Essex Art Center: Gallery exhibition press release

[Andre Leroux]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Cathy McLaurin <cathyesse...@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 5:03 PM
Subject: Gallery exhibition press release
To: "cathyesse...@yahoo.com" <cathyesse...@yahoo.com>

Essex Art Center 56 Island St.,Lawrence,MA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Cathy McLaurin, Essex Art Center

978-685-2343

cathyesse...@yahoo.com

 

Fantastic Fiber and Theater Fashion Theater fashions by Cotton Talbot-Minkin and Hairy, scary, funny, furry icons by National Fiber Technology

 

Exhibition dates:  September 9 – October 14, 2011

Opening reception: Friday, September 9, 5-7 pm

 

The Chester F. Sidell Gallery and the Elizabeth A. Beland Gallery at Essex Art Center are pleased to present Fantastic Fiber and Theater Fashion, Theater fashions by Cotton Talbot-Minkin and Hairy, scary, funny, furry, icons by National Fiber Technology.

 

If you’ve heard of any Yeti or Sasquatch sightings, it is more than likely National Fiber Technology who made the unique fabric that makes them look like the “real” thing. National Fiber Technology (NFT) is a creative company located in Lawrence’s Pacific Mills building.  They will be showing one-of-a-kind pieces that they’ve created from their custom-made fabrics, together with movie posters featuring their fur creations.

 

NFT specializes in the manufacture of custom made hair, wigs and fur fabrics for the entertainment industry: TV Commercials, Theme Parks, Movies, Theater, Opera, Taxidermists, Special Effects, Costumes, Mascots, Museums and Ballet. Their hair is everywhere!

 

In 2001, Kim Clark and Fred Fehrmann bought the company that was formerly called Reid-Meredith, a wig manufacturing company that was developed by a woman named Rose-Marie Yancey in the 1950’s.  Since then, they have developed hair and fur fabric for the Wookies in Star Wars, Cat in the Hat, Expedition Everest, Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, 10,000 BC, Where the Wild Things Are, The Golden Compass, Tropic Thunder and Ice Age Adventure!, to name a few.

With more than 40 years combined entertainment experience, Kim Clark and Fred Fehrmann’s backgrounds include Figure Finishing, Costume/Fashion Design, Parade Floats, National touring shows, Specialty Costumes and Design and Fabrication for Theatre, Film, TV and Theme Parks, including Walt Disney.  While at Walt Disney Imagineering, Kim was Supervisor of Figure Finishing/Show Production and Fred was a Senior Show Artisan.  Both were honored to work with the amazing teams that developed and built Animal Kingdom, DCA and Tokyo Disney Sea.  It is Kim’s desire to bring to fruition the imagination and creativity of designers and artisans from around the world.

Cotton Talbot-Minkin will be showing a selection of costumes that she has designed and built for various theater productions over the past 25 years.  Her inspiration comes from many designers as well as illustrations – everything from John Tennial’s “Alice in Wonderland”, to Victorian fairy books, to Edward Gorey.

Cotton’s first publicly viewed fiber creations were French-inspired fashions made out of burlap bags for the annual Beverly Farms Horribles Parade, when she was a child.  She was never interested in sewing anything “practical” – always costume.  When she had her own children, she made Halloween costumes for them.  Her early passion eventually turned into a job making costumes for Shore Country Day School, which produced full- length musicals in the upper school.  She would also costume shows for Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, Gordon College and North Shore Community College. 

Besides schools, she has worked with community and fringe theatre groups.  From 1998 - 2004, Sleepy Lion Theater - founded by Christopher Shailor and Jemma Tory - produced professional quality Shakespeare productions as well as highly imaginative original works.   There, she met Matthew Wood, the creator and director of Imaginary Beasts theater company, and she has been working with him ever since.  With Matthew's choice of plays - ranging from British pantomime, theater classics, and the absurd -  Cotton’s imagination is allowed to fully manifest itself in a  broad array of design opportunities.  For several of Imaginary Beasts' shows - both at Gloucester Stage and the Boston Center for the Arts -  Cotton has won recognition from theater critics.

From 2006 -2008, Cotton worked with Professor Jonathan Shailor, who directed Shakespeare productions with the inmates at Racine Correctional Institute.  She got measurements sent to her, built the costumes and shipped them to Wisconsin.  Then, she went out to the prison for several days to make necessary alterations and view the opening production.  Cotton cites this as one of her favorite costuming gigs, and laments the closing of this "amazing" program.

 Fabrics and textures inspire Cotton's designs.  She says, “Without big budgets, whatever is both available and affordable has to be worked with, and this forces one to be creative.  Rarely do I render finished sketches beforehand, which would be unacceptable in equity companies.  Directors and I ‘play’ with ideas and it all seems to work out!”  Extensive research is at the heart of her process.  Cotton says, “My favorite way to design is to research some historical framework and then to tweak it into something a little more fantastic, exaggerated, weird!” 

For additional information about this exhibition or to receive high resolution digital images for publication, please contact Cathy McLaurin cathyessex...@yahoo.com  or at 978-685-2343.

 

The Elizabeth A. Beland Gallery is located on the first floor of Essex Art Center at 56 Island Street, Lawrence, MA.

Gallery hours: 

M-F  10-6

Closed October 10

Call for additional evening hours 

 

www.essexartcenter.com

Essex Art Center

56 Island St.

Lawrence, MA  01840

978-685-2343