The Tapestry Weaver of the East End
In the Hamptons, everyone has a favorite beach, a secret garden, a breathtaking water view. Over time, they become a tapestry of images and sensations that define your own personal East End. If you’re Sag Harbor artist Pamela Topham, they become brilliant works of art, Landscape Tapestries—and covers of Dan’s Papers.
“Locally, many people know me from the covers as ‘The Tapestry Weaver,’” says Topham, who’ll be showing a selection of her works at the Dan’s Papers Cover Art Show and Cocktail Party on August 20. A personal joy of seeing her work on a Dan’s Papers cover is how the “close-up photos show the texture of the tapestries,” she says, speaking of the layers of wool, silk and linen that come to life, and the fact that the covers help her creations resonate with art-lovers on the East End, “as I am showing little in the area—although I’m currently in Artists of the Springs Invitational Exhibition, which benefits the Springs Improvement Society. I am showing in Taos, New Mexico; Tacoma, Washington; Glens Falls, Virginia.”
As much as she loves the East End of Long Island, seeing the world is a big part of Topham’s creative process. “I like the freedom to pursue my art through travel. In March I went to an Artist in Residence in Costa Rica—a wonderfully creative atmosphere, in a very tropical inspiring place. Now I am looking forward to a very different Artist in Residency in Chesky Kremlov, Czech Republic, a 13th century town.”
But no matter how far afield she goes, Topham’s strong ties to Sag Harbor and the Hamptons will never fray. “The East End artists community—all the writers and poets, music and visual art—is supportive of a creative atmosphere,” Topham says. “As a landscape artist it’s all about interpreting the landscape in the fine wools and silk of tapestry. I love this place and it is one way I preserve it.”
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