The Visions Experience

Last Saturday was the opening of Quilt Visions 2018: Connections. I was honored to have my piece “Terra I” selected as one of the 43 works out of 353 by a jury of three renowned artists. As this year was the first time I’ve submitted to Visions, one of the two premier art quilt venues in the United States, I was determined to take part in the artists’ reception followed by a breakfast and artists’ talk the following day. 

We arrived a day early. The first thing we did was walk across the road to Seaport Village, which is located on the waterfront and features shops and restaurants. Each time I’ve been there, this blackboard features a different piece of artwork. I love the way the octopus twists around on the right hand side.

I’ve found you never know what you might encounter when you travel, and that proved to be true on this day. Several hundred classic cars owned by members of three area car clubs were on display at the edge of the Village. The cars were dazzling. You could see the love and devotion not to mention money and time, the owners have put into their vehicles. I took a couple dozen photos, with each car more amazing than the last. Here are just a few of them.

There were tricked out bikes. Note how it’s displayed with mirrors to emphasize the lines and metallic paint.

There were several pickups. This was my favorite.

Last but not least, my favorite car. It wasn’t the flashiest, but I loved the nod to drive-in movies and drive-in burger joints.

Obviously, I was there for the exhibit, so let’s get to the quilts. I couldn’t have been happier to walk into the museum and see my quilt displayed with another at the entry. It was not for sale, so imagine my surprise when a board member told me two people had inquired about purchasing it. That makes me feel validated in my work.

Here I am standing next to my quilt. I don’t like having my picture taken, but this was one time I acquiesced. I thought I should have proof that my quilt and I were there!

As an embroiderer, I especially liked this quilt titled “Estuary.” Lots of bullion knots among other embroidery stitches.

Here is the quilt that shared the entry space with me. We even had nearly the same name. Wonderful neon color scheme.

Genevieve Attinger is a French quilter whose work I have always admired. Her piece in this show was no exception, making the viewer pause to reflect on the image.

Fellow Columbia Fiberarts Guild member Judith Quinn Garnett had a quilt that was painted canvas with applique creating the pattern.

There was a single 3-D piece in the show, and I thought it was highly successful. Note the serged edges and “strings”.

I’ve mentioned many times how much I like humor in quilts and fiber art. There was a piece that had both humor and hand embroidery. Win, Win!

The morning following the artists’ reception, there was a breakfast for artists at the Banyan Kitchen. As my husband Mike said, the breakfast really made you feel appreciated. The food and ambiance were wonderful. Afterwards, the 22 artists who attended had two minutes to talk about their work to the public who attended the artist walk and talk. The perfect ending.