The Island Gallery presents “Eclectica” through Oct. 27. The exhibition features textiles, ceramics, prints, paintings and furniture.
The show includes new works from the gallery’s wonderful group of artists, including Beppa (jackets), David (textiles), Robin Hominiuk (ceramics), Sandra Holzman (textiles), Isnia (textiles), Curt Labitzke (prints), Carol Lee Shanks (textiles), Donald Smith (wood furniture) and Jen Till (oil paintings).
The October exhibition also introduces new textile artists Bryan Johnson and Mary Jaeger.
Johnson, a weaver, was born in Kitsap County and went to design school in Seattle. He was recruited by Ocean Pacific in 1978 to design outerwear in Southern California. From that point on, he developed young men’s garments, creating both fabric and silhouette.
Johnson returned to the Kitsap peninsula to “retire” and create on a much smaller and rewarding scale. The gallery currently offers a selection of his beautiful hand-woven scarves, shawls and shirts.
Jaeger designs sculpted and dyed accessories for women, focusing on quality and hand-made details. Drawing on her years in Asia, she creates timeless, well-constructed designs in unorthodox colors, patterns and striking textures – a perfect blend of Eastern and contemporary Western ideas.
Her signature work includes shibori-dyed tees and tucked wool wraps and other apparel, such as scarves, coats, jackets, capes, hats and bags. As one of her longtime customers puts it: “It’s classic with a surprising twist.”
Jaeger has studied at the University of Notre Dame, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Nihon Senshoku Gakuen, Kyoto, Japan, where she worked on couture collections with kimono artisans at Shiho International (Kyoto; Paris) and Koei Kogei Kinsai Yuzen Dyeing. She has also designed for Mary McFadden and Jack Mulqueen.
She is the recipient of several awards and honors, including the Association of Total Fashion Upcoming Designer Award (Osaka, Japan, 1988) and is a BUILD 2008 Special Honoree. Her work is featured in “The Fiber Arts Book of Wearable Art” by Katherine Duncan Aimone. She has exhibited internationally and her work has been featured in publications including FiberArts, Surface Design, Food and Wine, New York Magazine, Oprah, Brides, Interior Design, Elle Décor, Weekend, McCalls, and Martha Stewart. She is currently based in New York City.
The Island Gallery is at 400 Winslow Way E., Suite 120.
For more information, call 206-780-9500 or email ssn@theislandgallery.net.
