Fiber in your (art) diet

WEST VALLEY CITY — We sometimes see threads as a metaphor for life. We talk of the patterns we weave through daily activities and how the tapestry of living comes together.

But sometimes threads are just threads. And the patterns they weave are those of blankets and shawls and wall-hangings.

That doesn't make them any less interesting, as the Utah Fiber Celebration exhibit can attest.

This 19th biennial show of the Mary Meigs Atwater Weavers Guild is on display in the Cultural Celebration Center through April 11.

The show also features work from members of the Utah Surface Design Guild, the Utah Lace Guild, the Wasatch SLC Chapter Embroiders' Guild of America, the SL Needlepoint Guild, Utah Chapter American Needlepoint Guild and Swan Sampler Stitchers. A special mini-exhibit features Navajo weavers and the Adopt-A-Native-Elder program.

As you walk around the gallery, viewing the patterns, textures and colors, you will agree with show chairman Charlene Lind's assessment: "Exciting things are happening in the field of fiber arts."

A big change in recent years, she says, is that "computers happened. We now have computer-controlled looms and computer drafting. That has led to more complex patterns. With computers, you can work out very complex designs — before you put something on the loom and find that it doesn't work."

There are now looms with more shafts. Where many weavers feel comfortable with four and eight shafts, some are now trying 16 shafts, which makes for very complex work.

New fibers are also adding to the excitement. Soy fibers have become popular. "We're having fun with chenille. We see a lot of silk fusions, which are silk fibers tied with non-silk fibers in some non-woven way. Needle felting is big. You see a lot of newer techniques — for example, instead of weaving a piece and then embroidering it, you now see where extra threads are woven in, dyed to give the pattern you want and then removed. Grass and twigs are added. Pine needles are made into baskets."

These days, she says, you will find a lot of crossover in crafts. "Beading is hot right now, so you'll see a lot of beads around. Embroiderers are using beads. Weavers are using beads. And the beaders, well, I don't know what they are doing, except maybe finding new beads."

But given all the new approaches, there is still a lot of tradition. "We're also still doing all the things we've always done. There's just a lot going on these days," says Lind. "And it's just fun."