Jeanette Sendler Fibre Artist: Artist in Residence Newburgh 2007- 08

Press for HOME 'Jeanette Sendler' in Gothic Script

17 May 2007

Newburgh Residency 2007

Newsletter 1
click images right for scenes of Newburgh...

Newsletter 2	Newsletter 3
Newsletter 4

We are coming to the end of my first 2 months of being artist in residence in Newburgh. The first month was filled with meeting people from various partner groups as well as dog walkers of Newburgh, shop keepers and the fish van. On the weekend of the 5 - 6 May The Fife Arts Co-op joined the Fife Open Studio events with members & myself taking turns to man the desk at The Steeple.

Steeple clock tower in Main Street on Newburgh

Jeanette at her temporary studio preparing samples to whet the children’s apetite

The highlights in the first month included a film presentation featuring previous residencies and two open studio events at the Fife Arts Co-op.

On both days some magical work was produced. Silk Paper Making was the subject of the first open studio event with some wonderful & varied work being produced. The second event saw six 1970’s Knitting Machines being the focus. Everyone took turns to try the various techniques with the work from each machine becoming a long joint effort

With the help of the museum and Janet Bayne from the History Group a story was told at Newburgh Primary School about a mysterious empty box with connections to the Steeple. This was presented by Jeanette as a vessel to be filled with artistic treasures over the coming months. The children will soon be working to this end with the first items likely to include a book containing jam making recipes. Faces of monks, saints and pirates are also to be felted & worked into a ‘Newburgh Hanging ’.

Janet Bayne & Jeanette introduce to the children the beginnings of the artistic journey to come…

Jeanette with the special box at Newburgh Primary School

The residency was featured in the Fife Herald on Friday the 13th April 2007.

Pan full of jam recipes written by the children of Newburgh Primary

Felted faces hanging to dry…Pirates were a big favourite….

left: The first items for the bo x... Felt faces hanging to dry..& jam recipes written by the children with quills. They are made to look old by tearing & burning the edges & sealing with wax.

Altogether it has been an eventful couple of months and I still have found time to enjoy my temporary studio overlooking the reed banks on the Tay. Look out for some Master classes which are being planned for the autumn with Twist Fibres.

Jeanette Sendler