and WHO, as well as industry best practices.  The Scarab Club has established new protocols for staff and visitors that will include:

  • Health screening and temperature checks for all staff.

  • Health screening of all visitors upon entering the building.

  • Requiring masks or face coverings within the building for all staff and visitors.

  • Allowing twenty people or fewer visitors in the gallery at a time.

  • One-way traffic patterns and distancing segments to help maintain a safe distance.

  • Hand sanitizing dispensers and frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces. 

Please be considerate of others and comply with these protocols..
 

Hours: 
July 10-11-12, 2020   Noon - 5 PM
Thereafter through August 29, 3030: Wed-Sun, Noon - 5 PM

If your schedule does not permit you to visit the exhibition, Jeremy Noonan has taped a tour of the exhibition which will appear on the Scarab Club website: https://scarabclub.org/

Thank you.
Stay safe.

June, 2020

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
June, 2020

Thank you to Ryan Standfest for inviting me to participate in another Detroit Sequential project: The Sunday Comics, which take the full page style of old time "Sunday funnies!"  The 16 x 22 in. full page format was too large for me to be able to stitch something in time.  It required a family collaboration!

I found our album of snapshots of the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay that came through Detroit in early June of 1996.  Robert D'Aoust, my husband, scanned them in for me.  I created a storyboard of the images with some text and handed it off to Claire D'Aoust, our daughter, who created the artwork that told the story of how we and our friends and neighbors greeted the Torchbearer that morning. 

It is particularly fitting to recall that event in light of the postponement of the Summer Olympics to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Please click on the link to see the comic set into The Sunday Comics and to see what other Detroit artists have produced.  You can also sign up to receive the additional comics as they are published online.  Enjoy!

http://rotlandpress.com/detroit-sequential-sunday

In addition to the Sunday Comic, I created a work at the beginning of the pandemic lock down that reflected my encounter with the frequent hand washing that was required.  It is called Lather Up!  It is hand-stitching done over a paper collage.  It evokes soap, water, and the subsequent rawness my skin experienced in an effort to keep the virus away.

I also created a work for a project called 25 Million Stitches.  This project was originated by a group of women in Sacramento, CA to remind us of the 25 million refugees in the world.  Artists were asked to stitch a linen or muslin panel 15 x 35 in and to create a design of their choice but to count the stitches in it so that number could be added until they reached 25 million.

Mine is called 8,000 Stitches.  Each star represents a community be it a family, village, city, state, or country.  As people leave their communities, the communities fall apart.

Finally, as Father's Day approaches, I think of the Fathers who have died as a result of violence, particularly Fathers whose skin color made them vulnerable just being in our harsh and judgmental world.  I also think of the young men who never had the opportunity to become fathers simply because someone pre-judged them based on the color of their skin; of the young men who died because they desired companionship with someone of the same sex, or who have been denied the rights to be a father by adoption because of their sexual preference; or the young transgender individuals who identify as males but are ostracized and denied human compassion because of their identity.  We are one species.  We need more compassion for one another.   Please hold all these human beings in your heart with compassion on Father's Day as I hold you in mine.

January, 2020

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
January, 2020

An Effervescent Universe of Stitched Phenomenon featured in Dutch contemporary textile zine: Textiel Plus!

I am delighted that Dorothé Swinkels, a textile art connoisseur in the Netherlands, recently contacted me via email. She had read my 2013 World Of Threads interview and had perused my website.  She was interested in learning more about An Effervescent Universe of Stitched Phenomena, the body of work from my solo show of 2018 and provided a list of questions and some images she had selected from my website. 
 

Thank you Dorothé for your interest in writing about my work and introducing it to the TxP audience!

Her article:  'Thread is Dolores Slowinski's Pencil" can be read in Dutch here:

https://www.textielplus.nl/artikelen/draad-is-het-potlood-bij-dolores-slowinski/

Please check it out to see the layout of the text and images.

The English translation:
 

Thread is Dolores Slowinski’s pencil.

by Dorothé Swinkels

Thread is the primary drawing tool of the American artist Dolores Slowinski.  In her work, she explores its use and embroiders her abstract drawings on paper. She prefers to work on paper because it is sturdy enough to hold without collapsing.  Only when viewed up close can it be seen that her "drawings" are made with thread.

Material is her motive, Dolores says: "When I see threads, pieces of paper, I want to touch them.  I want to thread a needle and get to work."

The starting point of each work from the series discussed here "An Effervescent Universe of Stitched Phenomena" are the self-designed patterns embroidered on perforated cross-stitch paper she had from a previous project.  Instead of throwing it away, she challenged herself to reuse it in a creative way.  She lets it be her starting point, lets it "bleed" at the edges in the background and uses a different pattern for each new color. The sewn shapes or textures in one piece can inspire another work.
 
Dance

"Actually, my method is a bit like improvised dance," says Dolores. "I invite the paper and the thread to participate so that the dance begins. I work intuitively, without a preconceived plan, do not use a sketchbook, correct any errors while working, certainly do not want to make a sketch in another material beforehand to execute it in thread. Thread is my line: why put a pencil first? I choose the paper, the thread in whatever color, but I never know what will appear on that sheet of paper. "
That is the surprise element that Dolores likes most about her work.
 
Use of color
 
"I challenge myself to work with colors that I find unattractive"

She says about her use of color: "I am attracted to bright colors, but I often challenge myself to work with colors that I find unattractive, colors that I would normally not want to work with, or sometimes just black, white and gray. I think it's a good exercise to get out of my comfort zone and when the discomfort changes into comfort, I challenge myself again. I don't want to become complacent in my work.

Dorothé Swinkels is a great lover and connoisseur of autonomous textile art. After a career in the field as a teacher and coordinator of the fashion and textile department of the art academy in Maastricht, she now shares her accumulated knowledge and very large network for the benefit of TxP and advises Museum Rijswijk on compiling the international textile biennales . She publishes daily on the heavily visited Facebook page Textiel Plus.

October, 2019

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
October, 2019

You are invited to
DETROIT FUTURE HISTORY
an exhibition exploring the city, its people, places, memories and possibilities…

Artist Talk
October 6, 2019
3:00 PM
IRWIN HOUSE GLOBAL ART CENTER & GALLERY
2351 W. Grand Blvd. (between LaSalle and Linwood)
Detroit, MI 48208
Phone: 313.932.7690 

Don't miss seeing the video by artist-in-residence, John Sims, upstairs.

Street parking is available in front of the gallery.

September 2019

Slowinski Studios Newsletter
September, 2019

You are invited to
DETROIT FUTURE HISTORY
an exhibition exploring the city, its people, places, memories and possibilities…


Opening Reception: September 28, 2019
5:30 - 8:30 PM
IRWIN HOUSE GLOBAL ART CENTER & GALLERY
2351 W. Grand Blvd. (between LaSalle and Linwood)
Detroit, MI 48208
Phone: 313.932.7690 

Featured Artists include:
Brian Nickson, Damon Chamblis, Darin Darby,
Dolores Slowinski, James Charles Morris, Jeni Wheeler,
Jon DeBoer, Kathleen Rashid, Lance Johnson,
Melissa Vize, Robert W. Clark III and Waleed Johnson.

Street parking is available in front of the gallery.

Also of interest in Michigan's Northern region:

The Glen Arbor Art Center
6031 S Lake St.
Glen Arbor, MI  49636
231-334-6112

Monday thru Friday: 9am – 4pm
Saturday and Sunday: 12pm – 4pm (during exhibits in main gallery)

Fiber Without Borders | September 13 – November 7, 2019, an exhibition of 2D and 3D work that explores fiber in fresh, original ways as an art-making medium.

Featured Artists:  Jill Ault, Boisali Biswas, Kathy Brady, Lois Bryant, Barbara Bushey, Millie Danielson, Karin Fish, Mary Fortuna, Mary Guntzviller, Elizabeth Rodgers-Hill, Colleen Kole, Susie Krage, Kristi Kuder, Nancy McRay, Denise Samuels, Dolores Slowinski, Holly Sorensen, Meg Staley, and the Invasive Species Project artists Jami Blaauw-Hara, Nancy McRay, Marcia Meyer, Anne Morningstar, Jasmine Lace Petrie, Shanna Robinson, Dawn Swaim, and Carrie Strand Tebeau.


And while you are "up North" be sure to see Carole Harris: Art Quilts, September 22 - December 29, 2019,
The wonderful work of Detroit textile artist, Carole Harris, on view at the
Dennos Museum Center
1410 College Drive,
Traverse City, MI 49686

Chromatic Conversations by Dolores Slowinski is traveling around the US in the company of 32 small-scale art works by artists from 29 states and 3 countries as part of the Handweavers Guild of America "Small Expressions" exhibition.

If you happen to be in any of these locations, please be sure to visit the show!

Aiken Center for the Arts, Aiken, SC Sept. 17-Oct. 10, 2019

Texas A&M University/University Art Gallery, College Station, TX, Oct. 24-Dec. 14, 2019

St. George Art Museum, St. George, UT, Dec. 23-Feb. 10, 2020

Levis JCC's Schuman Museum Gallery, Boca Raton, FL, Feb. 23-Mar. 29, 2020

Thousand Island Arts Center, Clayton, NY, April 20-May 29, 2020

Holter Museum of Art, Helena, MT, June, 2020 (dates not confirmed)
 
These skilled artists employ a variety of traditional and non-traditional media creating an outstanding presentation:  Kate Barber, Exeter, Rhode Island • Linda Barlow, Santa Fe, New Mexico • Loren Batt, La Roche Guyon, France • Sarah Ruth Beyer, Rio Vista, Texas • Al Canner, Boulder, Colorado • Karin Conopask, Hope Valley, Rhode Island • Deborah Corsini, Pacifica, California • Sharon M. Crary, Napa, California • Molly Elkind, Santa Fe, New Mexico • Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry, Port Townsend, Washington • Rebecca Grass, Manchester, Missouri • Barbara J. Hauck, Erie, Pennsylvania • Charlotte Hickman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • Lily Martina Lee, Boise, Idaho • Connie Lippert, Seneca, South Carolina • Aryana B. Londir, Phoenix, Arizona • Pamela MacGregor, McClure, Ohio • Kristin Majkrzak, Bemidji, Minnesota • Julie Marks Blackstone, Shawnee, Oklahoma • Judy Ann Ness, Eugene, Oregon • Laura Foster Nicholson, New Harmony, Indiana • Aviva Peres, Haifa, Israel • Julia Rapinoe, Seattle, Washington • Lois C. Russell, Somerville, Massachusetts • Jennifer Sargent, Memphis, Tennessee • Barbara Shapiro, San Francisco, California • Lee Sipe, Columbia, South Carolina • Jeanne Sisson, Northfield, Massachusetts • Dolores Slowinski, Detroit, Michigan • Rebecca L. Smith, San Diego, California • Peggy Wiedemann, Huntington Beach, California • Rebecca Winter, Meridian, Idaho • Deborah Zeitler, Iowa City, Iowa.  Featuring 33 contemporary small-scale art works by artists from 20 states and 3 countries.