As I started exhibiting my work in shows, I had to develop an artist’s statement. Honestly, it is a tough task. There is all manner of advice on websites from galleries and groups. It mostly says be yourself, be authentic, if there is a quote that really speaks to you, use it, but just be you! And then they give examples and they all read like pretentious mumbo jumbo to me and I feel like I am not one of these art people and should just pack it up because I do not fit.

But packing it up isn’t really an option.

So, I wrote a statement that is, I think, 100% me. I hope you enjoy it, because I hated writing it. And yes, it does include a quote from The Simpsons.

Artist’s Statement

I can turn a piece of string into fabric. It is my super power. I can also tie my stomach in knots over the most insignificant human interactions, but that is probably not as relevant here.

I crochet and embroider because I simply have to. If I didn’t have fiber to work with I would, to quote Carl Carlson, “completely go psycho on all you guys all the time.” Playing with yarn and string calms me, and when I am calm I can explore colors, textures, and shapes. “Play” is really what ties all of my work together, be it a small cowl or a large wall hanging. I just need to play with yarn.

Biography

Annie Webster is a fiber artist in Kansas City, Missouri. She learned to sew and embroider from her mom and grandma, studied graphic design at Penn Valley Community College, and learned to crochet on her own (with a little help from the internet). After more than a decade of designing marketing materials for a mailing list company, Annie left her job to concentrate on fiber art full-time. She lives in Kansas City’s northland with her husband Mike and a large yarn stash.

Where I’ve Been

I am just a baby artist when it comes to exhibiting my work. It is a nerve-wracking and exciting process to submit photos of my pieces to be included in shows and it is absolutely thrilling to see my work shown with that of other artist I admire.

2021

• Missouri Fiber Artists’ Counterpoints, University of Central Missouri Gallery of Art & Design, Warrensburg, MO (Group Exhibition)

2020

• First Annual Fiber Exhibition, Kansas City Stockyards Gallery, Kansas City, MO (Group Exhibition)
• The MoFA Show, Smalter Gallery, Kansas City, MO (Group Exhibition)

2019

• Between the Threads, Webster Arts, Webster Groves, MO (Group Exhibition)
• Fun Sized Art, Vanessa Lacy Gallery, Kansas City, MO (Group Exhibition)
• Portraits & Portrayals, Framations, St. Charles, MO (Group Exhibition)
• Out of My Comfort Zone, Lillian Yahn Art Gallery, O’Fallon, MO (Group Exhibition)
• On the Surface On the Ramp, St. Louis Artists’ Guild, St. Louis, MO (Group Exhibition)
• Fine Art/Fine Craft: New Work by the Kansas City Fiber Group, Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, Kansas City, MO (Group Exhibition)
• On the Road: An Exhibition Showcasing Best of Missouri Hands Members, Lee’s Summit City Hall, Lee’s Summit, MO (Group Exhibition)

2018

• Reflections on Nature, Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, Kansas City, MO (Group Exhibition)
• Hands Across Missouri, Cultural Corner Art Guild & Gallery, Chillicothe, MO (Group Exhibition)
• The Nature of Fiber, Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, Kansas City, MO (Group Exhibition)

2017

• Fiber Squared, The Foundry Arts Center, St. Charles, MO (Group Exhibition)
• Hands Across Missouri, Cultural Corner Art Guild & Gallery, Chillicothe, MO (Group Exhibition)
• 12 x 12 x MoFA, Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, Cape Girardeau, MO (Group Exhibition)

Recognition

• Honorable Mention for “Field,” Open Professional Division, Missouri State Fair, Sedalia, MO, 2019
• Third Place: Artists & Artisans, Best of Missouri Life Market Fair, 2019
• Honorable Mention for “I Live in a Granny Square World,” Fiber Squared, The Foundry Arts Center, St. Charles, MO, 2017
• Honorable Mention for “Crunchy Granola Baby Blanket,” Crochet Guild of America Design Competition, 2017

Memberships

The Crochet Guild of America
The Embroiderers’ Guild of America
Missouri Fiber Artists
Best of Missouri Hands/Missouri Artisans Association, Juried Member