Fiber Arctic- Nicole Licht

I was a lucky lady the day I got to meet Nicole Licht. I have admired her work from afar for a long time now so it's always a pleasure to get face time even if it's a quick minute at a crowded art opening. I wish I gave you a hug...next time.

S- You do a wide range of fiber work which is all so stunning. Have a favorite?

NL- Thank you! I think I spread out my fiber works so much because I'm still sort of searching for my favorite thing. I find the construction mechanics of soft sculpture difficult thus engaging and I love making wearable things for friends and family but I guess what's most exciting for me to work on are things that have no other obvious functionality than to exist as singular objects; so embroidery/textile collages are my favorite thing to work on right now.



S- What was one of the greatest lessons learned at the famous Cooper Union?

NL- Ha, that's funny. I was 18 new to New York and a bit naive of the famed cooper union, therefore entirely rebellious and more than a little ignorant and dismissive of my spot there...but I learned most importantly, not to be incomplete, that you must back up your work, not in a business sense but as the maker of something you'd best be able to talk about it, claim it and stand by it if questioned. So then, I guess I learned to be more invested, productively neurotic.

S- What have you been up to? Any special announcements you would like to make? From the looks of your blog, you got a lot going on!

NL- Yikes, if I can juggle it or be better at replying to emails or scrounge up enough for entrance fees...I've been asked by some really stellar stores about wholesale/consignment orders. I believe I have a show scheduled at Quirk Gallery in Sept...um a piece that's going up in a Japanese gallery within a department store, I'll be at this year's Renegade in Brooklyn, a craft fair in upstate New York in August... I'm super excited to be teaching a soft sculpture multi day workshop summer '10 at an artists residency. I'm lucky to be included in an awesome Fiber Arctic embroidery show... uh. um?! I just built a (beginning) astulabee website with my boyfriend. I am so grateful for my recent craft opportunities, the support I've received from new friends, family and even kind strangers. I'm excited for the future but in the mean time, like many, I'm also needing to get busy looking for a job as my current one is winding down, in order to keep all this good fortune afloat.