60" woven in 1967 as a private commission; Large Embrace 41" x 29" woven in 1968 typical of the "Little people" series; and Loreli 58" x 47" woven in 1969 is one of the large female figures displayed on armatures. The three tapestries illustrate the wide range of styles created in Nezhnie's early career. Soon after arriving in St. Louis she assessed the art scene as lacking opportunity for local artists to sell their work. In 1964, Nezhnie was one of six founding members of Craft Alliance Gallery, which is still operating in St. Louis, Missouri, as of 2010. She was on Craft Alliance's board of directors for 16 years. Living in near vicinity to the gallery, she became the person often called to solve problems. Major commissions The Guild for Religious Architecture Conference Exhibition awarded Nezhnie a merit award for Genesis in 1969, as well as honorable mentions in 1971 and 1972. Besides Imprints, which had two curved panels each 80" x 192" depicting graphic symbols and reference to books, she produced 11 tapestries for religious institutions during the first 5 years of the 1970s. These included three distinct interpretations of Jacob's Dream. The 1971 St. Louis version, an ark curtain, measured 216" x 96" and the 1973 Farmington Hills, MI, ark curtain was 256" x 120". The 1975 Boston Jacob's Dream was a triangular shape fabricated in rughooking by Edward Fields, Inc., in New York City. Exodus, an earlier massive 414 sq. ft. ark curtain was also fabricated in the technique. Hooking was an efficient means of producing irregular shapes for large commissions. Nezhnie's studio was set up in the basement of the Helfmans' home where three looms enabled apprentices to weave during the day and Muriel to work at night to accomplish the quantity of weaving needed for these projects. The whole Helfman family was involved in the details of studio life, helping with finishing details when needed. Personal expression The emergence of pop art in the 1960s reinforced her direction toward both portraiture and print media by 1970. The freedom to incorporate realistic imagery was heightened when she discovered the work of tapestry artist, Helena Hernmarck. Not only did Hernmarck use contemporary subject matter and calligraphy, her style had "surprise created by the discrepancy in what the viewer saw from a distance and at close range." Nezhnie's first major personal work of the 1970s was the