Group Exhibition by The Stellar Quilters
1st February – 11th March 2024
When the gallery was first approached by Bobby Duncan about exhibiting a group of quilts I was very excited as the gallery has not previously hosted a quilt only collection of works. As we have been preparing for the exhibition I have been truely amazed by this group of makers and their art works. To me it is astounding that they have kept working together and supporting each other over such a long period of time – since 2002, but also impressive is the skill and perseverance for executing these art pieces. There are untold hours of dreaming up ideas, planning designs, collecting materials, preparing the materials for the incorporation into the quilts, assembling the quilt elements and then assembling the whole quilt and THEN!!!!!! finishing the work ready to be shared with everyone. As we were installing the exhibition I made the observation – I wonder what the total man hours of thought and work is that has gone into this collection. Dianne Southey who was managing the installation gave her distinctive short laugh and commented “Who would ever know!!!!!” Then followed the discussion about how as a maker the quilt and the process of creating the quilt draws you in and takes you to a different place, removed from any sense of time. Hours of happy stitching focused on the work in hand can pass in a blur, leaving behind the paths of the threads as they traverse the fabrics. The quilts take their makers to a happy place where time ceases to be the defining element and instead process, repetitive and minute, is the controller. It is no wonder that these makers have asked the question – how can we keep our art form sustainable going into this new world of disruption of climate and growing and shipping etc?
Over the course of the exhibition I will be doing written interviews with some of the artists about their practices and their toughts as they perform their stitching practices so stay tuned for more of this discussion.
Here is the introductory statement from Stellar Quilters about their group and this exhibition.
Stellar Quilters was formed after a Nancy Crow workshop, held at Stella Maris retreat back in 2002 – hence the name. We had bonded well during the week-long residential course and decided to just keep going. And 20+ years later we still meet, exhibit and grow. Our latest exhibition Sustainable Creativity focuses on sustainability; how we covet, obtain and then use our fabric to create lasting pieces. As individuals, we can understand our activities have a cumulative global impact. We have the choice to imagine new and exciting ways to bring sustainability into our quilt making.
Featuring quilts by :
- Kay Booth
- Bobby Duncan
- Merrilyn George
- Jenny Hunter
- Sheryl Meech
- Anna Prussing
- Dianne Southey
- Michelle Sutherland
- Carol Walter
There is a separate web page introducing these artists. If you click on this link: https://fromoutofthebluestudiogallery.com/artists-of-the-stellar-quilters-group/
Sustainable Creativity – Sustaining the Art of Quiltmaking
One of the eye-opening memories of this workshop where we all met happened before it even started. We all remember opening up the needs list and seeing the first line – 100 x 1 metre lengths of cotton in different colours. Some of us still have some of this fabric. Some of us never need to buy pink again. But what’s good about having a stash if we don’t use it. There is no end of fabric available to us, each season more tempting than the last. And only so much room in the closet.
There’s an old quilter’s joke – she who dies with the most fabric, wins. But, the overall textile industry has three major sustainability issues; textile waste, water use, and carbon emissions. So all the fabric we covet, then buy and then store it away, adds to over-production and promotes consumerism. On the flip side, as quilters we are also good at using scraps, our stash and other non-traditional quilt materials – witness the beauty of Gees Bend quilts, Victorian quilts, the myriad of books about how to use scraps.
Therefore our latest challenge was to create something that spoke to the theme of sustainability and didn’t need a trip to the quilt store. It’s difficult as individuals to make meaningful change on a global level. These are society level issues that need addressing. But we can use our art to make a statement and ask questions about our impact. And sure – if you need new fabric, go ahead; love it, buy it and use it. You don’t have to drastically change your habits; being conscious of sustainability takes time and dedication. As individuals, we can understand our activities have a cumulative global impact. We have the choice to imagine new and exciting ways to bring sustainability into our quilts.
Please enjoy the show.