The Fine Art of Quilting
March 17th, 2010
Local art gallery shows quilts are fine art too
by Heidi Grieser
The total number of quilters in the U.S. has almost doubled in the past 15 years, according to the latest "Quilting in America" survey. There is also increased recognition of the quilt as fine art. Local art gallery, The Hive, in Trolley Square, is hosting a quilt show, "The Artistry of Quilting," opening March 1st and closing with a showcase on March 20th to mark National Quilting Day.
Gallery manager Emily Camacho said, "Quilting is art. I think that is the point of the show and the showcase day, to make the point that quilting is art and not just craft." Camacho, herself a quilter, said, "There's more to it then just piecing fabrics together; there's a whole story behind each quilt."
Camacho learned to quilt from her grandmother, Iva Lou Groutage, who will have a quilt in the show. Groutage is self-taught and said, "You have to be really enthused about it to learn, and Emily was my only grandchild with any interest."
The rising trend in quilting is the result of progression in supplies and fabrics according to Groutage, who began in the 1970's when polyester was big and pure cotton fabric unavailable. Even with advances in sewing machines and other supplies, making a quilt is still a long process.
at the Hive Gallery at Trolley Square
Groutage said "It's a long labor of love and companionship." Ideally she likes to work with other quilters. "It's so much fun to hear all the talk and gossip while you work and then go upstairs and have a nice lunch and then work some more."
One of the quilters in the show, Juanita Smith, began as an oil painter and now hand-dyes fabrics to get the colors she needs to make quilted landscapes. "You have a vision in your head, and then you have to see what's possible," said Smith.
Smith developed her own technique of fusing tiny pieces of fabric and then machine quilting. She learned traditional quilt piecing from her mother, but wanted to create photo-realistic nature scenes in her quilted art. "I didn't major in geometry, I majored in cut-and-paste," Smith said.
Now Smith teaches a class because she was frustrated at the tendency of professionals to keep their secrets. "I went to David Taylor's lecture and he wasn't giving anything away. His quilts sell for about $15,000."
"I tell people just to experiment and have fun," said Smith. She is also a member of a quilting guild through which she also takes classes. Quilt guilds help quilters of all ages and skill levels meet, inspire and teach one another through show-and-tell sessions and technical demonstrations.
Sharon Wright of the Utah Quilt Guild said you never know what's going to inspire a quilt pattern, "Nature, other people, a tire tread, a ploughed field from an airplane -- everyone has a different eye for beauty."
The state Quilt Guild has submitted names of award-winning quilters to the gallery show. Camacho said, "We had an amazing response, about three times the number of quilts we expected, and we don't want to leave any out because they are all incredible.
"The goal of the gallery as a whole is to represent all kinds of art, not just fine art or folk art or contemporary art -- and quilting fits in with that," she said, adding, "We want to provide a place for different genres and skill levels to show their art when they normally wouldn't."
Many of the quilters will be present on the showcase day, March 20th, from 5-9 pm to share their own stories and technical insights. Refreshments and live music will also be provided.
