Fantastic Fibers 2025 - Yeiser Art Center
My piece Homebody was accepted into the annual Fantastic Fibers exhibition at the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah, Kentucky. I am beyond grateful to the juror, Bonnie Browning, who selected my work among the many applicants. Here is a little blurb about the juror:
Who would have thought quilting would take this little gal from Muscatine, Iowa, to all of the places she has been? It all started when Bonnie’s yearbook predicted she would become a teacher. It wasn’t until Bonnie started quilting in the late 1970’s that led her to teach quiltmaking and to become a certified quilt judge. Bonnie has traveled all over the world teaching and judging quilting – from Australia to Canada, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Switzerland, and Turkey. For 30 years, 1994 to 2024, Bonnie was the Executive Show Director for the American Quilter’s Society, leading the way for 93 of the 100+ AQS Quilt Shows held to date. She is the author of 13 books on quilting, published by AQS, and has appeared in many other quilting magazines and books. Bonnie has been featured on Quilttv, the AQS channel on YouTube, interviewing prizewinning quilters and sharing quilting tips and techniques, as well as other quilting programs on TV and the Internet.
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And a bit about the history of this exhibition:
The show began in 1987 as a wearable art show but has evolved over the years to include a compelling mix of traditional and non-traditional works created from natural or synthetic fibers, and work that addresses the subject or medium of fiber. Paducah becomes a destination for quilters and quilt enthusiasts each April as more than 30,000 visitors from across the globe attend AQS QuiltWeek. Fantastic Fibers adds another special element to QuiltWeek by exploring the broader field of textiles.
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I am pretty happy with this piece. I made it last year just when I began exploring the process of unraveling and delving into fiber art. Homebody is admittedly one of my favorite works I have made so far. I enjoy the teddy bear motif, the frame’s reference to a house, and the way the threads seem to curl up like hair. I struggle not to brush or braid it as one would for a child.
The exhibition is open from March 18th - May 3rd, with the reception being held on March 22nd. I will be in the thick of my thesis and unable to attend the reception, so look forward to photos of the exhibition on the gallery’s website and social media:
