Originally from the West Midlands, Kath moved to Sunderland in 1977 to take up a teaching post at a local college and eventually tutored for the Open University for 20 years. An interest in traditional clippy and hooky mats led Kath to undertake courses with various textile artists in the mid 90’s. After the turn of the millennium, she transferred from academia to community education. Initially rag rug making was her main focus. However, further textile studies, for example, fabric block printing, crazy patchwork and hand stitching resulted in a more multi media approach and also to the development of a conceptual framework to her work that can be seen in many of her exhibition pieces from 2011.
An example of wearable art that attempts to reflect some of the roles in the home and garden undertaken by the wearer as well as the viewer and to create a wall hanging that is both beautiful and deliberately unfinished. Exhibited in the Home Sweet Home Exhibition at the Customs House, South Shields 2012-3. Many textile techniques feature in this work.
“As well as running workshops for the Cultural Spring and Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens over the last decade, I have contributed to 23 exhibitions throughout the North East, including a retrospective solo show in 2019 and most recently at the Arts Centre, Washington, in the exhibition ‘Witch’.
“My creative focus has often been on the theme of women and their paid and unpaid work viewed from feminist/ historical perspectives. This installation reflects the creative and ‘magical’ power of wise women through the generations as leaders, weavers, carers and healers. It emphasises some of their ‘power tools’: the spinster’s distaff, the herbalist’s medicine bag, the symbolic and ceremonial staff and provides a positive image to help counter some of the myths and negativity from earlier times.”
“I am really looking forward again to bringing a lovely selection of antique and vintage quilts and other fabrics for us to work on in the workshop. Every participant will receive their own textile pack too. We shall also have access to many other materials and embellishments and I’ll bring along a selection of my greetings cards and little notebooks as well. Let’s have some fun with fabrics!”
Kath Price (Dr)
You can see more of Kath’s work on Facebook: facebook.com/kathprice500/
Kath will be running a Festive Folk Art workshop for Friends of the Hatton on Sat 6 Dec, 11-3pm. Book online atwegottickets.com/event/673753 or contact josephinecousin@googlemail.com.
Friends of the Hatton 