Wednesday, December 2, 2020

New England Quilt Museum - It's Official!

 In September my friend Pam (Pamela Weeks – Curator at NEQM) asked if I would be able to share some of my quilts in an exhibition this winter. NEQM holds a special place in my heart and I am honored to have my quilts gracing its walls from February through April.

 We delivered the quilts over the weekend and I was so excited to be able to see 3 of the most wonderful exhibitions ever. First, the collection of Baltimore Album quilts was beyond sensational. I had never seen so many Baltimore type quilts in one place. Truly remarkable! 

It was hard to pick a favorite, but this one really spoke to me. 
I have loved this one for a long time. It is owned by Deb Clooney and the detail is simply amazing. You know how I love to applique circles. Look at these babies. 
yikes! 
and this is one of my all time favorite blocks on any quilt, quirky, like me!

The exhibition in the main gallery is one I have wanted to see for quite a while:

 The Quilted Canvas III, Still Here! is the final exhibition in a series that began in 2017 at the New England Quilt Museum to celebrate America’s pioneering art quilters. This third installment features the works of four such pioneers-- Judi Blaydon, Rhoda Cohen, Nancy Halpern, and Jan Myers-Newbury. These artists received “classical” training in art school in the 1950s and 1960s, but chose to explore fabric as their primary creative medium at a time when this was unusual.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the “hippy movement” and the American Bicentennial spurred a craft revival and general re-awakening of interest in fiber arts. Artists explored the textile medium through the lens of a fine arts perspective and shattered conventional notions of what the American patchwork quilt should be. 

Exhibited internationally, coveted by collectors, and featured in numerous publications, the innovative works of these four women continue to demand our attention and influence new generations of textile artists.

 I have followed the work of all 4 of these artists for years and it was wonderful to see some old familiar pieces and new works that I had never seen. Fabulous! I'm sorry that I lost (somewhere in cyberspace I am sure) the image of Rhoda Cohen's definition of an art quilt, because it was spot on. I have admired her work for decades. 

This was an amazingly clever work and I loved Nancy's description. I too feel trapped in a world of technological advances that I will never master. 

This Jan Myers-Newbury quilt was my husband's favorite.
 

The mini gallery of NEQM quilts featured quilts with “numerous” pieces. This gallery is often my favorite part of my visit and this one did not disappoint! I’m sorry I neglected to photograph the card on this one, but I believe there are over 10,000 pieces in this quilt. 


 So, that is just a tiny taste of what is up right now. It was sensory overload and I highly recommend a visit. NEQM is following strict CDC guidelines and I felt very safe at all times. The museum also offers virtual tours for supporting guilds. Check their website (here) to see if your guild is one of those supporters – and, if they are not, perhaps you can convince them that they should be.

 Nothing would please me more than to “meet up” with all my New England blogging friends for a trip down, but times being what they are, I will stick to my “wait and see” attitude and hope that things will improve before the exhibition ends in the Spring. If you live in New England, I hope you get a chance to visit. For the time being, we can get a lot closer to the quilts than we can to each other!

                                                          Happy Quilting!

23 comments:

  1. How wonderful! I wish I didn't live so far away.

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  2. Congratulations on your exhibit Wendy - this is such a deserved honor! I have been hesitant to visit the museum because of Covid, but I long to see the current exhibit and your post makes me think I should go. And, of course, I'm not going to miss your exhibit!!!!

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  3. Wow! So exciting and fun for you to have quilts exhibited!! It is really nice to see the quilts up close and persoanl. Wish I was a bit closer.

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  4. I'm so excited for you and for the folks who will be able to see your beautiful quilts. Thank you for sharing the photos of some of those breathtakingly quilts. Your so fortunate to have such a beautiful museum to visit. Those circles....incredible.

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  5. How exciting for you, Wendy! I wish I lived closer so I could visit your quilts. Perhaps you can take photos and post here on your blog?
    The quilts you shared from the current exhibits are amazing. The one with 10,000 pieces ... She is/was a quilter with a lot of patience! And, of course, the Baltimore quilts are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. You really deserve this honor, Wendy. I so wish I could be there to see it in person. Are you displaying specifically potholder quilts, or will it be a variety?

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  7. Oh Wendy I'm so excited for you! Well deserved and it's bound to be a spectacular exhibit! Hopefully Covid will be waning by early spring, and you will have a wide audience! I'm so disappointed that I will miss it!

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  8. Oh Wendy it's well deserved !! I would loved to admire them in person... argh...Congratulations !!

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  9. i am beyond excited to see your exhibit!!!! let's meet for safe hippie lunch.
    xoxox

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  10. How exciting to have your quilts exhibited there!! Congratulations! I wish I could come see them!! Will you be able to take/share some pictures of your quilts once they are on display? The Baltimore quilts are amazing! I especially love border of the one in your second photo. It would be wonderful to see these up close and in person.

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  11. Congratulations Wendy! I am especially enjoying your photos of the red and green quilt. I'm so happy for you!

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  12. How wonderful, I so wanted to see it. Hoping you will do some photos and video with you talking about the quilts. Give us a walking tour please.

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  13. ooh congrats to you wendy....most deserved...one of the things i miss about new england...

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  14. Woohoo, congratulations Wendy! What a wonderful honor and I wish I could travel there to see the exhibit.

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  15. Congratulations, Wendy! Please post lots of pics so we can see your gorgeous quilts! The current exhibit looks fantastic :)

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  16. Congratulations - what a wonderful way to share your quilts! Thanks for the wonderful eye candy, too!

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  17. You got to see some very special quilts, Wendy. And you didn't even mention it to us! WOW!
    I am up for a trip (definitely not from New England, though) to see YOUR quilts when they're hung. Wouldn't miss it!!
    Congratulations to you!!

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  18. Congrats to you for getting to see your quilts hung! So thrilled for you! And I bet you were on sensory overload. Those are some wonderful, quilts and to get to see them in person. So amazing!

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  19. Wowzer Wendy! That is so exciting, congratulations! I assume if we go on the virtual tour we will get to see your quilts too?! I'd love to see it in person, maybe if Randy and I get vaccinated we'll come out for a visit!! take care!

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  20. Congratulations, Wendy! Hope to see you soon, but if not, will look forward to a NEQM trip come spring!

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  21. I got a peek at a couple of your quilts and can't wait to see the rest! BTW- That collection quilt has over 19,000 pieces according to the inscription!

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  22. Congrats on your exhibit of your amazing work! Sew exciting. hope you got to see my quilt with the Baltimore exhibit. Wish I could've seen them all together.

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