27 June 2013

SAQA members exhibit in Art Hits the Wall - Kaleidoscopes


Art Hits the Wall - an exhibit of art quilts and hooked rugs opened last night at the Acadia Art Gallery in Wolfville.  The show contains 25 quilts and 13 hooked pieces. The theme is Kaleidoscopes so there is lots of wonderful color and intricate work. It is intriguing to see a single theme through the eyes of many talented artists.

Nine SAQA members have work in the show: Lois Bowden, Heather Loney, Regina Marzlin, Linda Mills, Christine Nielsen, Fiona Oxford, Anne Morrell Robinson, Susan Tilsley Manley and Debbie Vermeulen. Many of them were present at the opening.

The show continues at the Acadia University gallery through August 4. It will then travel to Port Mouton, Syndey, Amherst and Yarmouth. Click here for details of the schedule.

The Acadia Art Gallery is hosting workshops in conjunction with this exhibit. You can find a poster that describes the classes here.

Regina Marzlin, Fiona Oxford and Heather Loney at AHTW opening. On the walls behind them (L to R) is work by Regina Marzlin, Christine Nielsen, Susan Manley and Debbie Vermeulen

26 June 2013

SAQA-Atlantic Members Participate in Quotes, Quarks & Quiddity Exhibit


SAQA Atlantic members Penny Berens and Grace Butland will have work on display in the Quirks, Quarks and Quiddity exhibition at ARTsPlace in Annapolis Royal from July 7- 28.

The two fibre artists participated in a 13-week discussion series on Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way, beginning in January 2012. The diverse group was made up of a couple of full-time artists and several part-time writers and artists whose “day jobs” leave limited time for artistic pursuits. “Working as an artist is not a group thing,” said Penny. “I often feel isolated, and so when I heard about the Artist’s Way group I jumped at the opportunity of spending time with fellow artists.”

When the series ended, the group had formed strong bonds and didn’t want to end the process. One member suggested that they plan a joint exhibition for the summer of 2013. Other meetings and discussions followed, and the idea of Quotes, Quarks and Quiddity was born.

“This exhibition is taking most of us out of our comfort zone,” said Grace. “We are each creating a 7-foot panel of translucent fabric, onto which we have somehow imposed an image – through paint, stitch or writing – that speaks of our individual quiddity, that special something that makes each of us who we are. We have also jointly created some banners that reflect our group personality.

Quotes, Quarks and Quiddity will open with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 7, in the Chapel Gallery at ARTsPlace, 396 St. George Street in Annapolis Royal. The public is invited; there is no admission charge.


by Penny Berens


by Grace Butland

24 June 2013

Regional meeting

On June 21 fourteen members from two provinces attended the spring meeting of SAQA-Atlantic.
Among the topics discussed was the blog, the regional trunk show and a second regional show. Regina Marzlin was confirmed as the curator of that show which will be juried and use 'Structures' as a theme. The group is now consulting with respect to the selection of a juror.

We also decided to have a fall retreat for members in the region. Susan Tilsley Manley will develop a program for the event.

Check out brand new member Jennifer Scantlebury Vienneau's blog entry about her first regional meeting. Jennifer officially joined SAQA the night before and we're glad she did. She was the first of many to volunteer at the meeting. Her energy will be directed to helping keep this blog updated and useful to its members and readers.

Announcement - Trunk show available to groups

Members of SAQA-Atlantic have put together a trunk show which represents the diversity of techniques and styles which they use in their work as art quilters. Each piece is 8 x 8 inches and is presented in a 12 x 12 inch mat. Clear presentation envelopes protect the artwork and permit it to be handled safely.

The trunk show is available to travel to meetings of quilt guilds and other interested groups. A SAQA member can accompany the show to make a presentation regarding art quilts and SAQA.

To book the show, please contact:

In Nova Scotia                            Heather Loney
In New Brunswick/PEI               Nancy Elaschuk

Check out the Trunk Show page. Images of the show and accompanying artist statements will be posted there within a week.

20 June 2013

News - Laurie Swim (Lunenburg, NS)

Laurie was recently presented with the Dorothy McMurdie Award. The Dorothy McMurdie Award is Canada’s most prestigious quilting award. It is presented annually by the Canadian Quilters’ Association/Association canadienne de la courtepointe. The recipient of this award will have made a significant contribution to quilting in Canada and may be a quilter, teacher, author, researcher, historian, collector and/or editor of a quilting publication. The purpose of this award is to recognize these individuals and pay tribute to their accomplishments as well as to establish documentation of their contribution to our Canadian quilting heritage. 

Laurie was nominated by her local guild, The Mahone Bay Quilters' Guild. She traveled to the conference in Penticton, BC for the presentation on May 16.

Here are some excerpts from the nomination which was submitted to CQA.

“Laurie masterfully crafts individual elements, assembles them, builds layers, and uses meticulous stitch work, either machined or by hand, to shade and punctuate each piece. Continually experimenting with new quilting techniques to perfect her work, she pays great attention to composition and light and has developed her own unique palette of fabric embellishments. Her art quilts are rich with meaning and tell stories that engage viewers.”

“Her work is part of the permanent collections of a number of museums and galleries such as the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Art Bank, and the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre in Hamilton Ontario. Laurie is invited frequently to exhibit throughout North America.”


Congratulations! We are lucky to have you here in Atlantic Canada.

News - Deb Plestid (Tatamagouche, NS)


I’m tickled to have received an Honourable Mention at this year’s Grand National Quilt Show for my quilt “Endicott Johnson”. The Grand National Committee, the Joseph Schneider Haus National Historic Site and Homer Watson House and Gallery invited quilt artists from across Canada to participate in their 2013 thematic exhibition, Local Colour. Curator Susan Burke selected 56 works from 101 submissions for the exhibit whose theme is Local Colour. This invitational show exhibits traditional and innovative work in contemporary quilt making. Now in it’s 10th year, The Grand National, Local Colour runs through to June 23, 2013.

”Endicott Johnson” shows an old pair of boots. The history begins in the small community of Balmoral Mills, near Tatamagouche, where siblings Ken and Barb, spent their childhood summers on the Matheson Brook Road family homestead. In 2010, the siblings, long living abroad and no longer able to travel easily, sold the lands to Lil. She has embraced the responsibility of land stewardship and given new life to the circa 1840 hillside farmhouse hidden deep in the Acadian woods. Inside an outbuilding, a pair of mouse-nibbled Endicott Johnson boots worn by Ken and Barb’s father were found. The boots were inadvertently deposited on a pile of debris destined for the dump, but rescued by David who could not bear to see them junked. For months, the boots sat atop a cabinet until they begged for attention. The boots now have a place of honour in Lil’s restaurant The Wooden Monkey in Dartmouth.
This marks my third prize-winning quilt at The Grand National. (Honourable Mention 2004 for “Balmoral Grist Mill” and Curator’s Choice 2006 for “The Golden Spiral”)

For a look at all the wonderful quilts in this year’s exhibit, check out the online catalogue at&nbsp
http://www.grandnationalquiltshow.ca/