Contemporary quilts quite amazing

  • By Theresa Goffredo Herald Writer
  • Thursday, November 5, 2009 3:27pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

Quilting has come a long way from its start as a functional craft to its status today as a compelling art form with artists combining elaborate designs with their translations of life experiences onto fabric.

The quilt will be featured when the Contemporary QuiltArt Association takes center stage at this year’s Arts Council of Snohomish County’s Holiday Art Show.

A free public reception for the show will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the art council’s gallery, 1507 Wall St., Everett. Artists will be there to answer questions and catered treats will be provided. The Richard Wendt Award of Excellence will take place at 6:15 p.m. The holiday show runs through Dec. 31.

In the broadest sense, an “art quilt” is made of fabric or other materials, constructed of three layers that are fastened together. The art quilt can be functional but is generally designed to be seen on a wall rather than thrown across a bed or sofa.

The Contemporary QuiltArt Association, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting quilting artists, uses the quilt as its artistic focal element to extend the boundaries of fine art and by educating the public on this medium.

More than 40 quilts will be on display along with an abundance of fused and hand-blown glass, pottery and artwork from Northwest artists.

A green artist: Artist Carol Chen Lord calls herself a green artist who has come out of the blue.

A newly emerged artist, Lord is now part of Everett’s Art in Great Spaces Program. Her wonderfully colorful “paintings” are made from recycled bits and pieces from magazines which she amasses into a collage technique called “painting with paper.”

All 38 of Lord’s works are on display through December at 2811 Wetmore Ave., Everett.

Lord is also offering free classes on Saturdays to demonstrate how to do her low-budget, environmentally friendly painting. Donations accepted and no experience necessary. To sign up, e-mail her at carolchenlord@gmail.com.

A decade of painting: Seattle artist David Bobroff is showing five landscapes — a decade’s worth of paintings — through Dec. 10 at Everett Community College’s Russell Day Gallery, 2000 Tower St., Everett.

Bobroff will speak about his art at a reception at 5 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Russell Day Gallery.

His photorealist paintings depict landscapes showing the relationship between nature and the human-made world. Each painting takes between six months and two years to complete.

Art’s Alive is a town-wide weekend festival of art, music, poetry and food with more than 50 galleries, shops, museums and restaurants participating throughout La Conner.

The anchor events are two annual art exhibitions — the Invitational Exhibit, showcasing more than 20 of the Northwest’s visual artists working in bronze sculpture, painting, glass, fiber and jewelry, and the Open Show, presenting 75 local artists.

New this year is the Emerging Exhibit, spotlighting 10 compelling artists working in wood and metal sculpture, painting, photography, glass and jewelry.

The opening celebration is from 5 to 8 tonight at Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St., La Conner. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Christianson’s Nursery, as part of the Art’s Alive festival, will hold “Photographing Skagit Valley with John and Kathy Willson” starting at 11 a.m. Saturday in the schoolhouse at the nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon.

The Gathering of Spirits art show and sale takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran College, 2803 Wetmore Ave., Everett.

The show and sale is free and offers handcrafted jewelry, textiles and glass works. The show also will include masterworks by professional painters, printers, potters, weavers and other artists associated with The Grunewald Guild, a school for the arts, located in Leavenworth.

A trifecta of art: Bold acrylic paintings by artist Bill Bissett, new work from ceramic sculptor, Gayle Lutschg and translucent hand-woven and hand-dyed silk scarves by textile artist Cyndi Wolfe are all on display through Dec. 2 at The Rob Schouten Gallery at Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road, Whidbey Island.

View Mark Fessler’s sculpture and Liza vonRosenstiel’s oil paintings during an artists reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday at The Open Door Gallery, 5603 Bayview Road, Langley.

In 1979, Fessler began using cast, forged and fabricated metals in conjunction with wood and stone. VonRosenstiel’s oil paintings are inspired by the trees, sky and water of Whidbey Island, combined with her stories of daily life on the island.

Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.

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