FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	  	  	  Fiber Artist Valerie Goodwin To Make Pittsburgh Debut at SCC Satellite GalleryExhibition of architecturally inspired quilts explores history and sense of placePITTSBURGH, PA – April 20, 2016 – At first glance, Tallahassee-based artist Valerie Goodwin’s quiltsare stunning for the intricacy of their lines which create complex shapes and designs. Closer inspectionslowly reveals these patterns are city blocks and urban landscapes captured from an aerial perspective.
Drawing inspiration from architectural maps, plans, and blueprints, Goodwin’s combined love forarchitecture and art is evident through the detail and care in her works. 	  	  While her quilts have been showcased in several shows throughout Pennsylvania, Goodwin will make herPittsburgh debut this spring in Pattern and Place: Art Quilts by Valerie Goodwin, a solo-exhibition at theSociety for Contemporary Craft’s BNY Mellon Center Satellite Gallery. On view May 6, 2016 - July 4,2016, Goodwin’s vibrant quilts, depicting both realistic and abstract imagery of maps, will be featured. 	  

	  Goodwin’s personal connection to community and history is evident in the works showcased in Patternand Place. African Burial Ground II, comprised of a seamless blend of muted colors, depicts New YorkCity’s African Burial Ground National Monument, masterfully crafted using the artist’s signaturetechnique of multi-layering fabric. Simultaneously portraying a Dutch settlement in 1775 along the left,contemporary lower Manhattan on the right, and an imaginary scene of the burial site along the bottom,Goodwin manages to convey the area’s complex history while allowing room for her own artisticinterpretation. This creative approach to evocative subject matter is also evident in Economic Landscape,a quilt Goodwin crafted in response to the national economic crisis in 2008 in which she conveys herunderstanding of the event and how she felt it was represented in surrounding landscapes. 	  

	  Other featured works, including Once Upon a Hillside and Town and Country, showcase Goodwin'sarchitectural expertise. After receiving her undergraduate degree from Yale University, the artist pursueda Master's degree in architectural design at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. She is currently aprofessor of architectural design at Florida A&M University's School of Architecture where she receiveda "Teacher of the Year" award in 2003. Goodwin's experience teaching basic architectural designprinciples eventually led to her fascination with quilting, an art form that shares a similar foundation ofrhythm, color, and pattern.	  

	  The artist’s attraction to maps began as a child, when she spent hours appreciating their beauty. Drawinginspiration from both the ordered principles of architecture and the spontaneity of AbstractExpressionism, Goodwin initially struggled to incorporate the disparate muses, saying: “I had to come togrips with the fact that the media—fabric and thread—would not produce the crisp, clean rectilinear stylethat I was comfortable with in the field of architecture. My work became more improvisational andspontaneous—in my opinion, giving my work a whole new life.”- more -	  Goodwin, page 2	  	  Pattern and Place was conceived of in collaboration with the Hill House Association and inspired by theHill District's Greenprint Plan. Goodwin's artistic exploration of community, history, and place provides acreative point of contemplation about neighborhood identity.	  

	  Goodwin’s exhibition also serves as companion exhibition to the Fiberart International 2016, which is onview May 6 - August 21, 2016 at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and SCC’s Strip District Gallery.
Produced by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, the Fiberart International showcases innovative work byover 80 established and emerging artists.	  

	  About Contemporary Craft:	  Presenting contemporary art in craft media by regional, national, and international artists since 1971, theSociety for Contemporary Craft (SCC) offers cutting edge exhibitions focusing on multicultural diversityand non-mainstream art, as well as a range of studio workshops, community outreach programs, and aretail store. Through its mission of engaging the public in creative experiences through contemporarycraft, SCC offers meaningful art opportunities for more than 145,000 people a year through four corevalues: providing vital support for artists; filling critical gaps in public education; sharing cross culturalperspectives; and using art to build community. SCC is located at 2100 Smallman Street in the StripDistrict of Pittsburgh, PA. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The satellitegallery is located in the “T” station lobby of BNY Mellon Center in downtown Pittsburgh, and is opendaily from 6:00 am through midnight. Exhibitions and informal, hands-on art activities in the Drop-InStudio are always free to the public. For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org or call412.261.7003.	  	  For high res images, please contact Norah Guignon by email at nguignon@contemporarycraft.org or byphone at 412.261.7003 x29.	  	  	  

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