exhibit – RanaQuilts

Quilts in Topsham

It’s always lovely when someone appreciates your art–and more so when they go out of their way to let you know. This very special note was in my email this week, written by Sally Biggar of Topsham (I edited a bit):

“I stumbled upon the Art Quilts Maine exhibit at the Topsham Library today. I was flabbergasted by all the beauty and talent crammed into that little hallway. Such a wonderfully colorful show! But most of all I was struck by your quilt (the first quilt I saw, on the left inside the door) addressing the Iranian protests, and their chant “for women, for life, for freedom.”

A year ago I wrote a tanka (5-line Japanese poetry form) to the prompt ‘Music’ for the Tanka Society of America journal. At the time Shervin Hajipour’s song ‘Baraye’ was very popular and trending on social media and I was inspired to write my poem about his song. As you probably know, Baraye means ‘For’ or ‘Because of’ in Persian. Whenever I hear Shervin singing it, or the crowds of protesters singing it, I am overcome. I just went to YouTube and listened to it again for the umpteenth time!

Because your quilt is such a wonderfully powerful visual of their plea, I thought you might enjoy reading my tiny poem.

all the tears
that never end, because of
their hauntingly sorrowful plea
for women, for life,
for freedom . . .

(Initially published in Ribbons, Winter 2023: Volume 19, Number 1)

Congratulations on creating such a wonderful piece of art, combining protest and beauty in one stunning quilt. -Sally-

Thank you Sally, for taking the time to write! The show ends its run in Topsham March 15. Then it’s off to the Falmouth Public Library through May and finally the gallery at Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth where our tour ends June 29. After that, the pieces are returned to their owners and another show collected for next year’s tour!

Art Trifecta!

I just realized that for a few days I will have art at three locations at once–I’m pretty sure that has never happened before!

‘Village Square’ is part of Maine Fiberarts ‘Pay Attention Show’ which has been up since November 8. If you hurry you can catch it before the show ends on January 16.

Art Quilts Maine’s travelling show is in residence at the Portland Public Library, children’s room, through January 25. There are 28 colorful art quilts on exhibit in this tour–including two of mine, ‘The Harriss Spiral and Le Nombre Radiant’ and ‘Woman, Life, Freedom.’ Click the links for images!

I’ll drop off two pieces next week for the ‘Joy of Art’ 16th annual exhibit at the Topsham Public Library, which opens on January 13 and runs through February 9. As this show is open to artists in any medium, I look forward to seeing ‘The Dress’ and ‘The Blues’ hanging next to paintings, digital art, and sculpture.

So, for four days, January 13 to January 16, I’ll have five pieces on display at three venues: Maine Fiberarts, Portland Public Library and Topsham Public Library. Way cool.

Quilts in Skowhegan

The Skowhegan Free Public Library is in a beautiful older building with lots of warm wood. It makes a lovely backdrop to the Art Quilts Maine travelling show. The show will be on view at the library through mid November, after which it moves to the Portland Public Library for an extended stay. You can keep up with the tour by checking our site: Art Quilts Maine. Just in case you don’t travel to Skowhegan, here are a few pictures from the display–love the clock!

Art Quilts Maine Travel Show

The annual travel show for Art Quilts Maine opened as part of Maine Quilts today! The show will be on view along with about 500 other quilts and vendor booths, classes and raffles–if you are in Maine it is worth the trip to Augusta!

The touring quilts come home with me Saturday to be prepped for travel, and will start off the year at the Skowhegan Free Public Library from October 2 through mid-November. On Black Friday I will be hanging quilts in the children’s section of Portland Public Library. They make for a colorful display amongst the children’s books! The show leaves Portland on January 26 and travels to Crooker Gallery located in the Topsham Public Library where they will be on view from early February until March 15. Falmouth Memorial Library welcomes the show on March 16, displaying the quilts as part of their Art at the Library series until May 31. Last stop on the tour this year is the Stier Family Gallery, downstairs in Cape Elizabeth’s Thomas Memorial Library, for the month of June.

Over the past year, the artists developed pieces in response to one or both of the following prompts: Creative Circles, Rings and Curves or Tradition Re-Imagined. Make your plans to see this show during the year! Here are a few images to pique your interest.

Artists represented: Anne Walker, Charlene Huntley, Argenta Jeffrey, Suzanne McCormack, Rana O’Connor, Jane Hann Morey

Art Quilts Maine Tour

It’s the final stop for the Art Quilts Maine annual tour! A selection of the 25 pieces are on exhibit at Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth through the end of June. If you haven’t seen the exhibit, be sure to stop by the library–the quilts are on view in the Stier Family Gallery downstairs, next to the children’s library. The Food Words challenge seems especially fitting in this space!

Le Nombre Radiant

You’ve probably heard of the Golden Spiral, based on the Fibonacci sequence and found throughout nature, such as nautilus shells and spiral galaxies. I recently stumbled upon another spiral, created by Professor Edmund Harriss, aptly named the Harriss spiral. This spiral is based on the Plastic Number, also known as le nombre radiant. Harriss created a grid of subdivided rectangles and squares with the ratio 1.325. By adding quarter circles in each square, an unusual spiral emerged!

About this time I was casting about for a traditional block to re-imagine, a common quilters’ challenge that Art Quilts Maine had taken up. When I saw the grid upon which the Harriss spiral is based, I immediately thought of a Double Irish Chain–see for yourself.

Long story short, I spent a wintry, snowy day mapping out and creating a fabric version of the Harriss spiral, using a fortuitous scrap of fabric printed with numbers! Here is the result:

If you want to see this piece up close and personal, keep an eye out for the Art Quilts Maine annual traveling tour, debuting at Maine Quilts and traveling to galleries and libraries around Maine throughout the year.

Fabric Art at the Portland Public Library

The Art Quilts Maine annual traveling exhibit was installed this morning at the Portland Public Library children’s section, where it will remain on view until January 26. A mix of abstract quilts and several crated in response to food-related words like refreshing, peppery, and sharp, the show brings warmth and color to the space, just in time for cold weather. The sixteen artists represented hail from across the state. Stop in next time you are in the downtown Portland area–which one is your favorite?

Art Quilts Maine at the Library

The Art Quilts Maine travel show is installed at the Portland Public Library for an extended stay through February 25! Downtown and want to get out of the cold? Pop in for a colorful, varied art break. There are 26 pieces on view ranging from the surprising “Portrait of a Gargoyle” by Argenta Jeffrey to the serene “The Keeper’s View” by Anne Walker.

Themes carrying through the exhibit include “Architexture” “Mystery Progression” and “Abstraction.” Sneak a peek below, but trust me, they are much more enchanting in person!

AQM Annual Tour Opens

Art Quilts Maine’s annual tour opens tomorrow night at the LA Arts Friday Art Walk. We are on exhibit at Kimball St Studios (Lisbon St, Lewiston) through October. The main theme this year was “Architexture.” Such a great variety of pieces came from that prompt!

Other stops on the tour include Portland Public Library, Skowhegan Public Library and Maine Quilts 2022! Will try to post dates as they become available–we’re keeping everything very flexible, as one does these days.

Here are a few more images–hope you get the chance to see these in person!

Maine Fiberarts Show Opens

I’m honored to be among the artists chosen to exhibit at Maine Fiberarts’ show of three-dimensional fiber work by 25 Maine artists . . . and excited to see the show this weekend! My piece ‘Hope Endures’ depicts refugee crises throughout history. Guess we can add Afghanistan 2021 to the wording on the quilt, which includes Afghanistan 2001–pictured below, along with other images from the exhibit. “Fiber in Form” remains on view September 1-October 30, 2021.

Artists exhibiting include: Elizabeth Berkana, Barbara Burns, Mary Chaisson, Katharine Cobey, Janet Conner, Stephanie Crossman, Judith Daniels, Susan Ferraro, Kathleen Goddu, Cheri Goguen, Emi Ito, Kathleen Angel Lee, Richard Lee, Stephanie Levy, Susan Mills, Charlotte Moore, Arlene Morris, Ann Nemrow, Rana O’Connor, Kirsti Sandoy, Pam Slaughter, Elizabeth Stoyko, Michael Stevenson, Jill Snyder Wallace, and Melanie West.

On view are felted pods, an indigo book, a Covid statement, photos transferred to muslin, paper towers, shibori scarves, a hooked dreamscape, a fishermen’s landscape, sewn florals, netted tuna, and other surprises. Quilting, felting, knitting, collage, weaving, coiling, bookmaking, hooking, tapestry and knotting are all involved.

Come see! Gallery hours are: Wednesday-Friday, 11-3; Saturdays, 11-2. Maine Fiberarts is located at 13 Main Street, Topsham in Midcoast Maine.