Life on Purpose: The Wearable Art of CherScapes

Sometimes we are fortunate to meet a person right when they are at The Cusp. Watching someone at an exciting nexus of events in their life is inspirational, and gives the rest of us a charge of energy in our own creative growth. That is what happened when I met Cheryl Rezendes Rulewich.  Like most of us, Cher has worn a variety of hats throughout the years; she has been a teacher at a boys’ school, the owner of a tapioca shop, a columnist for the local newspaper and the proprietor of an experiential butterfly museum, to name a few. 

I should also mention that Cher grew up spending time in her mother’s seamstress business.   Over the years, she developed her skills as an artist and writer, even graduating from School of  the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  At last, Cher has combined her sewing skills, love of fiber arts, creativity and innovative spirit to create her own line of wearable art and open a regional fiber arts studio.   

In Cher’s own words, “Two years ago I began this incredible journey of combining my love for fiber, my skills as a dressmaker, and 20 years as a mixed media collage artist into one-of-a-kind wearable art for both men and women.  I have been fascinated with fiber and thread since I was a little girl, watching my mother create stunning dresses, suits and elegant evening gowns."

Cher’s mixed media work is neither strictly abstract nor representational; she often integrates simplified figures, landscapes or objects into the rich textures and colors of her collages.  

So here we are at The Cusp of CherScapes.  She has a group of loving and loyal followers (her family, long-time creative critique group, and regional teachers and learners who are utilizing the  CherScapes studio for fiber arts classes), but most of all, she has a talent for creating exquisite clothing, using a variety of methods.  She uses dyes, paint, embroidery, beads, buttons, and metal leaf to transform the fabric before enlisting her skills as a dressmaker to create unique quality pieces. 

Learn more about Cheryl Rezendes Rulewich by visiting her website  or blog.

Her gallery is also fast becoming a center for fiber arts in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts.  Click here to see the CherScapes course catalog.