Sculptural Fiber
ARTIST STATEMENT
After exploring the woven form, I have mastered the art of diagonal twill and mad weave, with which I create forms and structures not normally found in the basketry world. My medium for this unique work is watercolor paper, which I paint and cut into very narrow uniform strips to achieve the precision I seek.
Approaching my work as a puzzle drives me to discover new shapes and weaving innovations. I often think, “How will it work out if I try this, or how can I get this shape or pattern combination? What if I use these colors in this combination in this order? What if…”
I am intrigued by the potential outcome of any new design. The evolution of my body of work is built on taking risks, and avoiding the “known”. The risks offer challenges, which often lead to new directions. This is the excitement that keeps me working in a repetitive medium: it is an on-going meditation on improvisation, a continual experiment through which my work can progress and develop.
RESUME
Selected Awards
2024
- “3rd Place,” 14th Annual Juried Exhibition, Gallery 110, Seattle, Washington
- “1st Place,” Patterns, online exhibition Blue Koi Gallery
2023
- “Honorable Mention,” 2023 Juried Exhibition, Schack Art Center, Everett, Washington
2021
- “Special Award, Textile & Fiber Art category,” Togetherness and Oneness, Williamsburg Art and Historical Center, Brooklyn, New York
2016
• “Merit Award,” Handcrafted, Maria V. Howard Arts Center, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
2015
• “Jurors Award,” 36th Annual Contemporary Craft, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona
2014
• “Merit Award,” Americas 2014: Paperworks, Northwest Art Center, Minot State University, Minot, North Dakota
2012
• “Jurors Award,” Northwest Fine Arts Competition, Phinney Neighborhood Association, Seattle, Washington
2011
• “2011 Niche Award,” Basketry category, Niche Magazine, Rosen Group
2010
• “Virginia Harvey-Design Award,” “Eye Dazzlers,” Convergence 2010, Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
2009
• “Craft Ideal Award,” “The 6th Cheongju International Craft Competition,” Cheongju City, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
Selected Exhibitions
2025
- “Fiber Between The Lines,” by Northwest Designer Craftartist and the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum, La Conner, Washington.
- “Anacortes Fine Arts Show,” The Depo Arts Center, Anacortes, Washington
2024
- “Vessels Speak Volumes,” Gallery Mack, Seattle, Washington
- “By Hand,” Blue Line Arts Gallery, Roseville, California
- “NWCraft24,” Schack Art Center, Everett, Washington
2023
- “BIMA Spotlight,” Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Bainbridge, Washington
- “Art Evolved: Intertwined,” Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings Montana, sponsored by the National Basketry Organization and the Studio Art Quilt Associates,
2022
- “Fantastic Fibers,” Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, Kentucky
- “Raw to Refined: Basketry Today,” Jansen Art Center, Lynden, Washington.
2021
- “22nd Annual,” Schack Art Center, Everett, Washington
- “Togetherness and Oneness,” Williamsburg Art and Historical Center, Brooklyn, New York
2020
- "The Gold Standard of Textile and Fiber Art," presented by the Textile Study Group of New York, Westbeth Gallery, New York, New York
- "Currents 2020 National Crafts Exhibition," presented by the Northwest Designer Craftsmen, Schack Art Center, Everett, Washington
2019
• ”40th Annual Contemporary Craft,” Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona
• “Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America Exhibition,” South Dakota Art Museum, Brookings, South Dakota
2018
• “Craftforms 2018,” Wayne Art Center, Wayne, Pennsylvania
• “Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America Exhibition,” Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, Washington.
2017
• “Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America Exhibition,” Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
• “All Things Considered 9,” American Art Company, in conjunction with National Basketry Organization 2017 Tradition and Innovation in Basketry IX Conference, Tacoma, Washington
2016
• “Craftforms 2016,” Wayne Art Center, Wayne, Pennsylvania
• “Holding,” Newcastle Art Gallery, Cooks Hill Newcastle, NSW, Australia
2015
• “36th Annual Contemporary Craft,” Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona
• “National Fiber Directions Exhibition 2015,” Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, Kansas
2014
• “fiber,” Fitton Center for Creative Arts, Hamilton, Ohio
• “Unexpected Weavings,” solo show, Jensen Art Center, Lynden, Washington
2013
• “Fiberart International 2013,” Society for Contemporary Craft and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• “Beyond the Basketry Form,” solo show, Appalachian Center for Craft, Smithville, Tennessee
• Joan Derryberry Art Gallery, solo show, Tennessee Tech, Cookeville, Tennessee
2012
• “BAM Biennial 2012: High Fiber Diet,” Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, Washington
• “Crafts Embrace the World," Cheongju-si Korean Craft Museum Chungbu, South Korea
2011
• “The 7th Cheongju International Craft Competition,” Cheongju City, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
• Fire House Gallery, solo exhibition, Rogue Community College, Grants Pass, Oregon
• Helen S. Smith Gallery, solo exhibition, Green River Community College, Auburn, Washington
2010
• "Baskets: More than Function," solo exhibition, Rocky Mount Arts Center, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
• “Craft Forms 2010,” Wayne Arts Center, Wayne, Pennsylvania
2009
• “The 6th Cheongju International Craft Competition,” Cheongju City, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
• “National Fiber Directions Exhibition 2009,” Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, Kansas
Bibliography
The Art off Contemporary Woven Paper Basketry, Explorations in Diagonal Twill
Selected Publications
Artistry in Fiber, Vol. 2: Sculpture, Anne Lee, E. Ashley Rooney
Rooted Revived Reinvented Basketry in America, Kristin Schwain & Josephine Stealey
500 Paper Objects, Lark Books
500 Baskets, Lark Books
Residencies
2021
• Schack Art Center, Artist in Residence
Grants/Scholarships
2018
• GAP Grant, Artist Trust
2012
• GAP Grant, Artist Trust
• Working Artist Grant, WorkingArtist.org
2011
• Silvio & Eugenia Petrini Grant, Handweavers of Guild of America
Collections
City of Bellevue, Portable Works Collection, Washington
King County, Public Art Collection, Washington
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Seattle Public Utilities’ Portable Works Collection, Seattle, Washington
Rocky Mount Arts Center Permanent Art Collection, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Anacortes Arts Festival, Permanent Art Collection, Anacortes, Washington
BIOGRAPHY
Dorothy McGuinness took her first basket making class in 1987. She has participated in more than 200 basket workshops over the years. She has studied extensively with Jiro Yonezawa, a Japanese basket maker and teacher. Dorothy discovered her medium of choice in 2000, when she took a workshop with Jackie Abrams using watercolor paper as a basket weaving material. She now works exclusively in diagonal twills and mad weave creating contemporary sculptural baskets. What most attracts Dorothy to using paper and paint for weaving is the ability to play with color and pattern. She enjoys exploring the interplay of weaving, color and design in new sculptural pieces and continues to experiment with various weaving methods and techniques.
Dorothy has participated in numerous local, national and international shows and has won various national and international awards. In 2007 she participated in a Fiber Arts Certificate Program at the University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education School. She also participated in the EDGE professional development program sponsored by Artist Trust in Seattle, Washington. Dorothy was born in 1961 in Western Washington and currently resides in Everett, Washington.
