Centennial quilters defy preconceptions

12-year-old Alex Gray is a champion drag racer, as well as an accomplished quilter.

12-year-old Alex Gray is a champion drag racer, as well as an accomplished quilter.

What do a 12-year old drag racer, a military air traffic controller, a former park ranger and a rodeo parade chairman all have in common?

All are quilters!

And all contributed quilts to an exhibition of 100 Arizona quilts to celebrate the state’s centennial in 2012.

From a group of over 90 quilters based around Arizona, a baker’s dozen were chosen to be interviewed about their lives, quilting and Arizona.

Last week documentary maker Daniel Buckley wrapped interviews for the 30-minute video he will produce for the exhibit, which will occupy the entire Tucson branch of the Arizona Historical Society from February 18, 2012 through the end of the year.

Former Persian Gulf air traffic controller Kellogg Patton with her Buzz Lightyear doll.

Former Persian Gulf air traffic controller Kellogg Patton with her Buzz Lightyear doll.

The video will be played at the exhibit throughout its run, and copies will be made available on DVD. Prices and sale locations will be announced before the show opens.

In addition, a book of Buckley’s photos of the quilts will also be available for sale.

On Valentines Day, 1912, Arizona became a state. To mark the occasion, a group of quilters hatched the idea to celebrate the occasion by mounting an exhibit of 100 quilts from around Arizona. The criteria for the unjuried show were that the quilt had to be less than ten years old and had to focus on some aspect of Arizona. How that was interpreted by the many quilters in the show spoke to their many perspectives and backgrounds. Some worked from themes of Arizona’s history, others of the land, its plants and animals, and its industries, people and cultures. Some did their work strictly by hand as pioneering Arizona quilters did. Others used a variety of machines, including long-arm quilting machines.

Surprise, Arizona's Alicia Sterna, shown leafing through a book of her art quilts, has been a lawyer and a former park ranger.

Surprise, Arizona's Alicia Sterna, shown leafing through a book of her art quilts, has been a lawyer and a former park ranger.

All of them drew upon their unique experiences of the state.

In addition to the 30-minute video, a series of five minute profiles of the 13 quilters selected for interview will also be featured online at the Arizona Historical Society’s website, running one a month throughout the centennial year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more on the centennial quilt project go to http://www.danielbuckleyarts.com/category/quilting-project/ or click here.

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE.

 

 

 

~ by Daniel Buckley on December 31, 2011.

One Response to “Centennial quilters defy preconceptions”

  1. Wow. Happy New Year just took on a whole new meaning for me (one of the ‘baker’s dozen).
    Mantra for 2012?
    To infinity and beyond!!!

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