Southern Accents Exhibit Part 2 of 2

Welcome back!  Here is part two of the Southern Accents Exhibit at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts in Melbourne, Florida, which ends this Saturday, August 22nd, 2015.  Once again, the following quilts are just some of what I thought was of interest and inspiring.

Sunshine State of Mind by Susan Rienzo of Vero Beach, FL
cotton fabric, batting, fabric dye crayon

Sunshine State of Mind (detail)

Jazz Rhythms by Cindy Grisdela of Reston, VA
cotton & batting



Jazz Rhythms (detail)

Anemone 2 by Maya Schonenberger of Miami, FL
fabrics, printed material, papers, paints, layered fabrics & papers



Anemone 2 (detail)



Butterfly Memories by Nancy Kay Smith of Belleview, FL
batik panels, cotton fabric, wool batting

Butterfly Memories (detail)

This next piece is a tribute to Ernest Hemingway.  It was so unusual and so well done, the pictures don't do it justice.  I was juggling two different cameras to capture the detail but the lighting wasn't the best for photography, so the camera didn't capture the three dimensional quality of the piece. 

A Note from Papa H by Jayne Bentley Gaskins of Fernandina Beach, FL
cotton broadcloth, thread, cotton batting, polyester stuffing

The hand and postcards were stuffed and came out of the background as if they were coming towards you.  Everything except the background image of the typewriter was free-motion embroidered or thread-painted down to the detail in the stamps, it was truly amazing. 

A Note from Papa H (detail)



A Note from Papa H (detail)

Dead Ladies Doilies by Sandra T. Donabed of Jupiter, FL
vintage and found lace tablecloths, dresser scarves, doilies, handkerchiefs, linens, repurposed crochet doilies and other lace items

Dead Ladies Doilies (detail)

This last piece was probably my favorite.  To actually see a work by Jane Burch Cochran up close and in person made my week!  She has been one of my favorite art quilters for over 20+ years but I had only seen her work in books up until now.  Her quilts remind me of old crazy quilts but are personal stories about her life.  I love her collection of found objects and they way she combines things, it appeals to the magpie in me!  Her work is such an inspiration for all of that "stuff" we hoard!  Sorry for so many photos, but I wanted you to appreciate all that is in this quilt.

And Then I Was the Only One Left by Jane Burch Cochran of Rabbit Hash, KY
fabric, upholstery samples, gloves, buttons, beads, cloth flowers, sequins, trims, words stamped with acrylic paint and ink, yo-yos

I hope that may have inspired you to travel to a gallery or museum in your area or even to expand your own quilt making in some new creative ways!  Happy Quilting! 



Southern Accents Exhibit Part 1 of 2



Crotons by Ellen Lindner of Melbourne, FL
cotton fabrics

This past week a friend of mine and I were lucky enough to catch the quilt exhibit, Southern Accents, at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts in Melbourne, Florida.  This exhibit has been open for the last several months and ends on August 22nd.  I highly recommend it to anyone in the central Florida area if you have an interest in art quilts or quilts in general.  The textile museum is a real treasure for Florida and we are so lucky to have something that supports artists and exhibits quilts, textiles and fiber art in our state! 

The show was juried by Sandra Sider for Studio Art Quilt Associates.  There were a total of 43 art quilts in this show, all by southern United States quilters.  The show's theme was based on the question, "What makes the southern United States special?"  Various aspects of fashion, food, family, crafts, décor, music, literature, architecture, nature, and social issues comprised the subject matter of these quilts. 

The only requirement of the art quilt is that it consists of three layers, a top, batting of some sort and a backing.  The artist is free to express their idea in any way they choose using any number and variety of materials. 

I am dividing this up between two blog posts of just some of the quilts that I found of interest.

Swampwise II by Jane Broaddus of Dahlonega, GA
clothesline, silk, cotton batik, lace, beads, threads



Swampwise II (detail)



Everglades Sunset by Candice Phelan of Wellington, FL
batiks, hand-dyed fabrics & variegated, metallic and iridescent threads

Everglades Sunset (detail)

Beach Path by Candice Phelan of Wellington, FL

batiks, hand-dyed fabrics & variegated, metallic and holographic threads

Beach Path (detail)

Southern Hospitality by Marianne R. Williamson of Miami, FL

cotton, silk, textile paint, variegated threads

 

Southern Hospitality (detail) 

Floridian Splendor by Michele Sanandajian of Stuart, FL
canvas, organza, silk, cotton, metals, fabric paint, pan pastels

Floridian Splendor (detail)

Flower Patch by Michele Sanandajian of Stuart, FL

silk, satin, commercial fabrics, hand-dyed cotton and cheesecloth, variety of threads and yarns

Flower Patch (detail)

Miami's Cross Currents by Nancy Billings of Miami, FL

hand-dyed and commercial fabric, acrylic paint, rayon threads, upholstery fabric

Miami's Cross Currents (detail)

Tranquility by Linda S. Hoffmeister of New Smyrna Beach, FL

hand-dyed silk & cotton, shibori silk, commercial fabrics, variegated threads

Tranquility (detail)

Sunshine State of Mind II by Susan Rienzo of Vero Beach, FL

cotton fabric and batting, permanent ink pen

Sunshine State of Mind II (detail)

In the next few days I will post the rest of the photos I took of this exhibit.  Until then, Happy Quilting!