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Donna Kallner is a fiber artist, teacher and writer from rural northern Wisconsin known for the contemporary ways she uses ancient fiber techniques to tell timeless stories. Looping, for example, dates back to the Ice Age and continues to evolve as Kallner and other artists explore new approaches to single-element construction. Coiling has been used to create vessels for utilitarian and ceremonial purposes for thousands of years, and yet Kallner finds ways to move the core outside it's traditional spiral path. Modern image transfer and surface design techniques honor ideas explored before the first fabrics were woven. Kallner's studio work is shaped by a fusion of ideas that honor tradition but speak in the dialect of her own time and place.
"The materials and techniques I use are important to me because they help me tell stories," Donna says. "I like to have a story evolve as a piece is seen from different angles. Each view reveals more, and each viewer sees something different. In artwork, we see reflections of ourselves, refracted by our own histories and the perspective of one point in time. What I really want people to see is how connected we all are, how the threads of our lives intertwine."
Over the past decade, Donna's life has intertwined with the lives of workshop participants from across the country. She teaches at fiber art schools, art centers, at conferences and at guild events throughout the United States. "I love the challenge of developing ideas and organizing their delivery in ways that help my students make the most of their time in a workshop," she says. "When I teach a technique or guide students as they explore an idea, I know that each of them will have a slightly different take on the material. Every student is like a marker on fiber art's DNA. At any moment, an unexpected variable can lead someone in a new direction. It's exciting to be a part of that process."
Donna's love of teaching influences choices she makes in her writing projects, as well. Her books show the caring concern about learning styles and teaching progressions that make her a popular and respected instructor.
Donna's web site is large, with lots of information and many threads that intertwine. To help you navigate, there is a site index here and a link to it at the bottom of each page. Thank you for visiting!
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