Today @ Colorado State

Students

A life in fiber, sculpture arts

September 8, 2009
By Anh Ha

Sara Goldenberg is currently a graduate student in the Master of Fine Arts Fibers program, after completing her undergraduate degree in sculpture at the California College of the Arts. Since beginning her studies, Goldenberg's artwork has been on displayed across the nation - in both group and solo exhibits.

Weaving, dyeing, cloth construction

Goldenberg's skills range from dyeing thread and cloth, weaving, surface design, cloth construction, and hand-sewing.

“I’ve acquired so many new skills in my first two years here at CSU. These skills, coupled with my previous sculpture training, have allowed my work to move to a space that I’ve very happy about and would not have been able to reach without my time in the fibers department,” says Goldenberg

Career launched on floor as a child

Goldenberg developed her creativity at a young age. For her birthday, her parents gave her a Messy Mat, a play mat for children and a great way to keep floors clean.

“It entailed a large blue mat and all the art supplies a child could ever want or imagine. I spent endless hours creating drawings, collages, painting, and sculptures on that Messy Mat,” says Goldenberg.

Variety of materials, skills create in-demand pieces 

In 2004, Goldenberg displayed her art for the first time outside of the school setting. It entailed two 8' x 10' wall hangings for an office in northern California. The pieces were made from cut up pieces of digital photographs of rust and chains, and plaster from a California quarry.

“I created cityscape style designs with the photos and stitched the photos back together on the sewing machine using zig-zag stitch. I had just finished my undergraduate and was thrilled to have such a great opportunity straight out of school,” says Goldenberg.

Current projects and exhibitions

In 2009, Goldenberg displayed her works of art on across the country in different exhibits, including:

• Circular Motion 2 - Fibers Celebrated Intermountain Weavers Conference, Center of Southwest Studies Gallery (Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo.)
• The Future of Quilts and Properties of Light Revisited - Points of Departure, Surface Design Association (Kansas City, Miss.)
• The Blue Arc and Architectural Knits - Wearable Art Awards, Port Moody Arts Centre Society, (Port Moody, British Columbia)
• The Blue Arc, Architectural Knits, The Elasticity of Wire, Properties of Light Revisited - Framing Fashion The Final Cut, Student Apparel Design Show (Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo.)

Goldenberg is currently working on three installation pieces that deal with a combination of industrial and organic materials and the creation of organic forms by using her stitching, free form embroidery, and weaving skills.

“The installations are all intended to provide the viewer with an experience in which their perception and interaction with space is altered. Each installation will include sculptural garments that are either worn by the viewer or interacted with on a less physical level,” explains Goldenberg.

Get your work out there!

Goldenberg encourages all aspiring art students, who would like their artwork to be nationally displayed one day, to apply to as many shows as you can because you never know who might be looking.

“All opportunities are good opportunities to show your art. Also, you never know who will see your piece and then invite you to show your work somewhere else. The longer I find myself in the art world the more I realize that such a large part of getting your work out there is being a good self promoter and not letting any opportunities pass me by.”