‘The Fabric of our Lives' on display at NWFSC

Art can take different shapes and avenues.

Until Sept. 30, the focus is on fiber art for the Cultural Arts Alliance's ongoing A+ Art exhibit at the South Walton campus of Northwest Florida State College,

The college and CAA hosted the opening reception for the exhibit Aug. 12 at the South Walton campus.

The fiber art exhibit called “The Fabric of our Lives” features the work of four area artists: Ann Morrell, Emilie Pritchard, Becky Brodersen, and Ann Welch.

Morrell has been an artist since her college days. She was an art major who flipped to education to make living.

At retirement, she returned to her first love and began quilting. Then she decided, "Hey, maybe a quilt can go on the wall."

"I create for myself, family, and friends. My artwork is my artwork. It's something that means something to me," she said.

That includes the iconic piece she created from her memories of her mother.

"Mom was one of the first I did. She had passed and I wanted to remember her. That one is a favorite," she said.

The piece is eye-catching and memorable and shows a woman with a turban wrapped around her hair, eye glasses askew on her face, a cigarette hangs from her mouth, and her hand grips a coffee cup. She named it "Bobby Pin Queen."

"I consider myself an emotional artist," she said, "as my art is directly related to what is going on in my life. My pieces all have personal stories."

Despite the nostalgia though, Morrell said her mermaids are her favorites. Her mermaids didn't make the show, however, as they are topless.

Next on her agenda is "The Blue Screen of Death," something she recently experienced with her computer.

Pritchard, meanwhile, has been a weaver for 30 years. She specializes in designing and making heirloom-quality wool rugs for almost 20 of those years, which she now does almost exclusively.

"I enjoy making something with my hands. It's extremely satisfying," said the Panama City Beach artist.

Last year, Pritchard discovered a higher level of gratification when her work was selected by the Smithsonian for a juried exhibit. Her work was selected from more than 1,500 entries. She was one of 120 artists who showed in the exhibit.

Welch became interested in fiber art while living in the mountains of North Carolina.

"There was a lot of it going on there," she said.

But when she moved to South Walton in 1994, she got away from quilting as there is not a lot of need for quilts in Florida. Instead, she began making dolls — and each one is one-of-a-kind.

"I enjoy creating unique forms, especially from repurposed scavenged castoffs, clay, driftwood, beach glass, bones, wire and other ephemera as well as fiber," Welch said. "I want my dolls to bring joy and inspiration to others, to help us remember the child in all of us."

Brodersen, who lives in Freeport, said sometimes she has a grand plan with her creations. But most of her hangings evolve by intuitively putting colors and shapes together.

Event chair Susan Lucas said the committee decided to go with fiber art this time "because some of the most creative and interesting work being done is being done by fabric artists."

"They are integrating jewelry, metal, and painting onto fabric creations, and there is unlimited creativity," she said.

Next up in for A+Art will be faces and figures, which opens in October. This is the fourth exhibit for the CAA at NWFSC.

The campus is located at 109 Greenway Trail off U.S. Highway 331S. For more information, contact the Cultural Arts Alliance at 850-622-5970, email info@CulturalArtsAlliance.com or visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com.