“Special opportunity to present ‘PechaKucha-style’ at SDA Conference” by Cameron Mason

May 17, 2017

One of the many not-to-miss presentations at the 2017 SDA Making our Mark Conference in Portland, OR, will be 20x20x40: SDA Members Make Their Mark. The session will be presented “PechaKucha-style”—a format developed in Japan in which each presenter shows 20 images for 20 seconds, speaking while the visuals advance automatically. This members’ presentation was a favorite at the 2015 Arrowmont Conference and could star you this summer in Portland!

Peggy Cox, Color Inside Out: Taught natural dyeing, sourcing, and chemistry to students at Westminster College in Pennsylvania.

“The presentation] was one of the best things I have done in my career. It was challenging putting it together…however so rewarding. I have also used the presentation many times since and it is always so well received. It has certainly deepened my connection with SDA and also with the artists at the conference.”

– Roz Ritter, 2015 presenter 10x20x20, Arrowmont SDA Conference

Roz Ritter, Reflections on an Ordinary Life: Artist using fibers and installation to tell her personal story through textile art.

As an artist and member of SDA, curating these sessions allows me to foster my own agenda to connect with others at the conferences. The SDA Conferences I have previously attended provided great opportunities to expand knowledge and to see work that pushes the boundaries of what fiber art can be. These PechaKucha-style presentations give members a chance to share what they are working on right now—giving us a glimpse of the varied ways artists are working in fiber-based materials, as well as a starting point for deeper conversations.

Mary Fran Brandenberger, Silk Creations: Organization that teaches silk dyeing and job skills to women in transitional housing.

“It was a great exercise for me and a very positive experience. I had just finished school a few months earlier, and it gave me a “deadline” for something that I needed to focus on…This was a great real world way to apply the things I had been doing in school, in regards to professional practice.

Once I came back from the conference, I connected with the regional SDA group and was able to present at one of their meetings which was very valuable for me.

It also made it easier to connect with people at the conference. A few people came up to me and talked to me about my presentation. So, I think those PKs made it easier for people to connect more naturally because they already knew what the person was interested in.”

– Lexie Abra Johnson, 2015 presenter 10x20x20, Arrowmont SDA Conference

Lexie Abra Johnson, Let’s All Be Nice to Each Other: Made work combining textiles and social practice.

This year in Portland the theme for the SDA Conference PechaKucha-style session is open: How are you making your mark? Tell us your story. Eight SDA members will be selected to present about their work in this special 40th Anniversary year. You are SDA. Show us the depth and breadth of how you are working with fiber-based media and expanding traditional practices.

The call for entry is open to everyone who is registered for the conference with no additional entry fee with the deadline of June 15th.The application requirements are simple: conference registration, presentation title, one paragraph synopsis, three images and a short bio.

I look forward to hearing from you!

– Cameron Anne Mason

Cameron Anne Mason is an artist, educator and arts writer based in Seattle, WA. Largely self-taught, Cameron draws on her background in design and performance to create sculpture and installation art which has been seen nationally and internationally. Cameron is represented by Foster/White Gallery in Washington State.