VISUAL ARTS

ART QUILTS LOWELL 2010 AT THE BRUSH GALLERY & ARTISTS STUDIOS, LOWELL, MASS. AN OVERVIEW OF THE FINEST ART QUILTS BEING PRODUCED BY ARTISTS FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. Exhibition Features Contemporary Quilts by Artists Throughout the United States LOWELL, Mass. (June 30, 2010) – Sophisticated art and handmade tradition fuse seamlessly as art quilters from across the United States showcase their work at The Brush Gallery & Artists Studios, 256 Market St., Lowell, Mass., Aug 10 to Sept 11, 2010. The exhibition is a venue of the 2010 Lowell Quilt Festival Moving from beds to the walls of collectors, galleries and museums, art quilts have beautifully and forever blurred the boundaries between art and craft. Art quilters are modern alchemists who transform functional domestic textiles into objects of exquisite depth and intensity. Rather than create their quilts from set patterns, art quilters typically design from interpretive experiences, imagery and concepts. This approach makes for work that draws upon techniques and traditions of the past, but with a very contemporary and original result. New Mexico artist Betty Busby finds beauty and elegance in the often unseen realm of small creatures, frequently as tiny as microbes. It is as if her large, colorful quilts are acting as a macro lens or microscope, inviting us to explore and enjoy this secret and fascinating world. Cindy Grisdela gives us an entirely different view of the natural world in her quilt, Amber Harvest. Here we are flying high above a patchwork of rich, ripened fields awaiting the fall harvest. Their golden patterns, shaped by the wind, are subtle and lovely. The exhibition is free to the public and will showcase the delicate art quilting techniques of painting, dyeing, stamping, piecing, collage, printing, appliqué and other textile processes. Additionally, scheduled special events include an outdoor needlecrafts exposition and a trunk show of luxurious Japanese textiles by Kyoto Kimono of New York. The artists included in this exhibition are from all over the United States: Shelley Baird, OH; Deborah Bein, NY; Betty Busby, NM; Benedicte Caneill, NY; Lisa Corson, CT; Sandy Donabed, FL; Clairan Ferrono, IL; Beverly Fine, MA; Jo-Ann Golenia, FL; Sonia Grasvik, WA; Cindy Grisdela, VA; Rosemary Hoffenberg, MA; Linda Laird, CA; Gay Lasher, CO; Susan Lenz, SC; Valerie Maser-Flanagan, MA; Karen McCarthy, MA; Kathy Nida, CA; Wen Redmond, NH; Lee Harper Schultz, PA; Carolyn Spiegel, NY; Charlotte Ziebarth, CO The quilts of the exhibition were selected from among many striking entries by jurors Jeanne Williamson Ostroff and Linda Levin. Event times are as follows: Exhibition Opening and Artists’ Reception: Saturday, August 14, 3 - 5 p.m., The Brush will host the opening of Art Quilts Lowell 2010. Gallery Night: Thursday, August 12, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. The Brush, along with other galleries in the city, will help kick off the Lowell Quilt Festival. Trunk Show: Saturday, August 14, 12 to 3 p.m. Kyoto Kimono of New York will be on site with a trunk show offering a selection of full kimono garments – robes, jackets, obi sashes – as well as vintage kimono textiles and gift items created from them, including silks, cottons, blends; shibori, ikat, and brocades by the bundle, packet or piece. Quilt Candy: Saturday, August 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. An outdoor, tented event featuring a full range of needlecrafts, fiber art, knitted, woven and felted items, embroidery, embellishments, and all manner of creative cloth! It will be held in the shaded, brick-lined courtyard located between the National Historical Park Visitor Center, the Brush Art Gallery and Studios and ALL Arts Gallery in the heart of Lowell's arts district. The Lowell Quilt Festival: These and other events and exhibitions are part of the Lowell Quilt Festival. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.lowellquiltfestival.org For additional information and a complete schedule of events, please contact: The Brush Gallery & Artists Studios 256 Market St., Lowell, MA 01852 978-459-7819 information@thebrush.org www.thebrush.org Hours: Tues-Sat 11am-4pm, Sun 12pm-4pm The Brush Gallery and Artists Studios is a non-profit 501(c)(3) service, education, and membership organization which provides studio and exhibition facilities for artists and programs to educate the general public about the artistic process. Free admission, wheelchair accessible.