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