Artist Bio
During a weaving class at the YWCA Alex Friedman became fascinated with the
many possibilities with textiles. Her enthusiasm landed her a job in NYC making
shaped tapestries for a fleet of 747s.
From that point on Friedman has maintained an active tapestry studio, exhibiting
nationally and promoting tapestry. She is fascinated by color and construction
within the grid format of tapestry.
Artist Statement
The 'Flow Series' represents a change in direction in my work. For a long time I have
been aware that tapestry, in addition to an art project, is a construction project with
associated textural and sculptural possibilities.
By keeping within the defined boundaries of tapestry (weft faced, discontinuous weft)
and exploring the process of tapestry weaving, I have experimented to see what
happens when the boundaries are pushed, technically and materially. Generally, the
third dimension of the tapestry is not fully realized until the tapestry is cut from the loom
and the shapes, released from a long period of increasing tension, begin to take shape.
Selected Exhibitions
2012
American Tapestry Biennial 9, international show juried by Lee Talbot, Curator, the Textile Museum, Washington, DC.
2011
Finalist in the Kate Derum Award Show, Australia, National University, Melbourne, Australia
‘Interconnections,’ Tapestry Weavers West’s Annual Juried Show, Mills Building, San Francisco, CA
“Art of the Line,” Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, California
“Fantastic Fiber” Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, Kentucky
2009
‘Art of Fine Craft’ National Juried exhibition, Elder Gallery, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, Nebraska
2008
American Tapestry Biennial 7, international show juried by Susan Warner Keene, Scarfone/Hartley Gallery, Tampa, FL and Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY
“Land” exhibit, Textiles Workshop, ANU, Canberra, Australia
2007
CraftForms 2007, Wayne Art Center, Philadelphia, PA. National craft show juried by Mark Richard Leach of the Mint Museum of Design + Craft, Charlotte, NC
2006
“Tapestries on the Edge.” Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, Washington
“Textile Arts Today” Synopsis Inc, Mountain View, California (invitation)
1998
Showcase, Pump House Gallery, Hartford, CT (Invitational 2 person show)
1995
CRAFTS '95, Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan, CT (national Juried show)
"White Nights," Marble Palace, St Petersburg, Russia (in conjunction with the Textile Design Symposium)
1992
ITNET 2 Textile Museum, Washington, D.C. (juried)
1991
New England Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Show, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, Massachusetts
1990
"American Tapestry Today," Syntex Gallery, Palo Alto,
Solo Exhibitions
2012
Rochioli Winery, Healdsburg, California
“Over Under” The Tamalpais, Greenbrae, CA
2011
“In the Wool,” Mill Valley City Hall, Mill Valley, California
“Woven Delights,” 305 Bell Lane Gallery, Mill Valley, California
2010
“A Show of Hands,” Marin Cancer Center, Greenbrae, California
2009
Clubhouse Gallery at Smith Ranch, San Rafael, California
2002
“Travelling Ravelling,” Lewis Elton Gallery, University of Surrey,
Guildford, Surrey, England
1998
"The Weaver's Art," Fleming Gallery, TASIS, Thorpe, Surrey,
England (Artist in residence)
Private Commissions
Aetna Life and Casualty Company, Hartford, Connecticut
Connecticut Bank and Trust, Hartford, Connecticut
Connecticut Business and Industry Associates, Hartford, Connecticut
Congregation Ahavath Achim, Colchester, Connecticut
Mechanics Savings Bank, Hartford, Connecticut
St. Francis Medical Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Hale and Dorr, Attorneys, Boston, Massachusetts
as well as numerous private collectors
Publications
2012
Shaped Tapestry by Kathe Todd-Hooker, Fine Fiber Press, Albany, OR (reissue)
2011
“Show of Hands: Alex Friedman” by Marianne Haller, Tapestry Topics, V37, no 2, pp 18-21
Online at americantapestryalliance.org/documents
2010
“Alex Friedman: Tapestry with a Twist” by Hollis Walker, Fiberarts Magazine April/May issue
“Making the Cut” Fiberarts Magazine, April/ May issue
2009
“Alex Friedman’s New Twist” by Linda Rees. Tapestry Topics, American Tapestry Alliance, summer issue Fiberarts Magazine, Jan/Feb Awards
2008
American Tapestry Biennial 7 catalogue, American Tapestry Alliance,
1994
"International Tapestry in the 1990's," Fiberarts Magazine, June /July issue, by Carol Russell, (illustration p.43)
1993
Fiber celebrated '93, Sixth Biennial Exhibition Intermountain Weaver's Conference catalog
1992
"Textilforum," summer issue, Hannover, Germany (cover photo)
ITNET 2, Sponsored by ITNET and the Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, Alaska
1990
American Tapestry Today, sponsored by the American Tapestry Alliance and the Syntex Corporation.
1989
"Corporate Art Collections" sponsored by Corporate Curators, Inc., Hartford, CT
Awards
2008
Best in Show, Contemporary Tapestry TWINE (Tapestry Weavers in New England) Rivertree Center for the Arts, Kennebunk, ME
1998
Artist in Residence, The American School in Switzerland TASIS England, Thorpe, Surrey UK
1995
Honorable Mention, CRAFTS '95, Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan, CT (National Juried Show)
1991
Fellowship Award for the Visual Arts from the New England Foundation for the Arts
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