Welcome to Cynthia Shaver Asian Art Appraiser Newsletter September 2025,
I went to Britex Fabrics in downtown San Francisco with the Textile Art Council from the deYoung Museum in August. Oh what a candy store it was !!! and I only came home with one yard of beautiful, Italian blues and yellow blots, on chiffon. For the hours we were there, my imagination had me feeling, and maybe wearing, 95% of the fabrics I saw. The owner discussed sourcing the goods, most from Italy and France, but really from everywhere, and discussed the higher prices due to the tariffs. This store has bolts of fabric, wools, silks and cottons from floor to ceiling, colors from pale to bright, calling you to bring your tailor and design your fantasy. And on the third floor, is a wall of buttons. A serious wall full of white shirt buttons of different shapes and sizes, colorful resin and leather buttons, ceramic and pieces of tile buttons, babies and unicorns and even tigers and bears. Her tailor on staff, from Russia, showed us how to drape fabrics making sure to be off the bias. It was fascinating to watch her work with a yard of different weight and type of material, all draping slightly differently.
I also had the pleasure of being jury to the show ‘Wabi Sabi’ at O’Hanlon Center for the Arts in Mill Valley. There were approximately 180 submissions from 60 artists. I chose 61 artworks for the exhibit. It was so much fun selecting my taste to display on the walls. A dream. The first time I have solo juried a show. It was well received, and I encouraged the artists to keep making art. I think it helps our collective world, art to think about and discuss. What a pleasure.