by Allison Wilbur on November 9, 2019
For My Sisters This was my sole project all summer long. Because my approach is improvisational, the process tends to be slow — especially so during summer with family plans and kids at home. I look forward to seeing all the completed quilts for the Sister Artists initiative. This is such a worthy cause, I […]
by Allison Wilbur on November 8, 2019
Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this program. Honoring the work of my “sister artist” was quite a challenge, but lots of fun. I spent some time researching the country of Mali and looking at photos of the landscape. I was inspired by the interesting rock formations found there. […]
by Allison Wilbur on November 6, 2019
The Salama Quilters Self Help Group of Nairobi, Kenya, (the Salama Mamas) have only been making quilts since 2017. Inspired by a presentation at the Kenya Quilt Guild about the African Siddi Quilters of India, they began to make quilts using the Indian technique of hand piecing with a running stitch. From the beginning, they […]
by Morgan Wilbur on August 30, 2019
Quilt Artist Ellen Fisher talks about her creative process in making her Sister Artists quilt.
by Allison Wilbur on August 29, 2019
Janice Jones contacted us and said, “It pulls on my heart strings to think that one of the blocks did not get chosen. Surely we can’t have one of the girls blocks not chosen.” It turns out there were two unclaimed blocks, and Janice undertook to finish both of them. As you can see below, each […]
by Morgan Wilbur on August 28, 2019
Ellena is new to Art Quilting and finds the improvisational aspects appeal to her the most. The process of taking a germ of an idea and turning it into a completed, one of a kind, art piece is exciting. Partnering with a young woman from Mali to produce a single unified piece was challenging but […]
by Allison Wilbur on August 27, 2019
I love cooking so I entitled this piece, “It’s Meal Time!” I love the embroidery the artist chose for her piece and I decided to add borders that bring out the colors within the panel while adding some African and Asian fabric flavors from my stash. It is my hope that this project will bless […]
by Allison Wilbur on May 25, 2017
We are not very reliable bloggers, please forgive us! During the period the Water is Life exhibit was on display at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts, we focused on future programming and getting as many visitors as possible to the museum to view the quilts. The exhibit was on display February 15 – April […]
by Allison Wilbur on November 25, 2016
Luana Rubin interviewed artist Hollis Chatelain at the Houston International Quilt Festival about her work, about water issues, and about using her voice through her art to raise awareness and bring about change.
by Dick Wilbur on September 27, 2016
Source of Life Hollis Chatelain – Hillsboro, North Carolina Artist’s Statement Water is The Source of Life. We sing and dance to it, pray for it and dream and write about it. Water quenches our thirst, grows our food, washes us and gives us a means for play and relaxation. As our world becomes […]
by Dick Wilbur on July 25, 2016
She Brings them Water Dawn Piasta – Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada Artist’s Statement: Living on a farm I truly understand the value of water. Although modern conveniences are at hand, my family and I still rely on water from a well 1/4 mile from home. The safety of the water is our responsibility. The well maintenance […]
by Dick Wilbur on June 17, 2016
Ancestral Rice Growing Cathey A. LaBonte – Moosup, Connecticut Artist’s Statement My intent in this quilt is to visually communicate the importance of clean, fresh water for growing rice, a staple in the diet of many people around the world. My piece is inspired by “Ancestral Rice Growing” and influenced by my Pacific Islander heritage […]
by Dick Wilbur on June 15, 2016
Our Journey Pauline Barrett – Killeen, Texas Artist’s Statement In our society today, the triviality of everyday life often obscures what is of greater importance. It is so hard to believe that something can be taken for granted and wasted by so many and yet be such an invaluable lifesaving resource that is so […]
by Dick Wilbur on June 5, 2016
A Tree of Life Lin Schiffner – Nevada City, California Artist’s Statement: Awareness that clean water is essential to life and critical to the existence is spreading across the world. The threat of global warming further threatens world populations as droughts reduce reserves making clean water increasingly scarce. Endangering the existence and quality of […]
by Dick Wilbur on June 3, 2016
“Life Needs Water, Clean Water = Healthy Life” Barbara Eisenstein – Bethesda, Maryland Artist’s Statement: Life needs water. Healthy life needs clean water. Six hundred sixty-three million people on Earth do not have access to clean water–for drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing–and the consequences are disastrous: Every 90 seconds a child dies from the […]
by Dick Wilbur on May 30, 2016
Cool, Clean Water Elinore Sigler – Paris, France Artist’s Statement There seem to be two schools of thought for quilters where designing a quilt is concerned: those who carefully draw and design and then make what they have put down in their notebooks, and those who start with a general idea and improvise. I’ve […]
by Dick Wilbur on May 18, 2016
Water Line Phyllis Stephens – Fayetteville, Georgia Artist’s Statement: I am a dreamer; I dream of the day where every human being has access to clean water. I depict children waiting in line for unclean water when what is needed is a water line that pumps in clean water. As I think about the […]
by Allison Wilbur on May 16, 2016
Seeking Water Jeanne McAfoos – Rome, Italy Artist’s Statement: In using the traditional pattern called Storm at Sea, I selected various colors to represent the search and hardships of finding clean water by the women and children of the world. The color burgundy represents the dangers involved in finding drinkable water. The orange […]
by Dick Wilbur on May 13, 2016
7 Months Ago Allyson Allen – Sun City, California Artist’s Statement: Everyday this young girl makes the perilous trek from her village to the river to collect the water her family desperately needs for drinking and cooking. One fateful day, her routine turn dangerous. Two strangers raped her. She still had to continue on […]
by Dick Wilbur on May 12, 2016
When the Tap is Finally Turned On Anita LaHay – Alberta, Canada Artist’s Statement: “Water is a precious commodity.” That is what my mother always used to say to us when we were kids in the 70’s and 80’s. This statement is true now more than ever. I have never had to haul water […]