2022-2023 Board of Directors
- Lu Peters, President
- Cyndi Watson, Vice President
- April Soncrant, Secretary
- Carrie Noess, Treasurer
- Lila Warman, Membership
- Open , Communications
- Kathi Jahnke, Programs
- Carol Kovacs, Mini Workshops
- Adriana Comini, Exhibits
- Open , Community Service
- Open, Historian
Art by member Carolyn Skei.
Board of Directors Biographies
Lu is passionate about encouraging the global community of fiber artists through communication and education and maintains a comprehensive website, www.lupeters.com, an extensive resource site for fiber artists. Additionally, she is an avid fan and contributor to ExploreFiber.com and is a committed volunteer for DAFA and the Quilter’s Guild of Dallas.
Her abstract acrylics were featured in a two-woman show. Her paintings hang in private, local area businesses. Her fiber work is in private collections and has been included in juried shows.
Her current textile paintings are a Garden Series, using re-purposed silk to applique fantasy floral scenes onto hand-dyed backgrounds, then embellishing them with sequins, beads, and other sew-ons.
April served on the board of directors for The Visual Arts Guild of Frisco and was a representative to the Frisco Association of the Arts. For three years she served as a judge for the annual Frisco art competition, junior and senior high school divisions. She has held a number of offices with the Dallas Area Fiber Artists and is currently the Secretary.
My interest in embroidery grew out of my love of the Arts & Crafts Movement. Inspiration for my original work includes the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements, Charles Rennie Macintosh, William Morris, May Morris, Water Crane, and Frank Lloyd Wright. I hold a Certificate in Hand Embroidery from the Royal School of Needlework. Currently studying (stitching) historic samplers and embroidered caskets.
I embroider: blackwork, shaded blackwork, whitework: pulled thread, drawn thread, hardanger, broider anglaise, richelieu and trailing stiches, needlepoint, goldwork, Jacobean crewelwork, surface embroidery, needlelace, stumpwork, silk shading, tapestry shading, and samplers (cross stich and specialty stitches).
Recently Lila has discovered the art of card making. Lila made felted Calla Lilies for a wedding along with other fun items. She has shared the love of crafting with the Girl Scout troops and day camps she led over 20 years. Lila was the Activity Coordinator for Newcomer Friends of Greater Plano in 2015. She also led a group called Handmade By Me 2016-2018.
Prior to moving to Texas in 2017, Kathi lived in Westchester County, New York where she was a member of Fiber Art Northeast and participated in numerous group exhibitions. Thrilled to have found a new creative home with DAFA, Kathi brings ten years of experience developing and directing visual arts programs including launching Art at Concordia and serving as the Director of OSilas Gallery at Concordia College in Bronxville, New York.
Adriana "Andie" Comini, Exhibits Director
"Slow down! Stop the car!"
These are often the words of Andie Comini as she keeps her eyes peeled for any item on the curb she might be able to incorporate into an art piece.
Andie's journey to becoming a mixed media fiber artist began with stained glass and mosaic work. Her love of color and texture soon had her combining these elements with paper, fabric, metal, plastic, and foam along with found objects. Her art studio is filled with all kinds of materials just waiting to be brought together in a piquant or poignant piece. Her goal is to incorporate items into something that will spark people’s imagination and produce a smile!
Andie, an active member of the Dallas Area Fiber Artists and both the Dallas and Bonham Creative Arts Centers, continues to be an enthusiastic participant in numerous art and gallery shows.
Linda Bonner, Mini Workshop Director
Linda considers herself a creative soul and enjoys working on a variety of fiber and mixed media art, sewing and writing. She is the Events Manager at the Heard-Craig Center for the Arts in McKinney, TX.
She has had several sewing businesses including Kover’s For Kids, hooded towels for children, Peacock Pouches, zippered and drawstring pouches and is currently co-owner with her sister, Diane, of Inspired Things Studio. They design and create clothing and accessories for women, children and bridal.
Linda was introduced to Art-O-Mat in 2018 when the Heard-Craig Center received one of the art-vending machines. Since then, she has created 1,000’s of miniature artwork pieces with a focus on fiber and mixed media as an Art-O-Mat artist. She has 5 active art products with Art-O-Mat and her artwork has been shipped all over the world. She also owns Linda Bonner Studios and makes custom handcrafted cards for all occasions.
She is the author of
Waiting on the Sunrise: Hope and Encouragement for Families and Their Children with Disabilities. In it she shares her hopeful journey to help make life the best it can be for families with loved ones with disabilities.
Our Mission
- Promote and advance fiber art through the education of its members and the public with the help of exhibitions, workshops, wearable art–style shows and educational activities.
- Promote mutual understanding and cooperation in artistic endeavor among fiber art organizations.
- Promote mutual understanding and cooperation in artistic endeavor among art organizations in Dallas–Fort Worth.