Discussing quilts at shows
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of walking through the Evening Star Quilt Guild’s annual show, “Harvest of Quilts,” in Belvedere, NJ. In many ways it’s a typical guild show – you can feel the pride that these quilters have for their craft. The quilts were hung beautifully, and there were plenty of white gloved docents to turn the quilt over for interested patrons. The quilts ranged from traditional to modern, leaning heavily traditional – with everything from simple panel projects to appliqué masterpieces. Is is important to remember that local guild shows like this are for celebrating their members work and generating funds for the guild’s annual operating expenses. From scrap and book sales, a boutique of member created products, to quilt raffles, fabric raffles and even a machine raffle – there were plenty of opportunities for you to part with your money. There were also a few local vendors on hand including Pocono Sew and Vac, a wool supplier, along with a few local artisans.
These ladies helped me find lots of books I had been after…. We had a few laughs, too!
Walking around with Wendy, Liz and Cathy was a lot of fun. I can’t help but have an opinion about everything I see, and I think shows like this are great opportunities for learning. Quilts are cultural artifacts, and as such, once they are up “for show” it’s out of the artist’s hands how the quilt is received, interpreted, or appreciated. I always have to remind myself that it goes without saying that I appreciate the effort, love, and time that goes into even the simplest of quilt. Moreover, it takes a lot of courage to share something that can be very personal with the world; I appreciate that as well. But, there is still a lot to learn and to think about at a show; so how do we discuss the quilts respectfully? Is there a “local show etiquette” for discussing the work?
The first thing to remember is to keep your comments about the work- that is, limited to the art itself – not the artist. Instead of, “That’s a lazy way to do a binding,” try, “I wonder why she chose that binding method?” Instead of, “I really hate that fabric,” try, “Does that fabric stick out for you like it does to me?” Another good tip is to look around to make sure the quiltmaker isn’t standing right there. Especially at the beginning of the day, and at larger shows, the quiltmaker is often on hand to discuss the work and answer questions. If there is someone near the quilt, ask if they are the quiltmaker. If they are, then direct your response first to them. Saying something positive first breaks the ice and sets the quilter at ease. Next, pose your response in the form of a neutral question. Instead of, “Wow that quilting must have taken forever – I hate that thread;” try something like, “Your quilting is really beautiful, I can see how careful you were with your starts and stops. How did you decide what thread to use?” By posing the question neutrally you gain an understanding of why the artist made the specific choice, which should help you to understand the work better. Sometimes by posing the question neutrally, the artist learns as well. Once when a woman asked me about the “orientation of my quilting motifs….” I had to really think about why I turned one feather one way or another. I think about that question every time I have to decide which way to place a motif and it has made me a better quilter knowing that I am in control of the choices I make when creating.
One of Wendy’s favorites was not a quilt either of us would make, but was well constructed and beautifully quilted. There is a lot to learn from quilts that are outside our own aesthetic sensibility .
If the quiltmaker isn’t around, still try to be respectful of the work. There are many ears at a quilt show, and you never know who is listening from behind the next quilt. Once my friend overheard someone talking about how over-quilted and “ridiculous” my piece was, only to be confronted by my loyal friend who told them that was “the entire point of that piece,” before she stormed off to regale me with the tale. I always try to appreciate the choices that a quiltmaker used and find something to appreciate before I share my personal opinion with my companions. Even though the quilts don’t have feelings, quilters do – and in a non-judged show, it’s important to remember the point of having the show in the first place. Yesterday there was a T-shirt, memory quilt that was far from my own personal aesthetic. However, the quiltmaker used one color way on the front and another on the back- in a clever way that doubled her creative surface area. I found myself wondering what other quilts could be done this way – and left with a notebook of new ideas. I didn’t know the person she was celebrating in the quilt, nor did I love the color choices or her pattern, but I still took something away valuable from the experience that I can use in my own work.
I usually don’t make patriotic quilts, but this original sampler showcasing many methods is a great example of a true sampler. It inspired me to add more techniques to the sampler I’m currently designing.
The ability to separate your own personal aesthetics, and to critique quilts respectfully is a skill that I wish more quilters would practice. There is so much to learn from the quilts we like, but there is even more to learn from the ones we don’t. Shows are a wonderful place to strengthen this muscle; to hone our own design aesthetics while learning from the choices that other artists made in their work.
I’ve never seen a bookcase pattern done in cohesive collection like this. By using a collection, the quiltmaker was able to achieve a real sense of unity.
Showing your work is important not only for your own growth as an artist, but also for the quilting community at large. I’m hoping to get a QuiltDoc show together next year to share our community’s progress….In the meanwhile, I hope you start thinking about what quilt(s) you might want to share.
