Ruth Chenven Foundation

The Ruth Chenven Foundation is having an exhibit to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. I received a grant from them in their third year of existence. It was a wonderful grant that gave me time and money to explore nonwoven fibers at the then Philadelphia College of Textiles. Now Philadelphia University, I think. I worked in a nonwoven textile laboratory, very much on my own. The professor had invented a textile that was used on space missions. It was a felted textile able to withstand high heats, so the astronauts used mittens padded with the textile when they went outside on space repair missions. The felted textiles I made were certainly a precursor to the work I do now. I coated some of them with clay. Now I mix fibers with clay.

I am not in the anniversary show. One name I do recognize is Betsy Damon. She founded No Limits for Women in the Arts. I was involved in this wonderful support system for women artists in the late 80's, early 90's. Betsy was working on her water missions then and has continued to develop wonderful environmental works in the United States and China.

I have been working on a promotional photo page for the exhibit. Each artist who has won a grant in the past is permitted to send some promotional materials.