Judy Ann Ness
Judy Ann Ness is a tapestry artist and fiber arts teacher in Eugene, OR. She is primarily interested in color in weaving, spinning and dyeing. Her tapestry work is usually figurative with feather forms or landscapes often featured. Judy’s special interests are in Norwegian textiles and Diné (Navajo) weaving. Her students are encouraged to participate in an atmosphere of fun while exploring their unique voices and nurturing the urge to create.
"Iowa State University was my alma mater from 1970-1974. They were more than fair with me, but I let myself down with a mediocre effort and regretted the lost opportunity. It’s not often one gets a do-over and I felt the University of Oregon graduate school in Fine Arts/Fibers was my chance for redemption. The Fine Arts Department let me teach weaving for three years during graduate school, offering a wonderful experience and the financial support to make school possible. The Costa Mesa Dendel Group’s scholarship for handweavers administered by the HGA sent me to study jacquard weaving at Foundation Lizio in Florence, Italy in 1998 in the company of 5 other UO weavers and our beloved teacher, Barbara Setsu Pickett.
Light, color, and content are my main interests. I have a special love for Norwegian textiles and Diné (Navajo) weaving. The Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum has supported contemporary and traditional weavers interested in Norwegian textiles with a yearly international exhibit where I’ve participated in showing pieces in the krokbragd-tapestry fusion technique that developed from studies at the UO. Sarah Natani, a traditional weaver of The Diné (Navajo) inspired an awareness of the spirituality intrinsic in Diné tapestry that has continued to underly my work. After 25 years, I’m still weaving the same thing – the content focusing on a conceptual exploration of the nature of non-duality. Tapestry can be a slow process. Fortunately, it allows an idea to build and change to follow deeper questioning. It arrives in its own time." - Judy Ann Ness
SOURCE - https://www.eugenetextilecenter.com/judy-ness (Oct 2025) & https://www.americantapestryalliance.org/artist-directory-n/judy-ann-ness/ (Oct 2025)