An Interview with Textile Artist Heather G. Stoltz

October 3, 2010

New York based textile artist Heather G. Stoltz recently took some time to answer a few questions about her work as an artist and teacher for the New Vilna Review. In this interview Ms. Stoltz discusses her current show at the Park Street Synagogue as well has her own personal evolution as an artist and the ways in which Jewish ideas have influenced her work.

NVR: For people who may not be familiar with your work can you give us a description of the kind of art you do?

As a fiber artist, I create fabric sculptures and quilted wall hangings based on Jewish texts.  When most people hear the word quilt, they think of a traditional bed quilt, but art quilts and fiber art have truly transformed this medium.  The textures of the fabrics and dimensionality that can be achieved through different stitching methods are exciting and inspiring.  I often incorporate three-dimensional elements into my wall hangings and also create free standing and suspended fiber art pieces.  My work can be seen at http://sewingstories.com.

NVR: At the moment you have a show at the Park Avenue Synagogue – is there a particular theme for this show? Can you tell us a little about some of the works on display there?

The show is titled Text and Texture: Midrash Through Making and it features my fiber art and the ceramic art of Jo Kamm.  The pieces that I have on display there are related to prayer: some are based on the traditional Jewish liturgy and other pieces represent my own personal prayers.

My most recent piece Psukei D’Zimrah is a centerpiece of the show. It is a large fabric spiral that reaches from the floor to the ceiling.  This piece represents the part of the morning service for which it is named.  Psukei D’Zimrah, near the beginning of the morning service, is made up of several psalms. This part of the service is designed to bring us from the physical world into the spiritual realm where we can communicate with God. The physical world to which we wake is represented by the heavier textured fabrics at the bottom of this piece. As we move through the recitation of psalms, the fabrics transition slowly to lighter fabrics and finally reach the sheers which represent the spiritual world. From there, we are ready to speak to God in prayer.

Another piece based on the traditional liturgy is Baruch She’Amar: Turning Speech into Action. Each morning, we recite the words “Baruch She’Amar v’haya ha’olam – Blessed is the One who spoke the world into being.” The quilt depicts several people who have changed the world through their words.  A box near the center reads “Your Photo Here” challenging the viewer to decide what s/he will say to make a difference in the world.

One of my personal prayers in the exhibition is titled Heal Her. In the space of one year, two family members and two good friends were diagnosed with breast cancer.  The piece, reminiscent of the pink breast cancer ribbon, contains the words of Moshe’s prayer to heal Miriam in Numbers 12:13.  This simple prayer, repeated over and over, becomes a chant or mantra to heal all those fighting this horrible disease.

Also on display is an interactive piece titled Flinging Prayer where visitors are encouraged to add their own personal prayers to the piece by writing them on a fabric prayer carrier and throwing them or flinging them using a wooden catapult onto the final piece.  To learn more about the pieces on display at the exhibition, you can see the presentation I gave at the opening on my blog: http://sewingstories.com/artblog/2010/08/08/exhibition-presentation/

NVR: What inspires you in your work?

I created my first fiber art pieces when studying Jewish Women’s Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in NYC. Dr. Anne Lapidus Lerner encouraged us to be creative in our final projects instead of writing a traditional research paper.  I jumped at the opportunity and created two quilted wall hangings on Creation and Eve in the Garden (Reflections of Eve: Creation and Reflections of Eve: The Garden).  I loved making these pieces and created my Master’s Thesis in fabric also. After graduating from JTS, I continued to be inspired by the stories of the Bible, especially those of Biblical women.

At the same time, I joined the Journal Quilt project and made a series of pieces based on my own life experiences, which also drew from Jewish themes and sources. Soon after that, I began to use prayer as inspiration as well as the ideas of my clients who commissioned pieces on their favorite texts and sources.

I am now continuing the prayer series while beginning a new series based on social justice issues. The piece I’m currently designing will challenge the viewers to truly confront the personal stories of the homeless people we pass on the streets every day. This installation piece, reminiscent of a sukkah, will be made up of panels that will tell the stories of homeless New Yorkers. The inspiration for this piece came from my work with New York’s Faith-Based Emergency Shelter Network as well as two quotes from Jewish texts.  Sefer Chasidim teaches us that "If a community lacks a place of worship and a shelter for the poor, it is first obligated to build a shelter for the poor." And Vayikra Rabbah 34:1 tells us “Rabbi Yonah said: The verse does not say ‘Happy is the one who gives to a poor person,’ rather, it says ‘Happy is the one who considers a poor person’ (Psalms 41:2). Therefore, you must consider how to best benefit such a person.”  Putting these two texts together, I plan to create a piece that reminds us to provide both physical shelter for the poor and the time to truly listen to their needs.  

NVR: How do Jewish themes and ideas fit into your work?

Almost all of my work is initially sparked by a Jewish text.  Even my pieces that represent my most personal inner prayers were inspired by a section of the Talmud that I was studying with the Arts Fellowship Program at the Drisha Institute in NYC. In our Artist’s Beit Midrash, Rabbi Jeff Fox introduced us to Berachot 31b where we learn “Channah cast words to God on high." As I thought about all the prayers that I throw at God, this one text inspired my interactive Flinging Prayer piece as well as my personal prayer sculptures.

In addition to my artwork inspired by Jewish texts, I also create Judaica objects including tallitot, chuppot, and Torah covers. I love working with my clients to create the piece that is just right for them.

NVR: Can you tell us a little about your background and experience as an artist?

As I mentioned earlier, I started working with fabrics in Graduate School at JTS. Before that, I was a mechanical engineer. Growing up, I always pushed aside my creativity because I thought I needed to be doing something practical. As an undergraduate at Lafayette College, I double majored in Mechanical Engineering and Jewish Studies. This gave me the balance of a practical career and a topic I was passionate about. For my senior project in Jewish Studies, I completed a creative writing and photography project, giving me a chance to let my creative side play. Even then however, I wasn’t quite ready to give up control and went on to work as an engineer for two years.

It was only recently that I have embraced my creativity and accepted the title “artist.” Ever since then, it has been truly amazing. My work has been exhibited in galleries and shows throughout the country and has been printed in prayer books, magazines, and other publications. I have also discovered the joy of teaching others to create their own works of art.

NVR: What is the relationship between the teaching that you do and the art you create?

I teach fiber art workshops that guide others through the process of creating art based on a text, prayer, or personal experience. In my Translating Text into Textile workshop, participants create a piece of art based either on a specific text selected by myself and the workshop host or on their favorite quote, poem, song or book. In Turning the Prayer of Your Heart into Art, participants use a favorite prayer, personal prayer, or a hope for the future as their inspiration. And in my Cloth Chronicles class, each person makes a piece of fiber art based on a significant moment or experience in their lives.

The steps that I use to help my students design and create their pieces are very similar to my own process when designing a new piece. I teach these workshops at schools, synagogues, community centers, and colleges for people of all ages and backgrounds and am amazed each and every time by the thoughtfulness and depth of the resulting pieces.

I am very excited about my new Online Journal Quilt class that will begin in October. This class will allow the participants to work at their own pace from home with ongoing support from myself and the others in the class through the online class forum.  For more information or to sign up, you can visit http://sewingstories.com/workshopsnow.htm