Resume

Education

  • 1982 Master of Fine Arts, Cranbrook Academy of Art
  • 1976 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Kansas City Art Institute

Prizes and Awards

  • 2019 Individual Advancement Grant, Indiana Arts Commission
  • 2016 Niche Award, first prize, DecorativeFiber
  • 2004 James R Thompson Award for Excellence in Craft, Illinois Artisans Program
  • 2000 Illinois Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship
    •    Second prize, Measure for Measure exhibition, Surface Design Association
         Conference
  • 1999 James R. Thompson Award for Excellence in Craft, Illinois Artisans Program
  • 1997 Illinois Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, finalist award
    • Award of Excellence in Weaving, Fiber Focus ’97, Art St. Louis
  • 1996 Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies on the Fine Arts, Grant
  • 1991 Illinois Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship
  • 1986 National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship
  • 1985 Leone di Pietra, Venice Biennale of Architecture

Collections/Commissions (selected):

  • The Art Institute of Chicago
  • Reading Public Museum
  • Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
  • The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
  • Archives of the Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
  • The Denver Art Museum
  • Cranbrook Academy of Art/Museum
  • Racine Art Museum
  • DeLoitte & Touche, Chicago
  • Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Anaheim
  • Mallinckrodt Corporation, St. Louis
  • American Association of Retired Persons, Washington DC
  • The Federal Reserve Bank, Chicago
  • Credit Lyonnaise, Chicago
  • The Chicago Board of Trade
  • American National Bank, Chicago
  • Union Bank of Switzerland, Houston
  • Prudential Corporation, New York
  • AT&T Corporation, Lisle, Illinois
  • Quaker Oats, Chicago and Danville, Illinois
  • Moody Bank, Galveston, Texas
  • Ernst & Young, St. Louis
  • Hyatt Corporate Offices, Chicago
  • University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago
  • La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Chicago
  • Balcor Corporation, Chicago
  • Masonite Corporation, Chicago
  • U.S. Gypsum, Chicago
  • Home National Bank, Arkansas City, Kansas
  • Loeb & Loeb, attorneys, New York
  • Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, attorneys, Columbus
  • Le Boeuf, Lamb, Lieby & McRae, attorneys, New York
  • Acco Corporation, Chicago
  • The collection of Marc & Diane Grainer
  • The collection of Karen Johnson Boyd
  • The Robert L. Pfannebecker Collection
  • The collection of Gerhardt Knodel
  • The collection of Lewis Manilow
  • The collection of Maxine & Stuart Frankel
  • The Collection of Kay & Matthew Buxbaum

Solo and Two-Person Exhibitions

  • 2017 St Meinrad Archabbey. St Meinrad, IN
  • 2016 Henderson Art Center, Henderson, Kentucky
  • 2015 University of Evansville, Melvin Peterson Gallery, Indiana
  • 2014 Hoosier Salon, New Harmony Indiana
    • St. Meinrad Archabbey, St. Meinrad, Indiana
  • 2011 McCutcheon Art Center/Pace Galleries, University of Southern Indiana
    • Hibberd McGrath Gallery, Breckinridge CO
    • Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
  • 2007 Hibberd McGrath Gallery, Breckinridge CO
    • New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, IN
    • Lauritzen Botanic Garden, Omaha
  • 2005 Quincy Art Center, Quincy IL
  • 2004 Patina Gallery, Santa Fe NM
    • Signature Gallery, Atlanta
  • 2003 New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, New Harmony, IN
    • Mirabeau Gallery, Houston, TX
  • 2001 Minneapolis Institute of Arts, “Conflict or Compromise? The Art of Collaboration” and “Three Weavers”
  • 2000 Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
    • Peterson-Hall Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
  • 1999 Russell Hill Rogers Gallery, Southwest School of Art & Craft, San Antonio TX
    • Kansas City Art Institute Alumni Gallery, Kansas City, MO
    • Sybaris Gallery, Royal Oak, MI
  • 1998 Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL
  • 1997 Leedy/Voulkos Gallery, Kansas City, MO
    • Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
  • 1996 LongHouse Foundation, East Hampton, New York
    • Graham Foundation, Chicago
  • 1995 The Sybaris Gallery, Royal Oak, MI
    • Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Evanston, IL
    • Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee
  • 1993 University of Virginia School of Architecture, Charlottesville, VA
  • 1991 Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe IL
  • 1990 North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks
    • Kemper Gallery, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
    • Lydon Fine Art, Chicago
  • 1989 Centre des Arts Visuels, Montreal
  • 1988 vanStraaten Gallery, Chicago
  • 1987 vanStraaten Gallery, Chicago
    • University of Houston, Architecture Gallery
  • 1986 Hadler/Rodriguez Gallery, New York
  • 1985 Hadler/Rodriguez Gallery, Houston
  • 1984 Ruth Volid Gallery, Chicago
  • 1983 Ruth Volid Gallery, Chicago

Selected Group Exhibitions

  • 2018 Blue/Green: Color, Context, Code, Brown/Grotta Gallery
  • 2017 Still Crazy After All These Years, Brown/Grotta Gallery. 
    •    Fibervisions, Melvin Peterson Gallery, University of Evansville
  • 2012-2015 Innovators & Legends Muskegon Museum of Art, traveling exhibition
  • 2015 Extreme Fibers: Textile Icons and the New Edge Muskegon Museum of Art
  • 2014 SOFA Chicago, Gingrass Gallery
    • Beauty Matters, Eastern KY U
    • 43rd Mid-States Craft Exhibition, Evansville Museum of Art & Science
    • Art from the Heartland, Indianapolis Art Center, Indiana
  • 2008 Hibberd McGrath Gallery, Images of Winter
  • 2007-08 SOFA Chicago, Patina Gallery
  • 2007 Hothouse, Cranbrook Museum & Reading Public Museum, 2007
  • 2006 Material Difference, Chicago Cultural Center (Curator: Polly Ulrich, art critic)
  • 2004-06 SOFA Chicago, Gingrass Gallery
  • 2003 Potting, Planting & Pruning: Artists & The Cultivated Landscape, Racine Art Museum
  • 2000-2003 eTextiles, organized by Centre for Contemporary Textiles of Montreal, traveling exhibition venues in Canada, USA, and Australia
    • SOFA Chicago, Katie Gingrass Gallery
  • 2002 The Art of the Hand, Wood Street Gallery, Chicago
    • Threads of Memory, Center for the Visual Arts, Metropolitan State College of Denver
    • SOFA Chicago, Katie Gingrass Gallery
  • 2001 Field Phenomena, Contemporary Arts Council at TBA Gallery, Chicago
    • Sunflowers, The Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe Illinois
    • In Production, Cranbrook Academy of Art/Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI
    • SOFA, New York & Chicago, Katie Gingrass Gallery
    • New Forms in Fiber, Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA
  • 2000 Measure For Measure, H&R Block Artspace, Kansas City
  • 1999 Fiberart International ’99, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
    • SOFA, New York & Chicago, Gingrass Gallery
  • 1998 SOFA, New York & Chicago, Gingrass Gallery
  • 1997 “Fiber Focus ’97”, Art St. Louis, St Louis, MO. Award of Excellence in Weaving.
    • “Threads: Fiber Art in the 90’s”, New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit NJ
    • 10th Anniversary Show, Brown/Grotta Gallery, Wilton, CT
    • SOFA, Chicago & Miami, Gingrass Gallery & Brown/Grotta Gallery
  • 1996 “Bridging Worlds”, Artists’ Jacquard Project, Paley Design Center, Philadelphia and Textile Arts Centre, Chicago
    • “Synergy”, Littman Gallery, Portland State University, Portland, OR
    • SOFA, Chicago and Miami, Katie Gingrass Gallery
  • 1995 “Divergent Paths, Woven Connections” Goldstein Gallery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
    • “Sampler Art”, travelling exhibition, Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA; American Museum of Quilts & Textiles, San Jose
    • “The Possibilities of Weaving”, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage
    • “A Textured Language: Honoring 20 Years of Fiberarts Magazine”, Blue Spiral Gallery, Asheville, NC
    • “Friends of Fiber”, Banaker Gallery, San Francisco
    • SOFA Chicago & Miami, Katie Gingrass Gallery
  • 1994 Group Fiber Show, Joanne Rapp Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
    • SOFA, Chicago; Katie Gingrass Gallery
  • 1993 “Cranbrook Convergence”, three alumni, Cranbrook Academy of Art/Museum
    • New Art Forms, Navy Pier, Chicago; Katy Gingrass Gallery
  • 1992 “Kindred Visions: Weaver/Storytellers”, Ellipse Art Center, Arlington, Virginia
    • “Textile Traditions/Textile Currents”, Federal Reserve Bank, Chicago.
    • New Art Forms, Navy Pier, Chicago; Katy Gingrass Gallery
  • 1990 Tenth Anniversary Exhibition, Textile Arts International, Minneapolis
  • 1989 “The Non-Essential Thread: Brocade”, Minneapolis Institute of Arts
    • “Inspired by Architecture”, Textile Arts Centre, Chicago
    • “Brocade: New Beginnings at Cranbrook”, Textile Arts International, Minneapolis
    • “Contemporary Fiber Art”, Oxford Gallery, Rochester, New York
  • 1988 “Figure and Place”, Artemisia Gallery, Chicago
    • “Contemporary Textiles”, The Hand & The Spirit Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
    • “Contemporary Textiles”, Linda Hodges Gallery, Seattle
    • “Pictorial and Narrative Fibers”, exhibition originating at Dallas City Hall and traveling throughout the Southwest (catalogue).
    • “The Art of Craft”, Textile Arts Center and Chicago, Merchandise Mart, Chicago
    • “Contemporary Woven Work: America and Abroad”, Kent State University, Ohio
  • 1987 “Contemporary Fibers Exhibition”, Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, Oregon
    • “Textile as Language: The Woven Image”, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia
    • “Art & Architecture”, Accurate Gallery, Sacramento, California
  • 1986 “Fiber R/Evolution”, travelling show originating at the University of
    • Wisconsin/Milwaukee (catalogue).
    • “Woven Structures”, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, Texas
  • 1985 Venice Biennale of Architecture, Venice Italy. Awarded the Leone di Pietra prize
    • “Artists Choose Artists”, Modern Masters Tapestries, New York
    • “A Centennial Celebration: Highlights from Kansas City Art Institute Alumni”, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City
  • 1984 “Update: Cranbrook”, Herman Miller Showroom, New York
    • “The Garden: New Form, New Function”, Arrowmont School of Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
    • “Impulse: New Images in Fabric”, Detroit Artists Market, Detroit
    • “Cranbrook Connection: New Images in Fabric”, The Elements Gallery, New York
  • 1983 “Small Scale Fiber”, The Hand & The Spirit Gallery, Scottsdale
    • “Update: Cranbrook”, Robert L. Kidd Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan
  • 1982 “Marietta College Crafts National”, Marietta, Ohio
    • “The Dyer’s Art”, Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles
  • 1978 “Thirty Miles of Art”, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City
    • “Ceramics & Fiber”, Avila College Art Center, Kansas City
  • 1977 “Inaugural Art Exhibition: Critics’ Choice”, Gateway Convention Center, St. Louis
    • “Thirty Miles of Art”, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City

Teaching

  • 2003-05: Adjunct professor, Applications for Textiles, Harrington College of Design, Chicago
  • 1999 Weaving workshop, Southwest School of Art & Craft, San Antonio TX
  • 1996 Color Workshop, Cloth-ing Forum of Interweave Press, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
  • 1995 Weaving workshop, Split Rock Arts Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
  • 1990-94: adjunct faculty, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Fiber Department
  • 1990 Lecture & Workshop, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks
  • 1987 Visiting Faculty, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, Maine
    • Visiting faculty, summer weaving workshop, University of Washington, Seattle
  • 1980 Artist-in-Residence, St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School, Cape Girardeau, Missouri (grant funded by the Missouri Arts Council)
  • 1978-80 Creative Arts Teacher, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City

Professional Activity

  • At Present: Full time studio artist producing hand woven fine art tapestries. Owner & designer, LFN Textiles, textile design company, since 2000;  household textiles for a variety of companies.
  • 2016: Artist-in-Residence, Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA
  • 2006-present: Licensed Product & Textile designs for: Crate & Barrel, Land of Nod, Monticello visitors’ center, (home of Thomas Jefferson), Renaissance Ribbons, Jack Lenor Larsen Textiles, Troy Corporation/Riverwoods Fabrics, and others
  • 2013 juror, Handweavers Guild of America Small Expressions, Fine Line Arts Center
    • Lecture, North Shore Weavers’ Guild, greater Chicago area
  • 2013-14   contributing author, PantoneView.com, articles on color (ongoing)
  • 2013-14   Author, series of articles on color in textiles for Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, the magazine of the Handweavers’ Guild of America
  • 2008-14 Founding chair, Arts in Harmony, annual art fair, New Harmony IN
  • 2007 Allied LFN Textiles Artist’s Ribbons with Renaissance Ribbons for exclusive distribution
  • 2006-present Designs licensed to Crate & Barrel Inc for domestic textiles
  • 2011-present Designs licensed to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson
  • 2009- present Designs licenced to Land of Nod, Children’s Furnishings
  • 2006-08:Industry Advisory Board, Savannah College of Art & Design
  • 2004: Seminar Leader, Convergence, Handweaver’s Guild of America national conference
    • Visiting Artist, Kansas City Art Institute
  • 2000-2014: Scholarship review committee, Handweaver’s Guild of America
  • 2002 LFN Textiles switches empha-sis to jacquard ribbon trims.
  • 2002 Visiting Artist, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
  • 2000, 2001: Benefit Committee, Renaissance Society, Chicago
  • 2000, 2001, 2002: Benefit Host Committee, American Craft Council Chicago Show
  • 2000 Founded LFN Textiles, jacquard upholstery fabrics
  • 1999 “Mythology” fabric designed for Larsen/Cowtan & Tout
  • 1996-1999 Board of Directors, Textile Arts Centre, Chicago
  • 1998 Panelist, Textile Society of American Biannual conference, New York
  • 1997 Lecture, San Diego Weavers’ Guild, San Diego, CA
    • Lecture, Wisconsin Weavers’ Guild, Milwaukee
    • Lecture, St. Andrew’s Society, Hinsdale, IL
    • Lecture, DuPage County Weavers’ Guild, Hinsdale, IL
  • 1996 Juror, St. Louis Art Fair, St. Louis, MO
    • Visiting Artist, Savannah College of Art & Design
  • 1995 Chair, Program Committee, Textile Arts Centre
    • Juror, Members’ Exhibition, Textile Arts Centre
    • Visiting Artists Jacquard Project, Philadelphia College of Textiles & Design
    • Lecture, Cranbrook Academy of Art
  • 1994 Visiting Artist, Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, Weave Department
  • 1993 Lecture, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
    • Lecture, University of Virginia, School of Architecture, Charlottesville
  • 1991 Lecture, North Shore Weavers’ Guild, Chicago
    • Lecture, Madison Weavers’ Guild, Madison, Wisconsin
    • Lecture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
  • 1989 Jacquard Knitting Workshop, Centre des Arts Visuels, Montreal
    • Lecture, University of the Arts, Philadelphia
  • 1988 Seminar Leader, Convergence ’88, Conference of the Handweavers’ Guild of America
    • Lecture, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York
    • Lecture, Cranbrook Academy of Art
    • Lecture, Center for Creative Studies, Detroit
    • Lecture, North Shore Weavers’ Guild, Chicago
  • 1986 Lecture, Kansas City Art Institute
    • Lecture, University of Kansas at Lawrence
  • 1985   Lecture, Boston University, Program in Artisanry
    • Lecture, University of Houston, College of Architecture
  • 1983 Oriental Rug Restoration, The Nomad’s Loom, Chicago
  • 1982 Weaving workshop, Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, New York
  • 1980-82 work study with textile collection, Cranbrook Academy of Art/Museum
  •  

Writing

  • 2014 Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot, Spring 2014, Pantone® and the World of Designed Color, feature article.
    • Pantoneview.com, February 2014: Houston International Quilt Market, feature article.
    • Pantoneview.com, May 2014: Natural Dyes in Artists’ Hands, feature article.
  • 2013 Shuttle, Spindle, and Dyepot, Winter 2013/14: Exploring Color and Weave, feature article.
    • Shuttle, Spindle, and Dyepot, Fall 2013: Interlacing Color, feature article.
    • Pantoneview.com, July 2013: Interlacing Color, feature article
    • Pantoneview.com, May 2013: Jacco Olivier: a Tempest of Contrasts, feature article.
  • 1990 Fiberarts Magazine, November/December 1990, “Donna Durbin: Rites of Passage”, feature article.
  • 1986 American Craft Magazine, February/March 1986, “Villa Farsetti: A Weaver’s Rendering”, feature article.

Bibliography (selected):

  • 2011 Pasatiempo, Santa Fe, October 2011; Paul Weideman, “Covered in Bees! Laura Foster Nicholson”
  • 2006 Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, Fall 2006,Gussie Fauntleroy, “Life in the Creative Stream”
  • 2005 Design & Architecture Magazine, April 2005; Tony Adler, “Dream Weaver”, artist portrait
    • Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, Spring 2005, Gussie Fauntleroy: “Laura Foster Nicholson”, feature article.
  • 2004 Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion Magazine, February 2004 “Artist’s Workshop”, feature article on LFN Studio
  •  2001 Chicago Tribune Magazine, December 16, Karen Klages, “Women of the cloth: Four Female Designers Leading the Wave of Innovation in Textiles for Interiors”.
  •  2001 Fiberarts Magazine, Summer 2001, Polly Ullrich, “Of Kitchen Gardens and Melon Ballers”, feature article.
  •  2000 American Craft Magazine, December 1999-January 2000, “Collectors at Home: A Conversation with Marc & Diane Grainer”, illustrations.
  •  1999 Fiberarts Magazine, Summer 1999, Polly Ullrich, “Beyond Touch: The Body as Perceptual Tool”; illustrations, discussion.
  • 1999 Architectural Digest Magazine, May 1999, “AD at Large: Weaving Art in Chicago”.
  • 1996 Shuttle,Spindle, and Dyepot, Summer 1996, cover; Margo Mensing, “Enter: Repeat”, illustrations.
    • Nouvel Objet, Design House, Seoul, Korea; subject of article & illustrations.
    •  The Crafts Report, November 1996, Noelle Backer, “Laura Foster Nicholson:
    •  Fiber Artist with Visions of the Garden”, interview.
  •  1995 American Craft Magazine, February 1995, Jody Clowes, “Laura Foster Nicholson: Weaving Meditations and Maps”.
  • 1994 Fiberarts Magazine, Nov/Dec 1994, David D.J. Rau, “The Woven Gardens of Laura Foster Nicholson”.
  • 1992 Fiberarts Magazine, Jan/Feb 1992, Kathleen McCann, “The Art of Collecting”, illustration.
  • 1991 American Craft Magazine, December ’91/January ’92, “Exhibitions”, illustration.
  • 1987 Fiberarts Design Book Three, Kate Matthews, Editor; illustration.
  • 1986 Who’s Who in American Art, 17th Edition.
    • Fiber R/Evolution, catalogue, University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee and Milwaukee Art Museum. Illustrations and essay.
  • 1985 Terza Mostra Internazionale de Architettura, catalogue of The Venice Biennale of Architecture. Illustrations and mentions in jurors’ essays
    • The Architecture Review, London, October 1985, “Progetto Venezia”, review & illustrations.
    • de Architect, Netherlands, September 1985, “Architectuur-biennale Venetie 1985”, review & illustrations.
    • Wonen Archis Tabk, Netherlands, September 1985, “Progetto Venezia”, review & illustrations
    • Cite, Architecture & Design Review of Houston, Winter ’85/86 “Houston at the Venice Biennale: Villa Farsetti: A Garden in Silk & Wool”. Author, article & illustrations.
    • Casa Vogue, Italy, September 1985, “Biennale Architettura — Venezia: Capitale del Progetto”, review & illustration.
  • 1984 American Craft Magazine, “Commissions”, illustration.