Convergence 2024, where to even start? This year became all about the people for me. I want to meet more weavers that I feel like I clique with, but I get shy. Last Convergence I took a chance when I saw Elizabeth (weaverbee.ca) in the gym and introduced myself because I follow her on Instagram and love her posts. That turned into us hanging out together in Knoxville, catching up on the phone over the last 2 years and then being roommates this year! You can find her too on Instagram as @WeaverBee.
So when I saw @SydsThread (SydneySogol.com) in the Convergence Marketplace wandering around by herself I got up the guts to tell her I love her posts and am a fan, same with @ComfortCloth (comfortclothweaving.com) who I caught at breakfast the next morning. I now know them and Sydney and Tegan instead of just their Instagram handles. They were both leaders this year for conference and through them I also got to meet Denise Kovnat. We all ended up piling into an Uber when I found the three of them waiting for in the lobby and I had some free time to go see the Complex Weaver's Exhibit.
John Mullarkey (malarkycrafts.com) was shopping when I got to catch up with him and he joined the group that Elizabeth had already compiled for dinner before we all headed to the fashion show. Karen Donde (karendondehandwovens.com) was part of that dinner group who is the outgoing President of Complex Weavers, passing the torch on to Elizabeth at their conference which was just before HGA's. I also seem to have started to make a point to have an afternoon catch up with Clara at Convergence Conferences who I know from our years together at the Lansing Weaver's Guild, she lives in Florida now and we overlap a little between her time there for Complex Weavers and mine at Convergence.
I got to meet a bunch of the interns and talk about fiddly weaving things with Andrea! Getting to join this Conference would have been a dream for me at their stage in the Fiber Conferences realm and I'm glad to have them joining us (they have REALLY LONG days as interns so thank you thank you thank you for all of their hard work.) Check them out on Instagram: @AndreaAlexanderArt @AnneXavierHeide @Arghavan_Booyeh.Art @LesMaillesSerrees
I've generally been terrible at taking photos and I'm impressed that I remembered to take some selfies as I connected and reconnected with other weavers. When I go to a multiple day weavers conference I tell people it's not a vacation as much as I'm going to "commune with my people" because the energy at these is just wonderful. I wish it didn't trickle away so fast as I settle back into my normal day-to-day at home...this year I'm going to make myself make sure to reconnect, text and zoom to keep it going. Also, there were so many others, these were the people I hung out with the most and linked up with on Instagram.
I'm sure there are plenty of other's posting about their time at Convergence so I'll focus on my stuff. I was excited that I had 2 of my pieces accepted into the Mixed Media exhibit this year (it's the first time I've had two!) "Is There a Thing to Which Brings Us Less Joy Yet We Devote More Time" and "Playing With Fire." Both of these pieces are woven in Double Weave Pick Up and I hand dyed the warp and weft. "Is there a Thing..." has it's own beaded edging.
I also submitted my Klingon Light Bangle to the Leader's Exhibit because it hadn't been accepted to anything with HGA and has aged out....and it's a piece that I love and wanted to show here.
I had 2 seminars this year. Two! It's the first time I've had more than one of my proposals accepted. I was feeling down after the whole proposal processes and thought that I just might not do a seminar at all if only one was accepted again this year. It's costly to go to Convergence and not much is covered with a 90 minute seminar. I decided to move forward with the accepted proposals since I had more than one this year. They both filled just enough to be a go which I was happy about, and yet, at the same time, I had a lot of anxiety and stress (I do this to myself) with the preparation and leading up to the Conference. I'm glad I did it though. Most of my class for "Hands on Finishing your work" brought in things to play with and get ideas as to how to finish pieces, and I learned a lot from teaching the "Keep Track of Your Digital Art Life" which I'm providing video to my students to reference since I know it's hard to retain things that I'm learning on the computer without doing it over and over. I'll be submitting these proposals again and I have more to add and along with some cleanup in my PowerPoints.
I mentioned I was feeling down after submitting proposals and I learned why that was as I talked to other Leaders while I was there. Part of the submission process is submitting what you have taught in the past 2 years. Outside of the occasional conference I don't do much teaching. I've found a day job that I love and I've realized over the past 8 years that I hate the artist's hustle. My general well being is so much better knowing I have a consistent paycheck and security (like medical insurance and such). That being said, I have a lot of pride in the fact that I have had the opportunity to be a Leader at this conference for the last few conferences. It's beyond my wildest dreams that I'd ever have artwork accepted to these exhibits on the regular and then the fact that other fiber artist's value what I have to share?! It's a dream and I feel very fortunate to be where I'm at today. I don't have to keep the momentum that I used to have, but I do have to keep some, otherwise I think I'd be a bit disappointed in myself. So, I'll plan on some new proposals and old ones will be submitted again....we'll see how it goes. This year threw me a curveball and there are a few different paths life could take and I'm learning that I struggle with that kind of uncertainty.
