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Saturday, September 16, 2017

           Book Published!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      The book my friend and I worked on has been published.  We are so proud of the finished product.

  Here is the link to our web page that has all the information about us and links so you can pick,up your copy.

Announcing the publication of a book 10 years in the making . . .
Artful Alchemy: Physically Challenged Fiber Artists Creating
Anne Copeland, Editor
Assisted by Barbara Williamson

What began as a very tiny, but very successful nonprofit started by two women, both physically challenged, and with very little money, culminated in the publication of this book.  This book is full of the stories and art of 23 women helped by the nonprofit 501 (c) (3), Fiberarts Connection of Southern California.  The women were selected out of more than 100 possible candidates because of their truly inspiring stories of success despite some of the most devastating physical challenges.  The book also will help readers to understand what it means to have some of the challenges they might never have heard of before.
Despite having worked together for some 10 years, the two women responsible for the book’s creation have never met in person.  Barbara Williamson, a paraplegic living in Paradise, CA, accidentally found contact information for Anne Copeland, a professional fiber arts appraiser at the time.  Anne, who lived in the Torrance area at the time, was looking to start a nonprofit to provide inexpensive or free exposure for physically challenged fiber artists, as well as to teach them things that many had no way to learn because of their isolation from the public – things such as pricing their work to sell, how to deal with potential clients, and how to get good solo or small group exhibits from galleries and museums. Barbara was looking to start her own business in fiber arts after being told by a group of business volunteers that making art quilts was a nice hobby, but could never become a business.
What was needed to form the nonprofit was to find at least two more volunteers to serve as the secretary and the treasurer.  As the two women talked, they immediately formed a strong and lasting bond. Anne had finally found the volunteers, Barbara Williamson for secretary and her caregiver, Rob for the treasurer.  The treasurer was not a huge job since there was never any money in the treasury.  But incredibly, the two women worked together and created innovative ways to help other physically challenged artists.  As it turned out, all the artists they dealt with ended up being other women. And there were many of them.
One of the things that the two women created from the beginning was the idea of group themed traveling exhibits. They managed to work out agreements with some quilt show companies that put on such exhibits that traveled throughout the United States.  The first exhibit ever, “My World in Black and White,” attracted 121 exhibitors throughout the world, and there were 10 live venues in the first year.
Whether you have a physical challenge or not, this book will provide the incentive for you to move forward in fulfilling your own dreams and goals for a professionally creative life.
Additional editing and proofreading by David and Leonore H. Dvorkin of DLD Books
Cover art by Laura Jean Freeman
Print layout and e-book production by David Dvorkin
http://www.dldbooks.com/artfulalchemy/
The print edition of Artful Alchemy is available at the following online stores:
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.com
CreateSpace.com
Smashwords.com
Links to other online stores will be added as they become available.
Email: anneappraiser@gmail.com
Phone: 909-509-9533
Member of SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) www.saqa.com

Email: barbw.quilter360@gmail.com
Phone: 530-876-9731
Blog: Threadscapestudio.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barbara.williamson.581
Member of SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) www.saqa.com