“Painting in Stitches”

African American Quilt Show and Sale: Contemporary Art Work and Traditional Crafts

The African American Quilters of Baltimore (AAQB) presents its 2006 bi-annual quilt show, “Painting in Stitches” on Saturday October 7, 2006 to Sunday, October 8, 2006 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Waldorf School of Baltimore located at 4701 Yellowwood Avenue. From downtown Baltimore: Take I-83, go to exit 9B (Coldspring Lane – West). Take Coldspring Lane to 1 st light, Tamarind Road. Turn right and follow Tamarind to a left on Yellowwood. Proceed to 4710—Children's Garden Building. For more directions, visit www.aaqb.org or go to Yahoomaps.

Over 25 African American quilters from Baltimore, Columbia, Silver Spring MD and other parts of the metropolitan area will display more than 75 quilts during this group's very popular biannual show. In past years, hundreds of visitors have attended—some coming from as far away as southern Virginia and Philadelphia. Demonstrations, a vendor hall and a raffle quilt by members of the group will be among the activities at the two day event.

Contemporary and Traditional Work on Display

AAQB members represent all facets of the art and craft of quiltmaking. Some of the work will be traditional pieced and appliquéd quilts ranging in size from crib quilts to king size bed quilts by Barbara Barnes and other members who have won awards for their highly skilled traditional needlework at quilts shows around the state of Maryland.

Other members, such as Barbara Pietila, Bernice Clark and others are pictorial quilters who create contemporary artworks that depict scenes from African American history and everyday life. Other work will be based on abstract and geometric themes, and demonstrate the innovative use of many African, Japanese and other textiles from around the world using a range of contemporary quilting techniques such as random/improvisational design, computer designed quilt patterns and fusible appliqué. Examples of this type of work will be shown by Sandra Smith, Adrienne Cruz, Janet Waters Bailey and Carole Lyles Shaw and others.

Some members also use quilting as a base for exploring other contemporary art media such as paper and fabric collages which will also be on display.

Group Members Have National Reputations as Artists

Work by Sandra Smith, Barbara Pietila, Carole Lyles Shaw and other members of this eclectic group has been juried into international art shows. Several members have been invited to exhibit their quilts at the Museum of American Folk Art in New York City, the Toronto Textile Museum and many other venues in the United States, Canada, China and including an upcoming international show in Havana, Cuba. Sandra Smith, Barbara Pietila and Carole Lyles were recently invited guest speakers at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum of American Art Museum at a national Symposium “Comfort and Joy: Quilting Community, Memory and Spirit” conducted in conjunction with the exhibit, “Spirits of the Cloth : Contemporary Quilts by African American Artists”.

For Information: Carole Lyles Shaw, carole@lyles.net 410-913-8539.

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