About OOTB
A new membership year is upon us at the Out of the Box Fibre Arts Group and it promises to be our best year to date. You will find us a renewed and revitalized organization. A full team of committed volunteers is working over the summer to plan enriching programs and activities, a professional new website, and workshops with international teachers. We are also putting plans in place to hold regular shows to share our fibre art with the community.
Our Programs this year include guest artists sharing their work, demonstrations of new and exciting techniques, educational programs to assist with your artistic growth, and professional programs where you can learn about exhibiting and selling your work.
Take some time to browse around our new website. We are excited to offer a showcase of our members’ work on our home page. Here you can see the wide variety of thought-provoking art that is being created by our members and learn more about each of the artists that belong to our organization. Our web site also provides up-to-date information about our meetings and activities.
In 2010 we are hosting workshops with international fibre artists Rayna Gillman from New Jersey and Dena Crain from Kenya.
We hope to see you at one of our meetings.
The Out of the Box group of artists is passionate about creating innovative and thought-provoking works of art with fibre, our preferred medium. Our membership includes machine and/or hand embroiderers, art quilters, weavers, felters, doll makers, silk painters, appraisers, dyers as well as other needle workers and mixed media and fine artists. We are a co-op organization and so we place strong emphasis on activities that share expertise for the continuing artistic development of all. Our focus in meetings is on sharing art techniques, design ideas, artistic processes and inspiration, as well as our thoughts on the business and critiquing of our art. We come from all walks of life, but are drawn together by our love for texture, colour, and creation in an atmosphere of mutual support and camaraderie. We meet once a month to share ideas, techniques and inspiration, and from time to time hold host fibre art workshops, artistic challenges for our members and mount exhibitions in the community.
Our yearly membership fee is $30.00 and covers our membership year from October 1st to September 30th. An optional showcase page with two photos of your art and a bio costs $20 for the year. Membership is limited to 75 members, and is currently open. If you are interested in joining, please take a look at,“Is OOTB Right for You?”and consider attending a meeting as a visitor (visitor fee of $5.00 – or $10.00 if we have an outside speaker).
Because our tradition is to rely on each other to provide some program content and artistic support we actively encourage participation from each and every member. Volunteer jobs include participation in the Planning Committee, organizing and working at workshops and exhibitions, writing articles for the newsletter and helping on publicity and website development, demonstrating techniques, sharing inspiration, knowledge and contacts. Your ideas for programming and organization are always welcome! Raise them at the meeting or send an email to the OOTB Planning Committee (committeeATout-of-the-box.org).
Further Information:
Please contact Elena Keen, Membership Coordinator
For a copy of our Membership Form /(Renewal)
Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month, from 7:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. at the Ottawa Citizen Main Floor Board Room, Baxter Road, Ottawa.
Is OOTB right for you?
- Do you produce original fibre works not from a pattern?
- Are you looking to grow as an artist?
- Are you willing to share your work with the group and participate in the critiquing process?
- Are you interested in encouraging and building up others, and do you have a sense of humour?
- Are you willing and content to work cooperatively with other members in group projects?
If you answered Yes to all of the above, we hope you’ll consider joining OOTB to meet fellow fibre artists.
Visitor admission is $5, except for special guest presentations, when it is $10. Please check our News page to see which meetings have speakers.