Upcoming Events:

”Aging With Attitude” A juried multimedia art exhibit “that challenges and expands perceptions of aging.”

Slusser Gallery, School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan (Art & Architecture Building, North Campus); March 7-28, 2008; Opening Reception: Friday, March 7, from 6 – 9 pm

”New Fibers 2008” Sponsor: Fiber Arts Network of Michigan; Juror: Patricia Malarcher, May 6 through July 24 at 2 locations:

• May 6 through June 12: University Gallery, Eastern Michigan University, 900 Oakwood, Ypsilanti, MI; Opening Reception: Friday, May 9, 5 – 7 pm

• June 26 through July 24: William Bonifas Fine Arts Center, Escanaba, MI

Press Releases

Lois Bryant Completes Commission for School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh

Computers and weaving have had a relationship since Joseph Jacquard designed a loom that uses a series of punched cards to control the pattern of warp threads in 1801. Weaving is based on binary code, as weft threads must pass either over or under warp threads.  When Jacquard joined the punched cards in an endless loop, he created a program for executing complex patterns.

Recently the Dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University challenged artist Lois Bryant to design and weave a tapestry for his office that shows the process of computer chip design. The weaving will move to the Dean’s office in the new Gates Center for Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon when that building is completed.

Bryant’s tapestry, “Chip,” shows computer science equations taken from the Dean’s whiteboard as the input on the left, a replication of a Pentium chip as the central and main design element, and binary code as the output on the right.

“Chip” is approximately 4 x 6 feet, of cotton and metallic yarns. It was designed on computer using Photoshop, and woven on a computer-assisted handloom.