Well Represented at IQF, Houston

The key mission of SAQA, as you know, is the promotion of the art or studio quilt.  And one of the great benefits of being a SAQA member is the multiplicity of opportunities members have to exhibit their work:

• There are juried shows;
• There are non-juried shows;
• There are Regional shows; 
• There are International or Global shows;
• There are shows that are for two-dimensional pieces only; and
• There are now beginning to be shows that include three-dimensional pieces (which are generally harder to store and ship).

You can make pieces that tour in the Trunk Shows mounted on a three-year cycle or donate them to the annual SAQA Benefit Auctions or Conference Spotlight Auctions.  Thus you can be a big fish in a smaller pond -- or you can make a larger splash with work that tours, including being shown at one of the biggest ponds wherein quilters gather: the Houston International Quilt Festival.

And SAQA Western Canada has been beautifully represented at "Houston" this year!  Not only did B.C. member Terry Aske have two pieces in the SAQA Global Exhibit, Dusk to Dawn -- and not only did these pieces find new homes -- but another B.C. member brought home a ribbon!

That member is Judy Leslie of Coquitlam, and she won Third Place in the "Naturescape" category!

When Ontario member Maggie Vanderweit posted the news of Judy's award on Facebook -- with a photo of the two of them together -- I just had to ask Judy to tell me more.  I looked her up in the Membership Directory, and dropped her a line.  Although I think she's still recovering from all the excitement a trip to IQF entails -- not to mention accepting an award!! -- she quite quickly sent me photos and wrote a few words about her adventure, which she shared with SAQA colleague Bonnie Rozander:

Bonnie and I had a wonderful time, especially meeting a number of SAQA members from various locations.  We volunteered to work in their booth for several hours and I had time to peruse Martha Sielman's new book 'Art Quilts Unfolding'.  Unfortunately it was too heavy to pack in our suitcases due to the weight of our other purchases.  It is expensive, especially in Canadian dollars, but it's beautifully crafted.

I was delighted to see Maggie.  She and I first met at CQA's 2010 National Juried Show in Calgary and we had a visit last year in Toronto.  She is very eager to encourage all SAGA Western Canadian members to attend the 2020 SAQA conference in Toronto.....

And now for the photos...

Judy -- all ready for the Awards Ceremony!

Receiving her award

Exuberance -- with it's ribbon

Exuberance - Judy Leslie
40.5" W x 31" L

Congratulations, Judy!  A well-deserved award for a lush and beautifully rendered piece!

A Two-fer for Terry!

Just got word from SAQA's Bill Reker (shipper extraordinaire and all-round exhibit expert) that Terry Aske's "Moonrise", the companion piece to "Aurora" in the Dusk to Dawn  exhibit, SOLD last night in Houston!

Congratulations again, Terry!

Moonrise (C) 2018 - Terry Aske

New and Notable in November

Breaking news! 

B.C. member Terry Aske has two pieces in the Dusk to Dawn SAQA Global exhibit, now showing at the Houston Quilt Festival -- and word went out last evening that one of them -- "Aurora" -- has been sold to a collector!!  CONGRATULATIONS, TERRY!

Aurora - Terry Aske (C) 2018

Still with Terry, she currently has pieces in the International Artists' Day (IAD) Anonymous Festival, now showing at 100 Braid Street, Vancouver, B.C. -- and her piece, WOW Westminster with Dots, sold at the Opening Gala!  Bravo, Terry!  If you can't see the exhibit in person, she talks more about this piece in her blog post HERE.

Still in B.C....

While our SAQA WC Rep, Jennie Johnston, closed her solo show on October 26, she has exhibits elsewhere to tell us about!


First, Jennie contributed work to the UDHR Quilt project commemorating the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The exhibit has now debuted in Canberra, Australia; Jennie's contribution is in the "Blue Quilt", and you can read more about the entire project through the links on Jennie's blog post, or
by clicking HERE.

Jennie with her piece that's now part of the "Blue Quilt"
in the UDHR Quilt Project

In her sharing with me, Jennie provided these words from the Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House, Canberra, Australia:

"At a time when the patchwork of liberties is fraying, craftivism is a global movement that combines craft and activism into quietly powerful protest to call for social and political change. Craftivism allows people to actively engage in democracy, contribute to social change, and transform the world one stitch at a time.    

The UDHR Quilt Project features never before seen work from a global craftivism project. Stitching in local and global stories; see the intricate detail of these quilts that represent the world’s conscience.

Aided by the power of social media, Australian craftivist Tal Fitzpatrick and fellow USA based craftivist Stephanie Dunlap put the call out for collaborators. 131 craftivists from across the globe, united by their passion for quilting and human rights, came together to showcase the power of their voices through the work of their hands.

Through the creation of four quilts, each embroidered with the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the project draws attention to the way human rights are challenged around the world today. The messages sewn into the quilts inspire visitors think, engage and take action.

The #UDHRQuiltProject moves beyond a traditional museum experience by inviting visitors to get involved. Visitors can immerse themselves in craftivism by participating in a range of hands-on craft activities, workshops and community-based events. Textile artist, Tal Fitzpatrick, will be on hand for special events throughout the exhibition to facilitate workshops and discuss the everyday practice of democracy through craftivism."

Next, Jennie's work is also part of a project entitled  "Imago Mundi -- Great and North", which opened at the Venice Biennale just over a year ago, is now showing at the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U) Gallery, through December 16th.  Jennie has received a copy of the catalogue including her work and as she says, "It is always a pleasure to see your artwork take on its own life."

Jennie's work in the catalogue for
Imago Mundi -- Great and North

And the last show (for the moment!) in which Jennie's work is included is entitled Textile Narratives, and it's on NOW through November 17 at CityScape Community Art Space, 335 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver.

Editor's Note: I apologize for not mentioning "Textile Narratives" sooner, but in the interests of trying not to innundate readers with too many posts at one time, I tend to look at the dates of the exhibits and post based on the months in which they are showing.  Alas, with events that straddle more than one month, sometimes I find I've not posted their information quite soon enough!  My apologies to the artists in question.  If you have an event to share and want to be sure to highlight particular dates (such as the reception), please do so when you send me your notice for sharing on the blog.  Many thanks for your support!