Monique Lehman arrived in Pasadena, California, 20 years ago, but only after a storybook odyssey, which began even before she left her native Poland in 1978. She is an accomplished woman, fluent in five languages, with a rare talent. She is a tapestry artist. She left Poland after receiving a Master’s degree from the Fine Arts Academy in Warsaw. The classical, academic training formed the basis for her approach to weaving. Her tapestries are creative, monumental, and painterly. She received “Models of Unity” award in 2004
Monique’s fascination with weaving developed when she learned about the decorative and functional uses of tapestries by medieval nobles. Her weaving method is based on those ancient European techniques. Versatile in several artistic media, Monique participated in numerous rigorous projects which included spending a year restoring a 40-foot carved altar in a 17th century baroque church under the watchful eyes of the monastery monks. Meticulous and intense training prepared her for undertaking projects of monumental proportions such as the historically significant 30 by 8 foot tapestry for the City Hall of Bay City, Michigan; the 35 by 5 foot “Pasadena Landmarks,” at Pasadena City College; and the 8 by 4 foot “Deep Space One” in the Kennedy Space Center Museum, Florida. A magnificent 13 by 8 foot work can be seen at Temple Beth El, La Jolla,California. Presently, Monique also works at Art Center College of Design, and teaches tapestry weaving in local colleges.
Her web site, including pictures of her beautiful tapestries, can be accessed at: www.tapestryart.org.
General program questions can be directed to the Program Committee. We hope to see you at the April meeting!