RUTH LEE

PERSONAL DETAILS

Born in Coventry, West Midlands 15 April 1948.

QUALIFICATIONS

1971 Diploma in Art and Design in Printed Textiles: First Class Hons Liverpool Polytechnic.

1972 Higher Diploma in Art and Design in Printed Textiles: (Post graduate level) Birmingham Polytechnic.

Current and upcoming events and publications

January 2009

In preparation for Batsford (Anova books): Three-dimensional Textiles for Textile Artists (working title) a contemporary exploration of off-loom techniques such as coiling, knotting, twining, looping in textile related materials and fibres. Due for publication 2010.

April 1^st 2009 - June 18th 2009

Let no loop Down : solo exhibition of work inspired by traditional knitting implements, darned stocking knit texts and much more at the Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes National Park Centre, Station Yard, Hawes, North Yorkshire.

October 2008 - April 2009

Selected for AA2A (Artist Access to Art College) at the University of Cumbria. Based in the printed textile resource area to prepare new works for Let No Loop Down.

Previous exhibitions, events and publications

May 2008 –June 2008

Knit2gether: Selected for the contemporary craft tour promoted by Highlights Rural Touring Scheme featuring modern knitting (one of two exhibiting artists).

March 2008

Invited to tutor at Jersey Textile Showcase .

Autumn 2007

Contemporary Knitting for Textile Artists published by Batsford (Anova Books). German translation is due for publication late 2008.

September - November 2007

Solo fibre arts exhibition Reading between the Lines, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries, Scotland.

April 2007 to May 2007

Solo fibre arts exhibition Reading Between the Lines Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia. Supported by Cumbria Institute of the Arts and The Arts Council of Great Britain.

April 2007

Invited to tutor at Textile Fibre Forum held in Orange, New South Wales, Australia.

Spring 2007

First reprint of Knitting Beautiful Boas , GMC publications.

September 2006 to January 2007

Awarded a 30 day period of extended research from Cumbria Institute of the Arts to create a body of new works for solo exhibition Australia.

October 2006

Exhibited at PAD gallery, Preston. Endangered Species, an exhibition of contemporary knitting.

July 2006

Invited to exhibit work at Woolfest, Cockermouth, Cumbria and present lecture on contemporary knitting.

December 2005 to current

Presented various creative knitting workshops for the public including the following;

Jersey Textile Showcase 2008

Higham Hall, Cockermouth

Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries

Tullie House Art Gallery, Carlisle

The Oriel Davies Gallery, Newtown Powys

Cumbria Institute of the Arts, Carlisle

Guest speaker for the Knitting and crochet guild AGM and The Guild of machine knitters.

November 2005

Knitting Beautiful Boas and Scarves published November 2005: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd.

October 2005 to 2007

Projects for Knitting magazine: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd. Publication scheduled for autumn 2005 onwards.

October 2005

The Knitting and Stitching Show , Alexandra Palace, London, UK. Participated in the Learning Curve and offered a stand to show current work.

September 2005

Guest speaker, also stand showing current work, at The National Stitch and Creative Crafts Show, NEC, Birmingham.

September 2005

Metal (group exhibition) ,  The Lesley Craze Gallery, Clerkenwell, London. Wire knitted boas.

June 2005

Included on the Victoria and Albert Museum knitting website.

February 2005

Two pieces of work selected for Knit 2 Together - Concepts in Knitting at the Crafts Council galleries February to May 2005. A major touring exhibition of contemporary knitting. Participated in Meet the Knitters , taught a knitting master class for teachers at the Crafts Council Gallery ran workshops at Leicester City Gallery and The Oriel Davies Gallery, Wales.

November 2004

Work selected for Bangle,an exhibition of contemporary jewelry and accessories at Rufford Craft Centre.

October 2004

Made from Memory: a solo fibre arts exhibition created in response to the fashion/textile collection at Pickford’s House Museum of Georgian Costume, Derby.

October 2004

Invited to speak at the Design for Knitting study day at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

April 2004

Invited to tutor at Textile Fibre Forum, Mittagong, New South Wales, Australia. Also taught creative knitting workshops in New Zealand and at Canberra School of Art, ACT, Australia.

June 2003

Inside Out: solo exhibition of mixed media and fibre arts work both inside the museum and within the grounds, inspired by and reflecting the peace and tranquility of Norton Priory, Cheshire.

September 2001

Invited to tutor atTextile Fibre Forum, Geelong, Australia. Also taught creative knitting workshops at Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra.

July 1999

Guest overseas lecturer New Zealand Machine Knitters Society Inc national festival, Knit Fest 99, Hawkes Bay.Also taught creative machine knitting workshops including Auckland Institute of Technology.

1976 to 1999

Contributed knitwear regularly to a variety of group exhibitions.

The Knitwear Review , a major touring exhibition, British Craft Centre, 1983

Dressing Up , Rufford Craft Centre, 1984

Rich Rags ,Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle 1986

New Knits , Pea Room Gallery Centre for contemporary Crafts, Lincolnshire 1999.

Other solo exhibitions and events included interior textiles and knitwear at The Everyman Theatre, Liverpool in 1978 and 1981; a  fashion Show co-ordinated by the writer Molly Parkin at the Penwith Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall 1980: Pattern on Pattern at Gallery 135, Keswick 1988.

PUBLICATIONS

2007: Contemporary knitting for Textile Artists, Batsford (Anova Books). German translation is due for publication late 2008.

2005: Knitting Beautiful Boas and Scarves , The Guild of Master Craftsmen Ltd.

2003 and 2004: Creative Machine Knitting: reprints of articles and garment patterns from MKN published by The Guild of Master Craftsmen Ltd.

2003: Crossing Boundaries : two articles for Textile Fibre Forum magazine, Volume 22, issues 3 and 4, No.71 (Aug/Sept) and 72 (Oct/Nov) 2003.

1997 - 2004 : Regular commissioned features, articles and associated garment patterns for Machine Knitting News published by The Guild of Master Craftsmen.

1993: The Techniques of Double Bed Knitting , B. T. Batsford.

1990: Pattern on the Knitting Machine , B. T. Batsford.

1988 onwards: Regular commissioned features, articles and patterns for Machine Knit Today.

EMPLOYMENT

2007 - 2008: Associate Lecturer 0.6, Cumbria Institute of the Arts, soon to become the University of Cumbria

2005 - 2007:Associate Lecturer 0.4, Cumbria Institute of the Arts

1993 - 2005: Associate Lecturer 0.6, Cumbria Institute of the Arts

1991 - 1993 : Part time lecturer, Cumbria College of Art and Design

1983 - 1990: Full time lecturer, Cumbria College of Art and Design

1982 - 1983: Part time lecturer, Somerset College of Arts and Technology

1974 - 1976: Part time lecturer, Laird School of Art, Birkenhead

1973 - 1974: Full time lecturer, Laird School of Art, Birkenhead

1972 - 1973: Part time lecturer, Preston Polytechnic

SELF-EMPLOYMENT

1996 onwards; Knitwear designer, writer, international workshop tutor, fibre artist.

1983 - 1996:  Freelance designer for knitted swatch service based in the UK, and selling mainly to stores in the USA on a regular basis, clients have included Perry Ellis, Pierre Cardin, Macy's and AMC.

1976 -1983:  Designer knitwear partnerships based in St Ives, Cornwall and latterly Bristol. Selling mainly to the USA through an agency based in Los Angeles; clients included Niemann Marcus, Bendels, Bloomindales and Saks, selling also to Harrods and Browns in the UK. Individual commissions included Lauren Bacall, Natalie Wood, Judith Krantz and Molly Parkin.

Ruth Lee February 2009