While this 50-by-51-inch artwork may appear to be a drawing, "Allegro," by Dirkje van der Horst-Beetsma of the Netherlands, is actually black thread on a white cotton background. It's one of two pieces by the artist in "Fiberart International 2004" at the Society for Contemporary Craft and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Click photo for larger image.

One of the hallmarks of a successful work of art is that it holds up over time. The artworks exhibited in "Fiberart International 2004" -- which I first wrote about in April -- passed that test admirably when seen again last week.

The exhibition continues through Aug. 14 at the Society for Contemporary Craft and Aug. 15 at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. It then travels to the Museum of Arts & Design, New York City, and other venues are being negotiated.

The heavy lifting for this huge endeavor -- this is the 18th biennial -- is done by volunteer members of the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, the sponsor and organizer. Quality and impartiality are ensured by the selection of a professional jury, this year comprising Sarah Quinton, contemporary curator, Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto; Barbara Lee Smith, artist, author and educator; and David Revere McFadden, chief curator and vice president for programs and collection, Museum of Arts and Design.

It's worth noting that the guild commits to the International with no preconditions that members be included. The only guild member, and indeed only local artist, chosen for this show is Adrienne Heinrich, whose "Raiment" and particularly "In Skin" -- cast rubber with sewn-in human hair and wire -- are simultaneously sensuous and titillating and disturbing and off-putting.

They exemplify the edgy push of the definition of fiber art that's become characteristic in these exhibitions, and they remind the viewer of how far the discussion about what constitutes art and craft generally has traveled in a mere four decades.

That Heinrich is the only local exhibitor is not a commentary on the lack of worthy fiber work in the area. Quite the contrary: The region's rich with talented artists who choose to express themselves in media and methods that have come from or relate to fiber art tradition. Rather, it's an indication of the breadth of the playing field here and the vitality of the competition.

"Physalis Franchetti" by Carole Andrews of the United Kingdom are made of roofing felt, steel and resin. Click photo for larger image.

The final cut of 62 works by 48 artists (six men and 42 women) represent a number of states, along with Europe, Asia and New Zealand.

Illustrating the range of work displayed, for example, are the prize-winning "Between the Lines of Thread" by Heidrun Schimmel and "My Archives" by Susanne Hepfinger. Both artists reside in Germany, the former born in 1941 and the latter in 1924, but there the comparisons end.

Schimmel's contemplative work is painstakingly constructed of white cotton thread on black silk organza -- nine panels, each covered by more than 150 lines of horizontal stitching. Hepfinger's highly conceptual work comprising found objects in stacked crates is personally revealing and most appropriately exhibited in a city that houses Andy Warhol's "Time Capsules."

Those aware of technique will be especially thrilled by the many pieces that show spectacular command of method and material. Outstanding are Liz Frey's "Tonglen Breath," handwoven cloths dyed, acid-etched and burned (United States/PCA); Andrew Hassen's "Eternal Fatalist," suggesting the permanent internalization of imagery (Canada/SCC); Jerry Bleem's inconceivably complex, organically shaped, stapled sculptures (U.S./SCC); Nancy Jackson's commanding (and perhaps feminist) tapestries (U.S./PCA); and Emiko Nakano's impeccably exquisite "MA" (Japan/PCA).

Also exceptional are Clare Plug's tactile and dimensionally illusional "Resonance" and "Promenade" (New Zealand; PCA); Patricia Resseguie's splendid diptych "Peel North, Peel South," ink on organza soaked through to vellum in thumbprint patterns that move like a Van Gogh sky (U.S./SCC); and Cindy Hickok's "Threadbare: Does Anyone Sew Anymore?" for which the artist has embroidered famous nude women from art's past (Botticelli's Venus, Manet's Olympia, Gauguin's Polynesians, etc.) into the form of an old sewing machine (U.S./PCA).

Not everything exhibited is timeless. Some works are destined to be of fleeting interest, so tied are they to what's current and in, but they're in the minority and add to the of-the-moment feeling that the show projects.

The exhibition not only enlightens local audiences but also serves the national and global fiber art community. Kudos to the Fiberarts Guild for their dedication and also to the host venues for continuing their generous support of this very worthy show.

The SCC, Strip District, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays (412-261-7003). The PCA, Shadyside, is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays (412-361-0873). A full-color catalog/CD is $20. Related events include a free talk by fiber artist Camilla Brent Pearce at 1 p.m. Aug. 14 at the PCA, in conjunction with her solo exhibition there, and "Artquiltart," an international invitational fiber exhibition that opens 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 18 at The University Museum, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (724-357-2397).