No Holds Barred – at the New England Quilt Museum Grand Opening Event was held today.

No Holds Barred – at the New England Quilt Museum Grand Opening Event was held today.                      

Well the time came and went for the opening celebration.  What an amazing experience! There was the sun shining and a clear highway to drive on on the way to Lowell, MA.  We had standing room only at the Exhibition.  Twelve of the artists were present hailing from Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Five of the current SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) Representatives from the New England States and one former Rep were also in attendance.  


The support of the Reps, exhibiting artists, artists who answered the Call for Entry, museum staff and volunteers, the team that worked on the proposals, jurors, and the SAQA staff and volunteers all working together in various capacities over the past three years has resulted in a wonderful collection of Contemporary Quilts.

When you look at the exhibit you see the latest techniques being used today across the country, in fact, by art quilters not only in SAQA here in the states but around the world.  There was hand quilting, machine quilting, dyed fabrics, stenciled and silk screened marks on fabric, commercial and whole cloth works, paint acrylics and oil stick, yarn, metallic and cotton threads, shibori and other techniques used.  Whatever is considered leading edge was found in the exhibit today.  There are also two quilts that are part of the permanent collection by artists who were juried into the exhibit on display.

In two other galleries you will see two different displays of antique quilts.  There is so much to see…both antique and contemporary quilts.  


I hope you will take an opportunity to go to the museum to see the show and on Feb. 5^th (***storm warning***date moved to February 19th!...to see the lecture: My Journey by Celeste Janey; Feb 12^th to see the lecture “Art Quilts by SAQA’s Exec. Director, Martha Sielman; and on March 5^th to a workshop followed by a trunk show by Wen Redmond.  On March 19^th there will be an all regions all call SAQA meeting that will be open to the public.  The artists have all been invited and they will be there to share one on one about their work and their SAQA experiences.

Thank you all for your contributions to this local exhibition!

Fondest regards,

Ms. V

Valarie Poitier
Curator, Co-Chair SAQA-NEQM-2011 Project "No Holds Barred"

Guest Speaker Grand Opening January 29^th @ 1:00pm – Smashing!
SAQA Rep MA/RI

 http://www.saqa.com  - Studio Art Quilt Associates

http://saqane2011news.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archive.html - No Holds Barred News

http://msvpoitier.blogspot.com/

Member: Quinobequin, Quilters Connection, Sisters in Fiber, Boston Weaver's Guild
Life Coach, Life Skills Trainer

New Exhibit - New England Quilt Museum - African American Curator

There are only two weeks left to wait for the SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) and the NEQM (New England Quilt Museum's) Grand Opening of the Exhibition 'No Holds Barred'.  The show has been hung and looks amazing.  There were so many steps along the way on the tickler to check off that it is hard to reason we are almost at the grand opening.  

I must get my nails done  before then!



The dates of the exhibit are January 20, 2011 - April 9, 2011.  Artists from six New England states were invited to enter the call for art works that would be debuting at this event.  We had 52 artists send in their entry forms, pictures, and artist statements.  There is a blog that tells about the process. http://saqane2011news.blogspot.com/ 

The panel of three NEQM jurors and two guest jurors Juanita Yeager, SAQA member, and Noelle Frye of the Fuller Craft Museum and  I viewed all the works and a collection of mostly non-representations works came together. 

There is is a wonderful line up including a lecture by SAQA's Executive Director, Martha Sielman, workshop by a Regional Representative Wen Redmond, and a trunk show by two different SAQA /NEQM members, Wen Redmond and Celeste Janey that will occur on Saturdays during February and March. 

On March 19th there will be an all call meeting for SAQA members who live, are visiting, or plan to drive up to see the show and we will be talking about SAQA membership, the how to's and best way to support and be supported by the organization, and we will walk the exhibit with the exhibiting artists who are in attendance.  That day will be hosted by Valarie Poitier, SAQA PAM member, SAQA Regional Rep for MA/RI and guest curator, along with Jeanne Marklin PAM member and Regional Rep for MA/RI.

We hope you will join us for one or more of the events.  Check out the link to the New England Quilt Museum for more details! http://www.nequiltmuseum.org/events/special-events.html

Ms. V

Quilts and Guest Speaking in January 2011

Update on what I am doing creatively over the next few months:

My work along with Celeste Janey and Brenda Jones will be on display at the Haley House in Roxbury January-March 2010, the artist’s reception is January 15th.  

I will also be guest speaker at the New England Quilt Museum at the Grand Opening of the "No Holds Barred" exhibition that I am the guest curator for.  I also have a quilt in the exhibit called Beyond the Obvious.

NO HOLDS BARRED: Schedule of Events

Saturday, January 29, 1 pm

Painted background appliquéd bird

Opening reception for New England SAQA, with Guest Curator Valarie Poitier

Saturday, February 5, 1 pm

Lecture: "My Journey", by Celeste P. Janey

Saturday, February 12, 1 pm

Lecture: "Art Quilts", by Martha Sielman

Saturday, March 5,
10 am, Workshop and 1 pm, Trunk Show with Wen Redmond

Saturday March 19, 10:00, SAQA NE Meeting and Gallery Walk

(Open to the public) Hosted by SAQA Reps, Valarie Poitier and Jeanne Marklin

I hope you will be able to attend one or both of the events listed at the top of this message.  If not check out one of the events happening during the exhibit on a Saturday !

In May 2011 at the SAQA Conference: Visioning
I will teach "Promote your Work without Apologizing

This interactive empowerment workshop will look at our perceptions of ourselves as artists. Valarie Poitier will offer tools to help participants strengthen their sense of positive self and their ability to talk about their art at gallery openings and lectures."

V

Best Regards,

Valarie Poitier

After GYN Appt.

Curator, Co-Chair SAQA-NEQM-2011 Project "No Holds Barred" Grand Opening January 29th @ 1:00pm SAQA Rep MA/RI Ms. V's Studio #508-314-6597 Studio Art Quilt Associates  http://www.saqa.com

http://saqane2011news.blogspot.com/

Affiliations and Memberships

Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Boston Weavers Guild

Brush Gallery

Danforth Museum

New England Quilt Museum

Quilters Connection

Quilters Quad

Quinobequin Quilters Guild

Saxonville Workshop Instructor

Sisters in Fiber

Studio Art Quilt Associates

Surface Design Association