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Michael Geoffrey Prior

(24 March 1934 - 24 February 2004)

By Janita Loder

     Michael passed peacefully away at home after a valiant struggle with oesophageal cancer. He was born in London, England, and educated at Whitgift School, Croydon, and the University of Bristol. After working as a veterinarian in Gloucester, England, he immigrated to Canada (1966) to pursue his dreams of research and further education. He earned an M.Sc. in Immunology (1968) and a Ph.D. in Toxicology (1978) from the University of Saskatchewan, while serving as head of Agriculture Canada's Animal Pathology Laboratory (1966-1980) in Saskatchewan. He helped start Alberta Environment'sResearch Centre in Vegreville, serving as Head of Toxicology (1980-1993) before being recruited by Alberta Health as a Consultant in Toxicology (1993-1996) in Edmonton. Michael and Muriel retired to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia in 1996.

     Although a scientist through-and-through, with a lively enquiring mind that never stopped exploring and learning, Michael always had a keen interest in education, the arts, social issues, and the environment. He was a musician and a painter, and in the last three years became a tapestry weaver. His lively spirit and quirky sense of humour will be missed, especially by his family.

     I met Michael at a tapestry workshop at Convergence 2002 in Vancouver. Right from the beginning of the workshop, I was impressed with his friendliness and the easy manner in which he interacted with the workshop leaders and the participants. His enthusiasm for tapestry was readily noticeable. Although Michael had only been weaving for a short time, he had woven a considerable number of lovely tapestries. Not long after the workshop, he wove this tapestry for the Memorial Tapestry.

The ATA Award

By Beverly Kent

     Shortly after the American Tapestry Alliance was founded in the mid 1980s, Nancy Harvey set up an award to recognize the “Best Tapestry” exhibited in regional shows.  In 1993, the program was refined and formalized.  The intent of the award, as currently defined, is to recognize and encourage excellence in technique, color, and design in keeping with a traditional definition of tapestry: a flat woven weft-faced structure woven with tapestry techniques.

     To date, at least thirteen ATA Awards have been given.  Marti Fleischer, was one who received an early ATA Award (1991) at a fiber exhibit held at North Georgia College in Dahlonega, GA.  Talk to Marti even today about the value of the ATA Award to her as a budding tapestry artist and she will credit her receiving it at that point in her tapestry career as the reason she became a member of American Tapestry Alliance.   Marti received a year’s membership to ATA (one of the benefits of the award) and became very active with the organization.  In fact, she was one of those called upon by ATA co-founder, Jim Brown, to help reorganize and revitalize the organization in the early 1990s.  Marti served as president/director of ATA for several years and was instrumental in making the organization the strong one it is today.  She continues to be quite active in tapestry advocacy and leadership in addition to her ongoing tapestry weaving.

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