Juror Statement

The relationship between human beings and the natural world has been a topic for artists since the beginning of time, when cavemen painted on stone walls to tell of their experiences of living off the land.  As a result, they left us a record of who they were and what was important in their lives.  With the collaborative project, “Little Lands in Fiber with Arizona Kids,” Denise A. Currier and the students of seven Mesa Public School classes carry on this tradition through the use of colorful cloth and sewing machines, to tell of their experience living in the Sonoran Desert.

Selecting only few artworks to represent the whole collaborative process was very hard for me to do. Each of the student collages contained sparks of originality.  Their work was uniformly marked by their strong ties to subject matter showing both distinctiveness and knowledge of the desert.  In selecting 25 from a total of 175 artworks submitted for this exhibition, I considered the various themes the students were asked to express through their cut fabric collages, combined with individual creativity with the end result being an individual vista on the desert landscape.  Also, I looked for basic principles of design such as unity, harmony, balance, rhythm, contrast, dominance, and gradation.  I believe that the works selected and framed for the exhibition best represent the project as a whole combining artistic vision with good basic design.

I applaud the efforts of Denise, the students and teachers, who each worked hard to bring forth a project that is both unique and substantial.  The strength of the results of this project will inspire us to take a long look at our beautiful Sonoran Desert and appreciate its natural wonders.