Studio report, spring 2014

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Salley Mavor

I thought I’d take a break from showing my Cuba pictures (more coming) and report on what’s been happening in the studio. Not long ago, I noticed the early evening light streaming in from the windows on the west side. This is the only time of year that it looks this way. The sun’s position was low and shone through the still bare trees. I asked my husband Rob to quickly take a photo, which he did.

You’ll have to imagine what the rest of the room looks like right now, because I’m in the process of working on projects that are secret or just not ready to show yet. I’m making three sets of wedding cake dolls as gifts for friends who are getting married this summer. Of course, I want them to be a surprise, so they’ll be shown after the weddings.

And, I’m excited about making a large sculpture for the Portals and Passageways outdoor exhibit at Highfield Hall in Falmouth, MA this summer (June 29 – Sept 7, 2014). Working on this large piece has been very different for me and we’ve taken photos and videos along the way. I’ll show them after my sculpture is installed in June. Update: See how my sculpture, Hither and Yon was made here.

Lanyon-Quoit-Pink.web-(2)

I’m happy to report that my sister, Anne Mavor is also having an exhibit at Highfield! Ancient Landscapes: The Spirit of Place will feature paintings from her Mounds and Stones series, which was inspired by our late father, James W. Mavor, Jr., an astro-archaeologist who traveled the world documenting the connections between the land and sky at ancient sacred sites.

Soon, I’ll be gathering some of my older pieces, which will be borrowed from their owners for the upcoming exhibit, Salley Mavor: Expressions in Stitches: Then and Now, at Museums on the Green in Falmouth, MA (July 4 – Aug. 16, 2014). Historical needlework that I picked out from the museum’s collection will be shown alongside my contemporary embroidered artwork. I’m really looking forward to working with the curator and figuring out how to display some of the historical items.

More goings on:
Pocketful of Posies Exhibit
~ Cotuit Library, Cotuit, MA until May 27th. My talk is on May 2 @ 6:00 pm.
~ Lexington Public Library, Lexington, Kentucky (July 5 – Aug. 17, 2014).

Cuba: street vendors

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Salley Mavor

Every day, Cuban farmers bring fruit, flowers and vegetables into Havana to sell on the neighborhood streets. The farms are close by and you can see them hauling their produce behind bicycles and horse carts.

Cuba: doorways

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Salley Mavor

Through open doorways, we caught a slight glimpse of the life within Havana’s deteriorating buildings.

Cuba: cars

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Salley Mavor

The streets of Havana are full of American (and other) cars from before the Cuban revolution in 1959. It’s said that most have had their motors replaced with Japanese engines, but the old car bodies have been lovingly maintained. We took a ride in a convertible one evening!

Cuba: laundry

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Salley Mavor

In Havana, laundry hung from every balcony like flags of humanity.

Posies is going south in 2015!

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Salley Mavor

I am thrilled to announce that the Pocketful of Posies Traveling Exhibit will be going to the Upcountry History Museum – Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina! This is extra exciting, because southerners have been clamoring for the exhibit to come closer to them. The show dates are October 17, 2015 ~ January 31, 2016, so there’s plenty of time to plan a trip to see it. I have also been invited to do a book signing and give a talk at the museum sometime in the first half of November, 2015. An added bonus will be a chance to visit the area in SC where my grandmother was born and raised and where our Salley family has been for many generations.

Wouldn’t you know, just as soon as I announced that the exhibit’s 3+ year tour will be winding down, it has picked up momentum. Dana Thorpe, the museum’s director, contacted me last week and we quickly made arrangements. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m no longer actively seeking out new locations, but will respond to inquiries from interested venues. Looking at a map, Greenville is located in the north western corner of the state, near the North Carolina and Georgia borders. I am so pleased that folks from the surrounding cities and towns will be able go and see my original embroidered illustrations!

Cuba: modern dancers

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Salley Mavor

While in Cuba, we had the pleasure of watching a modern dance troupe in rehearsal. What a treat! They were a fantastic, incredibly talent group of young men and women. The dancers did an elaborate warm-up and then launched into a performance piece, with excellent live drumming. I was busy being mesmerized, while my husband Rob took these photos.

Posies originals at Cotuit Library

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Salley Mavor

The next location for the Pocketful of Posies Traveling Exhibit is the Cotuit Library in Cotuit, MA, here on Cape Cod. Founded in 1874 and housed in the former village school house (1830), it’s similar to a lot of small town New England libraries that have slowly grown in size over the years.

Because of tall book stacks against every wall, there is limited exhibit space inside the many rooms. I managed to hang 24 pieces in the library; in a glass case, on walls and on top of book shelves. Finding all of the artwork will be like a treasure hunt. I’m concerned that visitors, especially children, won’t be able to see the detail closeup on several pieces that high up. The glass case near the front door is the best display area for getting a close look.

I’ll be giving a talk at the library on Friday, May 2 at 6:00 pm.

Although I’ve said that the “Posies” tour is winding down, it looks like the exhibit will live on, at least through 2015. If everything goes according to plan, I hope to announce a new venue very soon. I continue to hear from people who want to know how to bring the exhibit to their area. Since I’m focusing on newer projects, I am no longer sending out proposals and actively seeking new locations. But, l will respond to inquiries from interested museums and libraries. That’s how many of the 20 shows in the past 3 1/2 years came about. I am willing to drive up to 3 hours away (from Cape Cod) to deliver and pick up the artwork. That means all of Rhode Island and much of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Locations further away will need to cover the shipping costs. So, if you work at or know someone from an organization that may be interested in hosting the exhibit, please have them contact me.

Cuba: people

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Salley Mavor

We were really struck by the expressive and engaging people in Cuba. On a popular tourist street in Havana, Polly Doll met her match with this character dressed up as a washer woman. Of course, it’s easy to feel like a repressed New Englander anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line, especially in a Latin culture. With the exception of the cigar smoking newspaper seller, the people we encountered while waking around the city loved having their photo taken. Around every corner, there was someone interesting to see!

Cuba: balconies

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Salley Mavor

In Havana, people seem to spend a lot of time looking out at the world from their balconies. In this series of photos from our recent trip, you can get a glimpse of the former elegance of the buildings, which even in their rundown condition, are filled with character and beauty.