Portfolio 2020, the Best of 2019 Online

Portfolio 2020: Best of 2019

Web-based Exhibit, FRCQ Website, January 31 through December 31, 2020

FRCQ Portfolio 2020 – Best of 2019 Gallery

Portfolio 2020 – Best of 2019 is a web-based exhibit open to members of Front Range
Contemporary Quilters. The art accepted into this show will be the home page feature for
the FRCQ website that displays the best work completed by our members in 2019.
The juror’s goal will be to select the best possible group of entries that collectively
showcase the diversity of work being made in our region within the art quilt medium.

  • Exhibit Posted Online: January 31, 2020
  • Catalog available: Coming Soon

Juror

Patty Kennedy-Zafred has been telling stories through the medium of textiles and art quilts for nearly thirty years, creating thought provoking narratives using fabric, dyes, silkscreens, and ink to develop a visual dialogue with the viewer. The interpretation of each piece is conceived through the lens of individual experiences, memories, or perspectives. Her quilts marry a lifelong fascination with photography, history, and stitch, often reflecting faces of pride and dignity, sometimes under challenging circumstances.

Kennedy-Zafred’s work has been exhibited in major national and international exhibitions, including Fiberart International, CraftForms, Art of the State Pennsylvania, Quilt National, Visions, Artist as Quiltmaker, Fantastic Fibers, Quilts=Art=Quilts, Fiber Options, New Legacies, SAQA Global Exhibitions, National Fiber Directions, and numerous invitational exhibitions and print publications. Her work has won top awards at both American Quilt Society competitions and International Quilt Festival, including the prestigious Masters Award. Her work has traveled across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, China, and Australia, and is part of the permanent collections of the State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA, The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, San Jose Museum of Textiles, CA, and Senator John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, PA, as well as private collections. She was recently honored as a Master Visual Artist as part of the Preserving the Legacy Project in Pittsburgh.

A Special Message to FRCQ from Patty

It is always an honor to be invited to jury an exhibition, and receiving that request from Front Range Contemporary Quilters was a particular delight. FRCQ is widely known within the art quilt community, not only for having among its membership well established artists, but for fostering and mentoring those who are still at the beginning or mid stage of their artistic journey, by providing educational and workshop opportunities.

Making selections from a broad range of work can be fraught with emotion; as a practicing artist there is the realization that the choices made will cause celebration or disappointment. For this particular exhibition, Best of 2020, which will be featured primarily online, the photographic images were of particular importance. What the audience will see is an image, not the careful stitches, true colors, or inventive surface design in a physical form, up close, bifocals on. Instead, an image on a computer screen or tablet is the single representation of the efforts made, which in many cases, were significant. Choosing an exhibition from online images is always a difficult task, when the true nature and overwhelming appeal of the art quilt lies in the tactile nature of the materials, the nuance, and often times, the smallest details.

The beautiful geographic area of Colorado, FRCQ’s home, was immediately evident in the entries – the stunning natural landscapes that its members enjoy, the animals, the western hues, were all well represented. It was interesting to note the prevalence of intense and time consuming hand work, including beading, hand stitching, surface design and three dimensional embellishment in a large number of the pieces submitted. There were pieced quilts, and those that effectively utilized recycled materials and found objects. Painting, dyes and inks found their way onto the surface in new and interesting ways. The entries were often innovative and daring, pushing the limits of the quilt definition.

Each entry submitted was reviewed multiple times during the course of the jurying process, with considerable time spent reviewing statements and materials, going through the images over and again. Always the concept and intent is important, along with design elements and mastery of the chosen techniques and materials. Presentation is an important element, as was the necessity for well lit, sharply focused photographs. Detail images were of keen importance. There was wide diversity in the submissions, many stepping forward with clear voices in creativity and intention.

FRCQ requested that selections be restricted to one piece per artist, which provided the opportunity for inclusion of more members. There were artists whose submissions expressed consistent excellence, and may have received multiple acceptances, yet the resulting exhibition is a broader representation of the membership, reflecting personal interpretations of the art quilt, from a highly talented group.

All of the work entered exhibited promise, and it is my hope that every member who submitted will continue to pursue their unique vision and the development of their talents. It was evident that FRCQ’s members create with freedom and joy in their work, representing individualized styles and concepts.

Thank you for entrusting me with this delicate assignment. Regional exhibitions sponsored by organizations such as FRCQ are relevant and important. They can be a remarkable and encouraging starting point for some, or needed support after years of making art. For any artist to submit their work, and release it to a stranger for evaluation, requires a leap of faith and courage. I commend all of the entrants for their stunning, personal efforts, and FRCQ for providing this wonderful opportunity to its membership.

Patty Kennedy-Zafred

January, 2020

 

Skills

Posted on

January 28, 2020