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This past weekend was the Quilt Fest at Ben Franklin in Oconomowoc. If you’re not from the area, then let me fill you in! As I understand it, Ben Franklin was originally a dime store chain, but now each store is independently owned and they are very different, one from another. The store in Oconomowoc has an amazing collection of crafting supplies, a lovely gift deck, a full service framery and a quilt shop quality fabric department. The employees make the store what it is and the fabric department crew is great! Terrie Siefert, the manager (and a dear friend), gave me permission to take some pictures for this blog, so please …. enjoy!

Beginning at the front door there are quilts! These were made by one of this year’s  featured artists, Juleen Jaeger.

Along the back wall, and in full view from the front door, are quilts by Laura Krasinski, the other featured artist at this year’s show.

There is a Viewer’s Choice quilt show hanging in the aisles!

 

I was very pleased to see that a number of my students had quilts entered in the show!

My “Gradation Play” talk was very well attended by a smiling, happy group of quilters!

And, of course, I always enjoy an opportunity to share my quilts and my passion.

There is another Quilting Event coming up in November that I’m quite excited about. The Slinger Quilt Show will be held November 3rd and they’ve invited me to be their featured artist. What a blessing and an honor. I’ve even been invited to be there and talk about my quilts (I didn’t need to be asked twice :-)). Please go to: http://slingerquiltshow.org/ for all the information about the show!

And, one more bit of information for you quilt show enthusiasts – the Wandering Foot Quilt Guild’s show is rapidly approaching. It will be held Oct 20 and 21 at the American Legion Post in Oak Creek, WI. Their website is: http://wanderingfoot.com/About_Us.html/

I’ve just returned home from teaching 7 classes/lectures in 4 days – and all on Mariner’s Compass! What a joy and blessing, but I have to admit to being a bit exhausted. Thanks to everyone who took my classes! Wednesday was an all day class with a wonderful group, the Pine Tree Needlers in Wautoma, WI. I used to teach at their annual retreat and so it was very nice to reunite with past friends. I only wish I had thought to snap a photo or two. Thanks to Patty B. for her kind hospitality.

From there I headed to Madison, WI to meet up with my dear friend and roommate, Laura Krasinski. We were both on the faculty at Quilt Expo (it was Laura’s first year and she did a great job!). This was the Expo’s 8th year and it just keeps getting better. The crowds were big, the quilts were amazing and the Vendor Mall was as good as it gets. I believe a good time was had by all. My lectures and workshops were all well attended – Praise the Lord – and on the last day I did remember to use my camera. This was my Saturday morning class – a very talented group (even Maria who was hiding behind her machine :-))!

I found the show quilts to be very inspiring. There were quilts from Wisconsin, all over the US and beyond. Being a juried show, the competition was intense. I’ve mentioned this in my blog before, but I think it bears repeating. When a show is juried, the quilts need to catch the jurors attention to be chosen. This means that many wonderful quilts may be turned down. Typically these are the regular type that most quilters make. They can still be found in abundance at local quilt shows and county fairs and are so much fun to view, but when attending juried shows I recommend going with the attitude that you just want to be wowed and inspired!

That being said, I enjoy the excitement of entering juried shows because I make quilts that like to be seen. I have had many quilts accepted into juried shows and quite a number of times I’ve been turned down. That’s just the way it is. This year I was blessed to have the 2 quilts I entered accepted. In the following photograph 2 viewers are really examining one of them: Welcoming the Son Into Our Garden (third from the left). This is a project I made with my dear friend, Wendy Rieves, and it was featured in a previous post. Please click here for a better picture and more information.

What a joy it was to actually win a second place ribbon. Wendy and I were thrilled!

I have one more photo to share. Here’s a bird’s eye view of the entry hall still filled with happy quilters, even on the last afternoon of the show.

Quilt Expo has really grown to be a National Level quilt show and the city of Madison has a lot to offer as well. I highly recommend marking your calendars for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday following Labor Day weekend next year!

Were you able to attend Expo? What was your favorite part :-)?

I returned home from Arizona last Monday night and Tuesday the sun shone bright and it reached 47 degrees. Unusual temperatures for Wisconsin in winter – and I’m not complaining!

So, what’s the “WOW” for? Well, “Walls of Wittenberg” of course.  Wittenberg is a lovely, small town in north/central Wisconsin.

Due to my friend Laura Krasinski’s kind suggestion, I was invited to present my “Challenged Mind” program there this past Saturday in conjunction with a quilt show that is going on at the WOWSPACE Gallery.

Not only was I able to share my quilts and their stories with a lovely group, but seeing the Gallery exhibit was a special treat!

From the tin ceiling to the stain glass windows, it is a delightful space for an exhibit of quilts and Fiber Art!

The Best of Show winning quilt was  made by another dear friend, Sharon Rotz (please enjoy the pic of Sharon and her quilt and disregard the beautiful, bright sunshine coming in the window).

Sharon was kind enough to hold up quilts during the talk (and then invite me for a slumber party at her home that night).

After enjoying the quilts we drove around and took in the amazing murals that are painted on many of the buildings in town:

I just had to share a few of my favorites. This fascinating, 3-D mural is on the back of the WOWSPACE Gallery (I think it was my favorite):

With just a 1/4 turn to my left I was able to catch this photo of the back of the bowling alley (quite an interesting shot with the evergreen trees and remaining snow).

Then there was the grocery store:

The Post Office:

 

and the Middle School:

Many thanks to Susan Hanson and Miriam Nelson (and Elaine too) for all their efforts concerning the exhibit and the presentation.

The quilt show will be hanging for one more week and the murals are always there :-). If you live far from Wittenberg, I hope you enjoyed this short photo-journey and if you live close enough to make a visit, I know you will not be disappointed.

I am very pleased to announce a quilt exhibit entitled “New Quilts From Old Favorites” is currently hanging at the Wisconsin Historical Museum on the Capitol Square in Madison, WI. These quilts are innovative interpretations of a number of traditional blocks. Some of the quilts were made in collaboration with my dear friends Sharon Rotz and Wendy Rieves and others are my own. Samples of the traditional pattern of each are also included in the display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This wonderful opportunity came to be because my friend Evelyn Link’s daughter, Gwendolyn Rice, is having the premiere of her play “A Thousand Words” preformed by the Forward Theater Company in Madison. She had the idea of involving a variety of artists in a number of unique exhibits to coincide with the play’s grand opening. I have also been invited to do a lecture at the museum on January 14th. I’m so grateful to have Gwen include me in this exciting collaboration and am including the press release so you can read all about it!

The Art of A Thousand Words –Photos and Fiber Art Inspired by Forward Theater’s World Premiere Play

Madison, WI — Forward Theater Company has partnered with artists throughout Dane County to present a series of art exhibits complementing the world premiere of the play A Thousand Words, by local playwright Gwendolyn Rice. The play, which will be presented in Promenade Hall at the Overture Center, January 19 – February 5, 2012, focuses on many types of art – from the stunning black and white photography of Walker Evans, to crude patchwork quilts from Kansas. It also poignantly explores the relationship between art and commerce, the power of photography, the role of museums in marketing and discovering artists, and the search for authenticity on both personal and artistic levels.

To engage in a broader conversation around these themes, FTC, in close collaboration with David Wells and the Terry Family Foundation, assembled several mixed media exhibits created by local artists, including professional photographers and quilters, and members of the Center for Photography in Madison, the Mad City Quilt Guild, and the Madison Contemporary Fiber Artists.

Author Gwendolyn Rice originally conceived the play A Thousand Words after reading a small article in the newspaper about the discovery of photos in a Key West, Florida, bar. The owner had stumbled upon a treasure trove of books, fishing gear, and personal effects from one of the bar’s most famous patrons – Ernest Hemingway. Among these items were a collection of black and white photos taken by Walker Evans. Rice stated, “This story fascinated me. Unfamiliar with the photographer or his work, I started researching Evans and studying his photos. He eventually became a main character in the play.”

When the play was added to Forward Theater’s third season, the staff began to think about ways to engage additional audiences and artists through visual art. “To me, this project is all about collaboration and being inspired to create something new,” said Jennifer Uphoff Gray, artistic director for Forward Theater Company, and the director of A Thousand Words, a co-production mounted by FTC and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. “Since the genesis of this play was a set of photographs, and evocative, compelling photos and quilts are explicitly discussed in the play, it seemed natural to involve artisans in those media. It’s been an amazing cross-pollination among artists.”

Rice concurred, saying “It’s really interesting to see how creative people in other fields interpret the images that led me to write A Thousand Words. It is my hope that the play – and the exhibits ‑ will encourage viewers to think about the nature of authenticity, the process of art creation, and the power of words and images.”

The collection of photos, quilts, embroidery, weaving, and fabric collages will be on display at several galleries in Madison, through March, 2012. In addition to these exhibits, the Wisconsin Historical Society will host two lectures complementing themes in the play, discussing antique and modern quilts. They will also display a group of original works by noted quilt artist and educator Chris Lynn Kirsch.

October 14, 2011

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Gallery Night, Orange Cone Studios presents Nick Berard’s black and white photos, inspired by the work of Walker Evans.

October 10 – December 1, 2011

Sundance Cinemas Gallery, 430 North Midvale Blvd, in Hilldale Mall
Photos and fiber art, inspired by the work of Walker Evans. Opening reception November 10, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

December 3, 2011 – January 14, 2012

Wisconsin Historical Society,816 State Street

New Quilts from Old Favorites Exhibit – Quilts by Chris Lynn Kirsch that re-imagine traditional patterns such as Mariner’s Compass, Dresden Plate, Sunflower, and Monkey Wrench.

December 8, 2011 – January 25, 2012

UW Madison Continuing Studies Building, 21 North Park St., 7^th floor. A collection of black and white photos, inspired by the work of Walker Evans.

December 10, 2011    1:00 – 2:30 pm

Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State Street – Trends in American Quilting with Curator Leslie Bellais; Why did quilting become so popular in America when it languished inEurope?  Why were there powerful national quilting trends, rather than a myriad of regional styles in the history of American quilting?  These are questions Leslie Bellais, Curator of Costume & Textiles at the Wisconsin Historical Society, will address in her presentation on the history of American quilting from the 1770s to the 1970s, with an emphasis on works of the Depression era.  Her talk will be illustrated with images of quilts from the Society’s collection. Suggested donation of $5 per person. Call 264-6555, email , or visit shop.wisconsinhistory.org to reserve your space.

December 19, 2011 – March 4, 2012

Overture Gallery II, 201 State Street, 2^nd floor. Photos and fiber art in the style of Walker Evans, inspired by the play A Thousand Words. Opening reception January 13, 6pm – 8pm

January 13 – March 4, 2012

Overture Hall Playhouse Gallery,201 State Street, lower level. Mini quilts by the Mad City Quilt Guild, inspired by the play and the theme “A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words.” Opening reception January 13, 6pm – 8pm

January 14, 2012       1:00 – 2:30 pm

Wisconsin Historical Society – Contemporary Takes on Classic Patterns: A Talk with Quilter Chris Lynn Kirsch

Quilter, teacher, and author Chris Lynn Kirsch will discuss her original work in the exhibit New Quilts from Old Favorites. Hear Kirsch explain how the love for historic quilting patterns inspired her creation of vibrant, artful, decidedly modern quilts. Local playwright Gwendolyn Rice will also be on-hand to discuss her play A Thousand Words, which features antique quilts and forgotten women fiber artists in its plot. Cost to attend is $10 per person. Register by Monday, January 9^th.  Call 264-6555, email , or visit shop.wisconsinhistory.org to reserve your space.

A Thousand Words
For information about the play A Thousand Words, please visit forwardtheater.com. To buy tickets ($35-$37 for adults, $30-$32 for seniors 62+, and $25-$27 for students) please visit overturecenter.com or call (608) 258-4141.

Sponsors
A Thousand Words and the play’s complementary art exhibits are generously sponsored by the Madison Arts Commission (with funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board), Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, the John and Carolyn Peterson Charitable Foundation, Qual Line Fence, and Wegner CPAs & Consultants. Special thanks to David Wells and the Terry Family Foundation.

Forward Theater season sponsors include the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Distillery Marketing, The Gialamas Company, Isthmus, Wisconsin Public Radio, The Madison Concourse Hotel, and the Pleasant Rowland Great Performance Fund for Theater, a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation. 

About Forward Theater Company

Founded in 2009, the mission of FTC is: to create a home base for Wisconsin theater professionals that will expand the economic and cultural life of the greater Madison area.