CONNIE LIPPERT •   SENECA, SC

Connie Lippert's work has been exhibited extensively throughout thirty states in musuem, corporate, academic and private collections. Her tapestries are represented in several new books including Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond by Tommye Scanlin, The Art is the Cloth by Micala Sidore and in The Art of Tapestry Weaving by Rebecca Mezoff, as well as in Connie Lippert: A Wedge Weaver’s Storied Cloth by Carole Greene. Her online article “Contemporary Interpretation of an Unusual Navajo Weaving Technique” (University of Nebraska, Lincoln, digital commons) has been downloaded over 11,000 times. In addition to her extensive publications, Connie has taught wedge weave workshops and given seminars in California, New York, Michigan, Colorado, New Mexico, Georgia, Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Texas, Tennessee, Kansas, and Wisconsin.

"My tapestries are woven with the wedge weave technique originated by the Navajo around 1870. In contrast to most weaving which is woven horizontally on the loom, wedge weave is woven on the diagonal which gives it a characteristic scalloped edge. The standard of excellence for tourists and traders for Navajo weaving in the 1800’s was a perfectly straight edge. The scalloped edge, which I find intriguing, is thought to be one of the reasons the Navajo abandoned the technique in the 1800’s, though it has resurfaced in recent years. In my work, I am seeking the essence of nature and the interconnectedness of all life to celebrate the spirit of the natural world. My message is one of environmental respect and protection."