A Common Thread: Quilts and Fiber Art on Display at Artistic Roots through May
Don’t miss the eclectic fiber art show at the ACES (Arts Cellar Event Space) in Plymouth this month. Over twenty quilts and fiber artworks, created by thirteen fiber artists from around the US, are on display through May. Three members of Artistic Roots cooperative art gallery organized the show.
Nancy Conklin, Annie Hager, and Susan Wei, all fiber artists and residents of Plymouth, reached out to friends, family, and colleagues to create this visually exciting and diverse show, entitled “A Common Thread: Quilts and Fiber Art.”
“Quilters tend to be creative and resourceful,” states Annie Hager. “We find our materials from many different sources – we make some, recycle some, buy some, and are always willing to share. This fiber show arises from that spirit. We found common threads and wove them together to create this show.”
Susan Wei belongs to a fiber artists’ group called “The Fiber Divas.” They meet regularly to share ideas and work on projects together. She convinced Anita Furbush, a sister Fiber Diva, to participate in the show with a series of small wall-hangings, “Interpretations from Photographs.” Susan has two remarkable, not to be missed, fiber artworks in the show herself- “New Hampshire Woman” and “Healing Hands.”
Nancy Conklin connected with several local fiber artists who contributed pieces to the show. Janice Maves, the owner of the Gallery at Red Gate Farm on Highland Street in Plymouth, is well-known for her watercolor and bargello quilts. Donna Stearns, of Canaan, has a beautiful Carpenter’s Star quilt in the show. Patti Bradley, a former member of Artistic Roots, contributed her fiber collage, “Native American Women.”
It seems that Nancy also has quilting in her blood – her sister, Susan Garfield-Wright is a quilter who teaches quilting and design classes. Susan’s quilt, “Coffee and Mint Stars,” uses a striking combination of colors in a design that borrows from and expands on traditional quilt blocks.
Denise Linet, a nationally-renowned quilter who now lives in Brunswick, Maine, has a piece in the show entitled “Wildflowers.” About this work, she states, “Like scraps of memories, I collage pieces of fabric together to create impressionistic memories of time and place.”
Jennifer Sanborn and Janet Sanborn Jonas are sisters who grew up in Gorham and attended summer camp for many years in Thetford, Vermont, where they became friends with Plymouth quilter Annie Hager. When they recently reconnected after 20 years, Annie was surprised to discover that Jen and Janet had both become quilters! Jen and Annie use many similar techniques, most notably, curved piecing in the style of Ruth B. McDowell. Jen now lives in southeast Minnesota, where she is working on a series of marine-themed quilts, reflecting her experiences as a sailor during her early adulthood in Maine. Janet resides in southwest Virginia, where her quilts have been displayed in many galleries and shows.
The tiniest artworks in the show were made by Sally Clark and Anne Colburn, both members of the Belknap Mill Quilters’ Guild in Gilford, where Annie Hager has taught quilt workshops. Sally’s piece, “Winter in New Hampshire,” is the tiniest, less than 3 inches high! Anne has two award-winning miniature quilts in the show: “Southwest Star,” and “Memere’s Garden,” made of tiny hexagons that she found in her grandmother’s sewing kit.
Large and small, bright and muted, traditional and contemporary…many different examples of fiber art can be seen in this one small show, all tied by common threads to the quilters of Artistic Roots.
The show is open for viewing at 75 Main Street in Plymouth from 10-6 every day in May. A reception for artists and friends will be held on May 14th from 5-7 PM. All are welcome to attend.
Artistic Roots is an arts center that bridges the gap between artistic expression and community through workshops, classes, events, receptions, outreach and collaborative projects. The gallery provides mentoring for artists as well as an outlet for their work.