Making their premiere at the 2004 show are guest artists from Ireland. "We had been working since 1997-98 on ideas to complement the show, to add another dimension without changing the basic applicant requirement that artists must work and reside in the United States," O'Meara explains. The plan was to have twenty to twenty-five artists participate to "add an international flavor," she notes, but the Irish, so rich in handcrafted traditions, will have more than thirty artists exhibiting jewelry, wood,furniture, ceramics, fiber and baskets.

       The visiting artists show together in one section of the main floor. Wearable artist Maria Cárdenas has only shown once in this country, to a limited audience. A member of the Irish Linen Guild and Masters of Linen, the transplanted Latin American designer moved to Ireland in 1996, "from London to the cottage where my husband's family comes from, in the Mournes in County Down," she says. "I am based in what is called the Linen Homelands. All around are old flax dams and mills. My father-in-law used to pull flax here. It was the local cash crop, a boost to the local income."

       Cárdenas now uses the indigenous linen as a strong feature in her classic clothing designs. "I use Irish linen from weavers who put a great deal of effort into the weaves and colors they produce," she says. Meadow green, powder pink and ash are her dominant colors, along with black, white, oyster and natural oatmeal. "The properties of being fresh, easy on the skin, refreshing and relaxing are a big factor. I make linen pajamas for myself because they are very restful," she explains. "It is good to be able to use a fabric that is local, that has so much living history involved with it and is such a natural, useful material. It is also very versatile, so it allows a lot of freedom in the design." Her trousers, dresses, suits and jackets are often embellished with hand stitching or Irish lace details. As a third-generation tailor, a lot of her shapes have developed over the years. "My basic trouser shape came from my mother when I was a teenager. However, I like to add plenty of subtle detail," she notes.

ornament@sbcglobal.net