Gallery - Sacred Threads 2013
Here is a shot of our labyrinth layout - the creative work of our curator Barbara Hollinger.
We are very proud of the 2013 exhibit and appreciate all the artists that shared their work and the viewers that came to experience it.
We are grateful to Floris United Methodist Church for their gracious hospitality and allowing us to use their glorious space.
Below is just a small sampling of the wonderful quilts included in Sacred Threads 2013. The photos and artist statements are provided courtesy of the artists. Artists maintain the copyright to the images and text.
Let's Go!
©, Cyndi Zacheis, Alexandria, VA
Expressions of Joy
24" x 59"
Our 11-year-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever looks forward to our afternoon walks. If I'm working in my studio when it's time for her walk, Rowan the Wonderdog comes to find me. She especially likes to take walks in the cold weather. She oozes joy, prancing in the snow with her ears flapping in the breeze. I find her joy contagious; her celebration encourages me to embrace the moment and leave my worries behind.
33 Weeks
©, Barbara A Allen, Colorado Springs, CO
Expressions of Joy
39" x 44"
My quilt is all about sanctity of life. What greater joy has God given us?
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16
Krishna Brings the Rain
©, Jean Herman, Denver, CO
Expressions of Joy
55" x 42"
Throughout history human kind has looked for God's blessing on our crops and has asked God to send rain. "Krishna Brings the Rain" honors this tradition by showing the joy of the dancers as they dance and play music asking their Hindu God Shiva to bring rain. Hindu culture is based on many of these joyful traditions that celebrate life and the blessings from the Gods. I hope this piece embodies the beauty and joy found is this ancient rite.
Beach Guardians
©, Virginia S Greaves, Roswell, GA
Expressions of Joy
42" x 33"
Children are the ultimate joy of our lives for those that are willing to have the eyes to see. There is nothing more moving than when they look up into our faces with trust and happiness.
Big Bang
©, Marianne R Williamson, Miami, FL
Expressions of Inspiration
52" x 51"
The concept of an event as monumental as the "Big Bang" is so far from my understanding, but it has inspired me to make a number of pieces about the cosmos.
Cultivator
©, Cherrie Hampton, Oklahoma City, OK
Expressions of Inspiration
30" x 31"
Images of women involved in their arduous daily activities have impressed me with the difficulty of life for most of the rest of the world. These women go about the daunting tasks of carrying water, tending children and planting gardens with a determined strength of body and mind that can be lost in the midst of a fast paced mechanized society. As I worked on this quilt my heart was inspired with a new compassion for the daily struggles of those around me.
Benediction
©, Linda S Schmidt, Dublin, CA
Expressions of Inspiration
87" x 65"
I have always loved the light, especially when it falls from heaven in golden beams, after a thunderstorm. It's as if the Almighty was saying – "Some rain must fall to bring new life, but now be at peace, the storm is over; after the Darkness comes the Light." I took this picture from an airplane, following a frustrating 10-hour delay trying to get home. By the time we left, I was a frustrated mess, but when I looked out the window and saw this scene, it was worth it just to see this beauty, and my cares fell away.
Psalm 22 - Cross Road
©, Linda W Henke, Indianapolis, IN
Expressions of Inspiration
37" x 37"
"My God, why have you forsaken me?"
This work, inspired by the words of Psalm 22 that Jesus quoted from the cross, invites reflection on the cruciform quality of the call to Christian discipleship. When my own "cross road" is challenging, I too turn to the Psalms for comfort, courage, and strength.
Gates of Heaven and Hell
©, Stacy Hurt, Orange, CA
Expressions of Spirituality
42" x 42"
This piece explores the common perceptions of heaven and hell and has a discussion of the paradoxes between the two with the viewer by use of color, texture and placement.
Pentecost
©, Larkin J Van Horn, Freeland, WA
Expressions of Spirituality
22.5" x 58"
The feast of Pentecost is one of a number of stories and commemorations that celebrate the bringing of light into a world waiting in darkness - the Christmas star, the return of the sun following the winter solstice, the Genesis stories and a myriad of creation myths. In this case, the light comes as tongues of fire to people standing at a crossroads of history and belief.
Jewels of India:
Goddess Lakshmi Tabard
©, Meryl Ann Butler, Norfolk, VA
Expressions of Spirituality
16.5" x 46"
I consider the goddess Lakshmi (pronounced "Lock-shmee") to be one of the "jewels" of India. I created this tabard just before, during and after sharing my mother's sacred and amazing hospice journey. I find that focusing on the Divine Feminine in Her many forms always enhances my wellbeing. Lakshmi is the bestower of love, grace, light, beauty and abundance (both material and spiritual). Here, the color and value choices in both fabrics and threads create the illusion of three dimensions. I feel this contributes to making the essence of this goddess more palpable - to both creatrix and viewer!
Archangel Haniel
©, Melissa Sobotka, Richardson, TX
Expressions of Spirituality
43" x 36"
While visiting the cemetery after my fathers death, I saw a monument of this angel. I found her to be so serene and peaceful. A photograph turned into a quilt and the statue came to life.
Radiant Light
©, Doris A Lovadina-Lee, Toronto, Ontario
Expressions of Spirituality
Longarm quilted by Sandy Lindal
54.5" x 68.5"
This quilt embodies the divine life force in women. Chakra centers correspond to seven centers of energy in the human body. These spiraling wheels of vibrational energy channel power into and out of the body. When this vital energy flows easily, we remain in physical, spiritual and emotional alignment. The portrayal of the chakras superimposed on a female figure honours this divine/vital/transformative power. This quilt is a reminder to us all to be nurturing of ourselves, to be present in the moment, and to be in tune with the creative life force within us.
My Friend is Bipolar
©, Laurie Ceesay, Menominee, MI
Expressions of Grief
43.5" x 24.25"
My significant other has Bipolar Disorder. I made this quilt to explore the characteristics of being bipolar and as the person who lives with and interacts daily with the mood swings of being manic one day/minute and then being depressed the next. I grieve for the fact that people with Bipolar Disorder have a hard time being "normal" and often need medications to balance their moods while taking away another emotion. I learned from the process the personality traits of the disorder and it helps me better understand how to adapt to the personality and mood fluctuations. I used many descriptive words in the quilt background but purposely made the colors blends because it is symbolic of the social stigma of not discussing mental health issues. I over-exaggerated the manic characteristics of over-doing things-the woman's hair, make-up, jewelry and clothing patterns and colors. With the depressed representation I kept the colors greyed, sad and subdued, the jewelry dark, and the clothing non-descript. I added the universal symbol for Bipolar Disorder in the quilt. This quilt helps me understand Bipolar Disorder better. My significant other is male but I changed the person in my quilt to a woman for anonymity.
Broken Promises
©, Merrilee J Tieche, Nixa, MO
Expressions of Grief
34" x 46"
Just before he died unexpectedly, my dear husband gave me a sundial inscribed with the phrase, "Grow Old With Me - the Best is Yet to Be". That would never happen. A few years after that, my beloved daughter, my only child, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 34. She lived five very difficult years after that. So many things they had both said stayed with me, fueling my anger at the injustice of it all. Making this quilt put a face to my grief and allowed a dialog with my subconscious. The healing process is on-going.
Stages of Grief
©, Sharon Tesser, Lawrenceburg, IN
Expressions of Grief
21" x 32"
Grief is a multi faceted emotion. The quilt depicts a moment in time experiencing the pain, loss, and depth of grief. The background is the surprise element to grief; painful slices that appear without warning and cut into the soul. Grief is an emotion experienced by all. I have been surprised by how painful and shocking the moments are when in the midst of an ordinary day I can be overtaken by unexpected waves of grief. It is through the loss of loved ones that I have experienced the weight of grief. I don't know when the process ends.
Mourning Doves
©, Betty Busby, Albuquerque, NM
Expressions of Grief
50" x 41"
Even the innocent are caught by the flames of violence and war. Our exchange student from Gaza told us the ways his parents, both doctors, lives have been impacted by continued strife. That was the inspiration for this piece.
Loss
©, Maggie Weiss, Evanston, IL
Expressions of Grief
43" x 64"
Losing Patty: Upon arriving home my mother told my father that my big sister Patty had died. Barely inside the door, Dad fell to his knees in shock. Mom cradled him in her lap as they held on to each other in despair. Twenty years later I found a way to portray the vision that was seared upon my heart that cold December night.
FRIENDS: May Our Children Do Better
Than We Did
©, Susan Walen, Bethesda, MD
Expressions of Peace/Brotherhood
37" x 30.5"
In 2006 I found a photo of 6 little girls lying in the grass, giggling. I was captivated by the photo and got permission from the photographer, James Levine, to use it. At that point, my skills weren't up to the task. In 2010, I was invited to make a quilt for a show on Racism, and shortly stumbled on that old newspaper photo. It made me grin and I thought that if we could overcome racism, this is what it would look like.
Journey
©, Sherry Boram, Pendleton, IN
Expressions of Peace/Brotherhood
22" x 44"
The election of the first African American President, Barack Obama, seems to have revived issues about race relations in our country. Using journey as a metaphor, a young family travels the long and difficult road to equality as United States citizens of color. I hope thought and dialog result from those who view my art.
Tibetan Prayer Flags
©, Peg Green, Sarasota, FL
Expressions of Peace/Brotherhood
43" x 43"
In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, prayer flags are hung outdoors in the open air to send out prayers for peace, love, and compassion to bless the whole world. As the flags, which contain prayers written in Sanskrit, are blown by the wind, their prayers sanctify the air and spread good will across all pervading space. I am inspired by this way of being prayerful, and I love the beauty of the colorful flags.
The Tree of Life
©, Lin Schiffner, Nevada City, CA
Expressions of Peace/Brotherhood
32" x 32"
My art is a reflection of a sacred journey that includes exploring concepts of life that unites humanity and embraces the sanctity of our existence on Earth. This piece honors the miracle of life - the web of interconnection among life forms and elements on Earth. The continents are represented as foliage and the creatures are loosely linked to where they may live. Although only a tiny leaf on the tree, human beings are responsible for its future. May we learn to protect, cherish, nourish and preserve the Tree of Life so it may grow in peace, harmony and love.
Can We Keep it Together?
©, Wendy Butler Berns, Lake Mills, WI
Expressions of Healing
42" x 43"
"None of us has it all together, but together we have it all" author unknown
The earth is in such a fragile state, but it is my hope that everyone can work to hold it together. We need to save resources, maintain green spaces, conserve energy, reuse and recycle, protect the forests, wildlife, waterways and the air that we breathe. There are many generations ahead of us. For all to survive, the old gentle earth needs to be treated with tender loving care.
Tsunami
©, Meghan J Welch, Arlington, VA
Expressions of Healing
23.75" x 25.75"
Tsunami was created in response to the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011 and was inspired by memories of providing aid after the 2005 tsunami in Indonesia. Vast tracts of land, homes, families, and livelihoods were swept away by nature; in the aftermath diverse communities lent assistance to begin the rebuilding and healing process.
Lita Slaying her Dragon
©, Watana Cantrell, Vernon, AL
Expressions of Healing
34" x 42"
I made this quilt in honor of our daughter, Lita, who has been fighting a Glioblastoma, Brain Cancer, for the past 3 years. The dragon represents cancer, which she has tamed but not yet slain. The chapel behind is her place to pray, the doves in the sky gives her peace, the flowers on each side is a love of hers, the feathered wing Guardian Angel above her has had her in his care since the beginning of the journey. She is still fighting this battle; but seems the Dragon is getting stronger, day by day. Lita has a beautiful spirit.