About Us

How we got started
Jamie had curated a number of art quilt exhibits, both juried and invitationals.  Leslie was the co-owner of Fiber Artspace in San Antonio, TX, and had opportunities to curate a number of shows, as well as, a call for entry.  We were asked to jury the on-line exhibition “My World in Black and White, Revisited in 2009, by Anne Copeland.  Then, Jamie coordinated a special exhibit “Everything Under the Sun”  for the first International Quilt Festival in Long Beach in 2008.  Eight large quilts, all  made by groups of artists about Long Beach.  The second exhibit "Edges" began with Jamie at the helm, and then brought in Leslie to help with the jurying process, and the rest is history. Throughout our friendship, we have found that we work well together. Henceforth, curating seemed a natural progression for both of us.

Edges 2009
Beneath the Surface 2010
The Space Between 2011
Rituals 2012
An Exquisite Moment 2013
Reflections 2014
Affinity 2015
Patterns 2016

Where did the name come from?
When we go to Festival in Houston, our reservation is for 8:00pm and our artist friends are with us! We thought it was the perfect name for our curating efforts.

Selecting a Theme
We each have a list of theme ideas, and brainstorm via e-mail.  Sometimes we ask a few of the our artist friends for their input.  We begin this process in late August, well after the jurying is complete. We love to see where the themes take the artists, and for many, just the size of the quilt presents a unique challenge.  For many years we announced the new theme at our annual artists dinner at Festival in Long Beach, then followup with the artists via e-mail, however that show is over, so we make our announcement at the artists dinner in Houston.

Why a Juried Invitational?
We wanted to have a great exhibit and also exert some control on who we ask to participate.  It was our desire to include artists who have a voice in their work,and a juried resume. We look to see if you have your own style are are making art on a regular basis. Artists need to have a website and/or blog so we can view the work. We are looking at quilts on your site that are a range of sizes and themes, with great color and contrast, and good design. If you are interested in being considered for one of our juried invitationals, please email us at dinnerat8artists@gmail .  Let us know that you would like to be considered and include your website and/or blog address. 

How Much Work is Involved?
We work well together and compliment each other with our skills and strengths.  Our work got easier when we hired Giving Back Technology to handle our on-line blind jurying process, therefore eliminating hoards of paperwork, CD's and tons of time and energy. We enjoy working with a variety of people on a professional level, meeting deadlines, being highly organized, and having fun at the same time. We both enjoy writing, which comes in handy with the blog, sponsor letters, and theme paragraphs. Being on the other side of the "fence" as curator/jurors we have an opportunity to intersect with a wider variety of people running the quilt shows.

Other Collaborations?
We have a cooking blog ‘Artists Cooking with Gas,’ where we each contribute our own tried and true recipes, complete with photographs. https://artfulfoodandfiber.blogspot.com/

We were the two jurors for Quilts, Inc. special exhibit "What's for Dinner"  from 2013 - 2015.  We have taught together at the International Quilt Festival in Cincinnati, Long Beach and Houston as faculty, Make-It-University and Create in Chicago, Illinois, and separately at Craft Napa in 2016.


BIO

Jamie Fingal is an award winning mixed media artist where her main medium is making art quilts for the wall. She is the author of “Embellished Mini Quilts."  Her whimsical and abstract work has been juried into International quilt exhibitions and her work has been featured in many books. She has written articles for Quilting Arts, Cloth Paper Scissors, Gifts, Zen Doodle and Studios magazines, and has two instructional DVD's -Whimsical House Quilt 2009 and Rebel Quilting, and was featured in Where Women Create in 2016. She has been a guest on Quilting Arts TV and a guest on The Quilt Show. She enjoys teaching art quilting and mixed media classes. In 2010, Jamie was one of the featured artists at the Orange County fair, and had a solo show in Ashland, Oregon featuring her "Heavy Metal" series.  Her work is in private, public and corporate collections.  She also enjoys giving back and organizes The House Quilt Project .  Jamie is a member of Studio Art Quilt Associates, Visions Art Museum, IQA. She is also a designer for RJR Fabrics and StencilGirl Products and a Havel's Sewing Ambassador. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, entertaining, gardening, and reading. Jamie is married and has 2 sons and 1 daughter.
Jamie's website and blog.

BIO

Leslie Tucker Jenison is a mixed-media artist who loves cloth and paper.  She is a full-time studio artist living in San Antonio TX.  Her work has been shown internationally and is held in corporate and private collections.  Surface design using dye and paint are integral components of her work.  She enjoys experimenting with unconventional materials, so found and used objects are frequently integrated into her constructions.  Her camera is always in-hand and the images frequently find their way into her work, literally or by way of inspiration.  Leslie serves on the Board of the Quilt Alliance, and is a professional member of SAQA, among others.  She has written for, and been featured in, numerous publications, including Quilting Arts Magazine and e-newsletter, and Quilt Festival/Quilt Scene.  She has been a guest artist on Season 7 and 9 of Quilting Arts TV.  Her workshop dvd, "DIY Surface Design" is available from Interweave. Leslie is also a designer for RJR Fabrics She enjoys teaching various quilting and mixed-media classes.  In addition she enjoys reading, gardening, cooking, traveling, and is a multi-engine, instrument-rated pilot.  Leslie is married and has 3 daughters, all artists.  Life is good!
Leslie's website and  blog
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