The Makers of Quilts

I just went to an incredible art show at the Schneider Museum of Art in Ashland, Oregon. The show is quilts and works on paper by women from Gee's Bend. Gee’s Bend is a small, rural community southwest of Selma, Alabama. Quilting skills are passed down from woman to woman, going back six generations. The composition, colors, and sewing skills evident in these quilts awakens new creative synapses in the viewer's brain!

The show also includes Textile Assemblages by Kris Hoppe. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the works by the less famous Hoppe, a resident of Ashland. The photo above is of part of one of her quilts and, alas, doesn't really do it justice. Her quilts make your eyes jump, your brain swim, and your heart smile. Viewing her artwork and the quilts by the women of Gee's Bend was one of the best hours I've spent, comparable to the hours I spent in the Tate Museum of Modern Art in London. I highly recommend this show! I am so lucky to live in Ashland, OR, where the cultural advantages rival London. (The Oregon Shakespeare Festival plays rival anything I saw in London too, by the way.)

Seeing the show was especially fun on this of all days, by the way. Today We-Envision.com shipped their latest iPhone app. Guess what? It's quilts! For only $0.99, Quilt Envi lets you keep a collection of antique, Amish, and contemporary quilts in your pocket, on your iPhone.