The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen will host a touring exhibit from the American Tapestry Alliance during the next month and a half.

The Gumenick Family Gallery exhibition, Small Tapestry International 2: Passages, featuring small tapestries created by artists from around the world, opens Sept. 15 with a reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., which is open to the public. The exhibition will continue through Oct. 30. This is the only East Coast venue hosting this touring, biennial exhibition of the American Tapestry Alliance.

From submissions by 80 artists totaling 125 entries, juror Kay Lawrence, director of the South Australian School of Art, chose 47 tapestries from 41 artists to be included in the exhibition. The artists represent seven countries including Australia, Canada, England, Italy, Poland, Scotland and the USA.

“The theme, elucidated as ‘the act of passing from one place or condition to another... the route one travels,’ was interpreted in many ways: metaphorically; in spatial terms; through the passage of time; and in some cases through a transition from one form of representation to another,” Lawrence said.

The small scale tapestries range from diminutive 16 square inches (4 inches squared) Quiet Pool by New Zealand artist Joan Griffin to the largest – 196 square inches (14 inch-es squared) Luna Landing I by United States artist Lynn Butler Mayne.

The winner, Untitled #134 (10 inches by 8 inches) is from United States artist Mary Lane, an artist and art historian whose tapestries have been exhibited internationally and part of private and corporate art collections.

Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery also is open during special events and performances held during the evenings and on weekends. Admission to the center and gallery is free. The center is located at 2880 Mountain Road in Glen Allen. For details, call 261-ARTS (2787)
or visit http://www.artsglenalllen.com