It’s the end of February and the 2023 ANWG Conference, Fiber Connections will be here in a flash. We want to encourage all attendees to participate in the shows, events, and activities that will be offered conference week.  The Daily Schedule lists dates and times for all classes, events, and activities. There are lots of workshops and seminars available, so check out the offerings in our Education pages.  Individual seminar and event tickets will go on sale March 27.

Entries for the Fashion Show are now open.  Consider entering an item or garment to show all of us your wonderful fiber art and perhaps win an award!  You can model your show entry or use a volunteer model.  Now’s the time to finish up that jacket, vest, top, shawl or scarf you’ve been working on and enter the show.  Diane Totten is our judge.  The Fashion Show webpage has all the information you need to enter.

The Juried Show is accepting entries until May 1.  This exhibit will be displayed along with the Instructor’s Showcase in the Riverhouse Hotel Deschutes North & South rooms from Thursday afternoon-Saturday afternoon, June 15-17.  Entry requirements, award categories, and forms are available on the Juried Show webpage . You will receive helpful comments from our judge, Susan Wilson.  There will be 25 awards given, and that means cash in addition to the beautiful handwoven award ribbons in each category.

Beginning March 1, entries will be accepted for the Open Show and the Conference Colors Exhibit.  See their webpages for entry requirements and awards.  These shows are not juried but are offered as an opportunity for all fiber artists to show their work and inspire conference attendees.  All shows will be open to the public for viewing on Friday and Saturday, June 16-17.

Some other activities to plan for are the Shuttle Race; both a race on Saturday at 1 PM, and a decorative shuttle display in the Marketplace Thursday afternoon-Saturday afternoon.  See the webpage for information on how to enter your shuttle in the race or both categories.

Fiber art demonstrations will take place outside the convention center on Friday and Saturday. Stop by and see a new weaving, spinning, felting, or other fiber art you may want to try.  If you’d like to sit and chat while working on a project, there will be Spin-in, Knit-in, Weave-in spaces with chairs and tables.  Bring a towel for the towel exchange Wed-Sat. and pick up a different towel on Saturday.  Door prizes will be awarded Thursday-Saturday of conference week.  You will want to visit the Marketplace vendor hall open Thursday afternoon-Saturday afternoon and pick up all your fiber art supplies and see the Guild booths and special exhibit booths located in the lower-level exhibit hall.

Events off site include the Johansen Tapestry exhibit at Central Oregon Community College library in the beautiful Rotunda Gallery.  Margaret Johansen was an internationally known tapestry weaver who lived in McMinnville, Oregon, and her art hangs in churches and other venues in Oregon.  If you would like to see some of the ranch life in the area, we are offering a Wednesday afternoon van trip to the Crescent Moon Alpaca Ranch in Terrebonne, north of Redmond on Highway 97.  This is a beautiful ranch where you can feed the alpacas and shop in their delightful boutique store for alpaca themed items and yes, YARN.

Stay updated ~~ The Weaving Guilds of Oregon steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference at the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon June 11-18, 2023. Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to the conference blog.