And now for the award winners. I cannot even image how one would choose among this incredible collection of artwork but award jurist Marcia Young was charged with this impossible task. Here are the results…

The Shirley Hastedt Award: Red Jive and Blue Jive by Gerri Spilka…

The Catherine Hastedt Award for Hand Workmanship: Compaction & Drift by Shea Wilkinson… Sorry, I goofed and accidentally posted this one yesterday.

The Schweinfurth Award for Excellence: Tumbling by Naomi Velasquez, side angle detail below…

Juror’s Choice: Frameworks IV by Julia Graziano…

Juror’s Choice: Flying Geese- One Voice by Vicki Conley…

Juror’s Choice: Breakthrough by Elizabeth Busch…

Award for Surface Design: Griffith and Broadway by Marian Zielinski…

Third Prize: Container by Kathy Ford…

Second Prize: Infinity IV by Elena Stokes…oh, that’s me! I’m so honored!!!

So, I’ve been asked to talk about why I split the design into a diptych and its significance. What meaning was I trying to convey? Well, you all know the expression ‘What came first, the chicken or the egg’? Well, if the egg is the idea and the chicken is what grew up out of it, I’m afraid the chicken came first.

When I prepare for my next project, I cut and prep my batting, sort of like prepping a canvas for paint. I cut it to size, iron on a fusible to both sides, fuse fabric to the back, then pin it to my design wall. I had prepped a 72 inch wide piece of batting in contemplation of my next project when a challenge came up in my guild. I only participate in challenges like that if they can work into my body of work and this one did. It was a proposed exhibition in partnership with the Nurture Nature Center in Easton, Pa whose focus that year was Weather. That theme worked well with my body of work and I decided to build upon my Infinity series incorporating a feeling of Wind. The only catch was it could be no wider than 60 inches. So, I decided to cut 12 inches off my prepped batting. I figured it could be cut up into 12 inch squares for small work.

As I worked on the design, the tapering waves were very effective and beautiful but I realized the main swath of color seemed off because it came to a blunt end at the edge of the quilt. I felt like it needed to continue to a point. Then I looked at the discarded 12 inch section and thought ‘Why not? Try it. It’ll either look really stupid or really cool.’ Well, as you can see, it looks pretty cool. It’s an odd place for split but somehow it works visually and, as someone said at the QAQ reception, it looks mysterious.

Lots of layered meaning emerged as well – the sweeping horizon line signifying the unending process of transformation; the winds of change that shape our lives; seeds blowing to far-off fertile lands. I have a subtitle for it, Like Seeds to the Wind, but mostly it’s about my Infinity series.

And, that’s the story of how the chicken came first and the egg of ideas and meaning came afterwards.

First Prize: People of the Wind by Shin-hee Chin, detail of intense stitchwork below…

Best of Show: Ruins 1 by Leah Higgins…

Funny story here, above is Ruins 1 as it was displayed at the Schweinfurth opening reception. But, I saw that artist Leah Higgins’ post on Facebook announcing her Best of Show award and the picture she posted displayed it inverted, as I clumsily did below. The funny thing is, during the weekend I was in conversation with a fellow artist who said her work had been hung upside down. It seems the bottom sleeve intended for a secondary slat to weight the bottom was mistook for the top hanging sleeve. They didn’t notice the label at the bottom right to guide them as to what was top and bottom. Well, it seems that’s what must have happened here, I’m guessing. It’s a lesson for us all – be careful of those bottom sleeves, they might get your work hung upside down! Always supply instructions as to the top of quilt if you use a bottom sleeve.

By the way, I did let Leah know about the inversion of her work and she contacted the Schweinfurth Art Center.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my pictures of the show but they really don’t do justice to the work. If you can get there, go see them in person!

This past weekend I went to the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, NY for the first time for the opening reception of Quilts=Art=Quilts. It was the first time my work was accepted into this prestigious exhibit and I was eager to see it. Out of 300 entries, 75 works by 65 artists were accepted and these are some exceptionally talented artists. So, I was deeply honored.

In this post, I will share some pictures of the overall exhibit so you can get a feel of the scope and scale of the venue. It’s a lovely venue, too, large and spacious. Donna Lamb and her staff did a beautiful job hanging the show.

I hope these give you a feeling of being there, especially if you aren’t able to go to the exhibit. But, I highly recommend going if you can. The exhibit runs through January 7, 2018.

I apologize for not giving attribution to the artists, there’s just too many in this post (though if you ask me in the comments about a particular piece, I would be happy to provide info). Later this week, I will post more pictures, individual shots and some detail shots with attribution. And, for the finale, I will post the award winners! So, stay tuned…