A Fine Time to See Visions at Liberty Station

 By Lonnie Burstein Hewitt. Photos by Maurice Hewitt. 

 

The new duo at Visions: Katrina Bruins and Armando Garcia-Orso in the museum store.

There’s a new duo shaping things up at VISIONS Museum of Textile Arts and they’re widening their focus to encompass both sides of the border. Here’s a brief introduction to Executive Director Katrina Barnes and Curatorial and Education Manager Armando Garcia-Orso. 

Katrina has a gift for creating community, building long-term partnerships, and inspiring volunteers and supporters. Her most recent position was Program Manager of an international border shelter, where she had a diverse team of over 100 employees. She lives in Point Loma, close to Liberty Station, and a year ago, when she heard of the directorship opening at Visions, she was immediately drawn to it, since she has a longtime love of textile art.

Armando lives in Tijuana and San Diego and has years of experience encouraging international cultural exchange. He was formerly Deputy Director of Exhibitions at the Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT) and served as Deputy Director of the Municipal Institute of Art and Culture (IMAC) in Tijuana. He also founded and directed the Rio Rita Cultural Association, one of the first bi-national arts organizations in Tijuana. 

Though the two never knew each other before, they were both drawn to Visions at the same time--a felicitous coming together.

Their current exhibition, Latine Entretejida/Interwoven, presents textile artists from both sides of the border. It’s part of the World Design Capital 2024 program which honors the San Diego/Tijuana region as a global hub for design, innovation, arts, and culture.

SHROUDS, Nuances of a body by Carolina Betancourt 

Shadow from SHROUDS, Nuances of a body by Carolina Betancourt (Tijuana).

Nervation (above) When Was The Last (below) from SHROUDS, Nuances of a body by Carolina Betancourt  (Tijuana).

My husband and I may not have grasped all Betancourt's “body nuances” but we admired her varied techniques. 

Vivir alBorde: Hanging by a Thread by Marisa Raygoza

 A row of small figures by Marisa Raygosa (Tijuana).

     

Closeup of Raygosa’s She Used Her Head as a Revolver.

Re-addressing Old Patterns through Clothing and Ritual by Irma Sophia Poeter

A-DRESS by Irma Sofia Poeter.

This Mexican-American artist lives on both sides of the border and was a winner of the San Diego Art Prize in 2016. Here she shows five dresses using patterns from different cultures and centuries, transforming the original textiles with paint, dye, and embroidery. Each dress has a slogan printed on it that was used in activists’ demonstrations and each is accompanied by a photo of the dress used in everyday life. This one, made from a mid-19^th-century Palestinian woman’s shirt, says: CHANGE IS NOW.

Domestic Landscapes by Mely Barragán

 Mele Barragán: Landscape.

 

 Mele Barragán: Shallow Water Emerges Til Dawn. A dramatic wall-size hanging.

Mele Barragán, born and based in Tijuana, has done residencies around the world and was a recipient of the San Diego Art Prize in 2023

COMING ATTRACTIONS at VISIONS

 Intimate Wilderness by Charlotte Bird
October 19 to December 28, 2024

Migration Installation, a piece from Intimate Wilderness.

 

Charlotte Bird has been a full-time studio artist for over 30 years. She dyes and prints most of her fabrics and has created contemporary wall quilts, 3-D sculptures, and artist’s books

QUILT VISIONS 2024
October 19 to December 28, 2024

Visions’ 25th international juried biennial exhibition will, as always, feature art quilts that show exceptional quality, innovation, surface design, composition, and craftsmanship.

VISIONS Museum of Textile Arts
2825 Dewey Rd. Suite 100. Liberty Station. Free admission.
Hours: Wednesday/Thursday, 10 am-2 pm. Friday/Saturday, 10-4.
Phone: 619-546-4872  

On First Fridays, when Liberty Station is open 5-8 p.m., Visions has Kids’ Crafts, a tangible art experience for children, where they can get their hands dirty and create a souvenir to take home.
Phone: 619-546-4872  

Lonnie Burstein Hewitt is an award-winning author/lyricist/playwright who has been writing about arts and lifestyles in San Diego County for over a dozen years. You can reach her at hew2@sbcglobal.net