Susan Lenz’ Blues Chapel is on exhibit through January 6

Needleart innovator Susan Lenz installed her collection Blues Chapel at the Greater Denton Arts Council, where it will be exhibited through January 6. Morgan Walker of North Texas Daily wrote,

“Tapestry in Blue,” a mixed media quilt, honors 24 early female blues singers and inspired Lenz to create the larger installation, “Blues Chapel.”

“These early female blues singers lived in a male-dominated culture in the segregated South, primarily,” Lenz said.

The chapel honors singers such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Bessie Smith.

Lenz said she wanted to depict these women as if they were martyred saints because they put the woes in their life into their lyrics and were passionate about music…

Deb Dyer, associate director of the center, said… “I wanted something that gave another dimension to fiber art besides just patchwork quilts”…

Lenz created an environment for “Blues Chapel” by placing church pews in the center of the gallery with her work surrounding the room while soulful music plays.

“It’s not painting a single piece, it’s something that sort of builds and when you create that environment it becomes multidimensional,” Dyer said.

See Susan’s photos and description of her adventures so far in Denton (a suburb of Dallas, Texas — comfy driving distance for many US needleart enthusiasts). Or read more of the newspaper account. Brava, Susan!