About the Artist

Martha Ressler	Lecturing on Contemporary Art Quilts at Heinz History Center	Demonstrating Contemporary Art Quilt Making




Martha Ressler is an artist living in Pittsburgh whose main medium is contemporary art quilts. She is a member of two guilds of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts: the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Society of Artists (of which she is the president), plus the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. Her home and her studio are in the Lawrenceville section, and she often draws her inspiration from the industrial facilities and row houses of that area. Ressler has a BA from Oberlin College with a major in History and a minor in studio art and a MA from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in the History of Art. She has taken painting classes at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts from Ron Donoughe and Patrick Dougherty. She studied fiber arts under Sandy Kephart and Lorraine Glessner. She has won awards from the Monroeville Arts Council, the AAP (for the 2010 Falling Water exhibition) and honorable mentions in two PSA shows. “I am concentrating on exhibiting right now, but I also enjoy the interaction with customers that is possible at art fairs. The fiber arts hold a particular fascination for me because of the textures. I love to create little imaginary worlds.” “While concentrating on my art, I also maintain an active interest in history and occasionally conduct historical tours of the Allegheny Cemetery and have acted as a docent at the Annual Doo Dah Days celebration sponsored by the Lawrenceville Historical Society. If you haven’t already done so while visiting my “Home Page” take a look at the Doo Dah Days video by John Kirch.” 2012 Events March 29-May3, 2012 Photos and Fiber Joint exhibit with Jay Ressler at Harmarville HealthCare South Guys Run Road Pittsburgh, PA 15238. 412.828.1300 May 11-July 22 Tone it Up! Lenses and Filters: The the Eye of the Needle Exhibits at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts 6300 5th Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15232 I have pieces in both. There are also several other shows opening at the same time — always a great celebration of art! Upon Further Reflection, 2012, #1196, Thread Painting on Photo by Jay Ressler, with free-motion machine stitching, hand embroidery, beading, 12 x 16. Jay’s photo is of reflections of the Allegheny River and the North Side in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. He played with it in Photoshop, calling it Upon Reflection, No. 11 then I played further with my stitching. Thus the title: Upon Further Reflection. This piece was accepted into Lenses and Filters, which encouraged collaboration between fiber artists and photographers. Perfect for Jay and me! April 28-29 Art All Night 4001 Willow Street Pittsburgh, PA 15201 4 PM Saturday through 6 PM Sunday. "No fee, no jury, no censorship." I entered my large Contemporary Art Quilt “Not So Empty Lot” among the thousands of art works. There is also live music, childrens activities, cartooning all night, Make Art on Site, and even free beer! I will be mostly at the Tee Shirt Sales table, helping the cause. May 18 - June 21, 2012 84th Annual Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg 21 N. Front Street Harrisburg, PA 17101 717.l236.1432 June 11-July Abstractions Jewish Community Center, South Hills Branch 845 Kane Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15243 Jay Ressler and I will have about 20 pieces of our most recent work displayed in the lobby. June 24, 2012 10-4 YART Sale Pittsburgh Center for the Arts 1047 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232 Many great art deals, in the Ressler Art Studios tent and all around! July 14 Doo Dah Days Allegheny Cemetery Butler Street Pittsburgh, 15201 I give tours of the cemetery dressed in my Civil War costume. A little art and a lot of history! August 4-5, 2012 ARTday with PSA Fe Gallery 4102 Butler Street Pittsburgh, PA 15201 Art demos and more! I will have two pieces in the show. September 22 Art Harvest East End Food Co-Op 7516 Meade St. Pittsburgh, PA 15208