The Art Quilt Association - Biography
December 1, 2008
Members of The Art Quilt Association, (AQuA), are fiber artists living on the Western Slope of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Specializing in quilts as art rather than bed coverings, they explore textile manipulation and diversity of mixed media as an art form.
Interest in art quilting has exploded in the last few years with national focus groups like Studio Art Quilts Association and Surface Design Association growing in membership. The Art Quilt Association in Grand Junction was ahead of the curve. Established in 1996 the group has grown from a handful to over 60 members. In January 2004, the group decided to “get serious” about their work and have had many successes since then.
EXHIBITIONS: Their first juried themed exhibit was at Grand Junction, CO, City Hall in 2005. Later exhibit venues have included the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, CO, the Creamery Art Center in Hotchkiss, CO and the Johnson Gallery at Mesa State College in Grand Junction. Art quilts featuring the natural world of the Southwest were created for exhibit and sale at Chapin Mesa Gallery at Mesa Verde National Park in fall of 2008.
AQuA was invited to exhibit at the first Denver National Quiltfest and continues to exhibit at that venue each year. Their works were invited by this same organization to travel to other shows in Chicago, IL. Hampton, VA., and Somerset, NJ.
2009 exhibitions include returns to Denver National and the Creamery Art Center of Hotchkiss, Colorado. AQuA was also invited to exhibit at Pacific International Quilt Festival, the most prestigious and artistic quilt show on the west coast, in Santa Clara, CA. in October, 2009.
PUBLIC INSTALLATION: Four major works were created by AQuA members for the Mesa County Department of Human Services Building and smaller art quilts created by members appear throughout the building.
PUBLICATIONS: AQuA was featured in Quilters Newsletter, the best known quilting magazine in the US, in December 2007. It has also been featured in the Daily Sentinel and Free Press newspapers of Grand Junction as well as the Delta County Independent and other western slope newspapers.
AQuA was featured in Grand Valley Magazine, December 2008. Works by Gay Ousley, Jean Roesler, Ruth Feild, and Marla Ferguson were featured.
WEB PRESENCE: A website was developed in 2006 to publicize the group, www.theArtQuiltAssociation.com. In addition to pages about the group, the site makes individual pages available to members in the “Galleries” section and a “For Sale” section.
Members meet monthly for networking, inspiration, demos and technique discussions. Many members have sold works through exhibitions and gallery appearances. Workshops with national and international teachers are usually held twice a year. An electronic newsletter goes out monthly and can be viewed at the website.
Contact: Marge Fox, 2580 Fox Run, Grand Junction, CO. 81505, 970-241-5523, foxhaven@bresnan.net
www.theArtQuiltAssociation.com
2005 Offices of the United Way, Grand Junction, CO.
Installation of works at Department of Human Services, Grand Junction, CO.
2006 “Fibers of the Purple Sage” City Hall, Grand Junction, CO.
“TXT” Denver National.
“Pick of the Litter” The Creamery Arts Center, Hotchkiss, CO.
Selected “Fibers” pieces, Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Golden, CO.
“TXT” travels to Greater Chicago Quilt Expo, Chicago, IL.
2007 “Bridges” Denver National II
“Stories of our Ancestors” Johnson Gallery, Mesa State College, Grand Junction, CO.
“Postcard” The Creamery Art Center, Hotchkiss, CO. AQuA featured in Quilters Newsletter Magazine, December 2007 issue.
2008 “Pick of the Litter II” The Creamery Arts Center, Hotchkiss, CO.
“Bridges” travels to Mid Atlantic Quilt Festival, Hampton, VA.
“Bridges” travels to Quilt Fest of New Jersey, Somerset, NJ.
“Free Range Fibers” Denver National III.
“Encrusted” The Art Center, Grand Junction, CO.
“Canyon Voices” Chapin Mesa Gallery, Mesa Verde National Park, CO.
2009 “AQuAfer” Denver National IV
“Artifact” Pacific International Quilt Festival, Santa Clara, CA.
“Pick of the Litter III” The Creamery Arts Center, Hotchkiss, CO.
Contact: Marge Fox, 2580 Fox Run, Grand Junction, CO. 81505, 970-241-5523, foxhaven@bresnan.net
www.theArtQuiltAssociation.com