The importance of art appreciation is a necessary tool for all people. Art and design is evident in our everyday lives whether we know it or not. From the placement of your food on your plate to the arrangement of your furniture, art and design is present all around us. We have the power to design our environments around us to improve our quality of life.

Through a series of articles I will
explore the history of art forms which have roots in our communities. The Carolinas have a wealth of art and artists to explore which deserve to be recognized and appreciated. First, there are five arts categories: Dance, Music, Theater, Language Arts and Visual Arts. I will focus on visual arts and its history in our communities.

Besides paintings and drawings, there are various mediums you may not be aware of that is considered art. Traditional arts including textile arts are rich in history for our area. Textile arts and crafts are practical or decorative objects that are constructed from plant, animal, or synthetic fibers.

Textiles are a fundamental part of human life and have been since the beginning of civilization. Branching from textile arts we have other traditional forms of art like quilting. Dating back to the Crusades, when soldiers needed warmth and protection from chafing due to heavy armor, quilting originated for its utility rather than its decoration. In addition, there are early Egyptian sculptures showing human figures wearing quilted material. In the early 1800's, women constructed whole cloth quilts for their families. Today, art quilts are seen as an art form viewed for the aesthetics and artistic qualities rather than for the usefulness.

These traditional arts serve as the core beginning of the fine art of fiber arts. Fiber Art is created using textiles like fabric, yarn, synthetic and natural fibers. Fiber Arts focus on the materials being used and the labor involved as part of the significance. Knitting, felting, braiding, macramÈ, lace making, and flocking are other Fiber Arts techniques. Tapestries took the place of paintings between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries in Europe. Most of the tapestries during this time period were used to tell a story or folktale that usually had a religious theme. At the same time in the Middle East, fiber artists created fine crafted rugs. It is evident that a skilled fiber artist can manipulate the colored thread the same way a painter pushes paint pigment on a canvas.

Through the evolution of textile art, Fiber Arts, has become an exhibited representation of life through the fiber artist. Fran Gardner, SC fiber artist, takes the traditional stitch and paints a story. (image with Weight of Line). She introduces her stitchery in collages to other mediums such as drawings and paintings. (image) - Orienting the Self. The result is a well transitioned mixed media work that reflects her voice as a professional artist. Her manipulation of the materials makes the viewer interested in 'how and why'?

"I constantly remind myself to trust that the process will reveal my intention and my audience will understand." -Gardner. (image) - Difficulty in Translation won first place in the Southeastern Biennial Juried Show: Fiber Fantasia in Duluth, Georgia. Year round, Gardner's works can be seen at Chastain's Studio Lofts, 107 South Main Street, Lancaster, SC. 803- 804-3659

(Christina Chastain is the gallery and program director for Lancaster County of the Arts and owner of Chastain's Studio Lofts in Lancaster, SC)