Seasonal Palette  Curators' Statements

We are surrounded by the seasons of the year. Whether we live in the northern or southern United States, Canada or Belgium, Japan or France, the sights, sounds, climate, and colors of our favorite and least favorite seasons stir our emotions and memories.

The colors associated with the seasons immediately attracted me to this theme of Seasonal Palette. I envisioned an exhibit of quilts flowing from one season to the next through the artful use of color. The blue sky of summer, the lush green of spring leaves, the deep reds of a rose, the golden and russet tones of fall trees, and the grays, whites, and ice blues of winter all came into focus. With that vision in mind, Kathleen McCabe and I began the jury process in 2011.

In total, 144 artists submitted 572 images for consideration for the exhibition. Kathleen and I worked steadily for a week to reduce the field to 37 artists. It was a joy and an inspiration to view the amazing variety of work produced by SAQA members!

Narrowing the field was an arduous task, to say the least. This was definitely one of those “if only” occasions. We selected the artists based on their body of work. They were then required to complete a quilt specific to the theme and size requirements. Working with Kathleen was a delight, and we were pleased to notify the selected artists a few days early.

All of the artists have documented their creative process, including their inspiration, photo images, sketches and diagrams, journal entries, and fabric swatches. The documentation will be on display along with each quilt. The quilts are amazing — beyond what I originally envisioned for the exhibition. The colors are as wonderful as I had hoped. It is a beautiful and moving Seasonal Palette!

A huge thank you is extended to the SAQA board members, Martha Sielman, Deidre Adams, the artists, and most especially my co-curator Kathleen McCabe for trusting me with the job and hanging in there. I can’t imagine anyone else I would rather work with on an exhibit under such circumstances — and we’ve never even met face-to-face!

—Vicki Mangum
Co-curator, Seasonal Palette

In 2008 I had the good fortune to view a textile exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art called Itchiku Kubota – Symphony of Light. As I stood in the center of the gallery surrounded by the Japanese master’s oversized kimonos, each was an individual piece of art; together they became an entire landscape moving from Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall through subtle changes of light and color. This was the inspiration for Seasonal Palette, showcasing the work of individual artists in a consistent size and unifying theme.

144 artists submitted portfolios of their work for consideration. We received images of 572 quilts, up to 4 from each artist. Most artists showed a distinct style or voice, but some included several styles, which occasionally made the jurying somewhat confusing. Co-curator Vicki Mangum and I tried to imagine, when looking at the examples, how each artist would interpret the season they would be assigned and how these works would hang together to make a cohesive exhibit.

Many artists are curious about the jurying process.    Seasonal Palette took several days. Vicki and I individually went through the submissions one at a time, giving equal consideration to every entry. The work submitted was a wonderful mix of colors and textures, both figurative and abstract. To avoid being overwhelmed or too tired to give each portfolio proper consideration, we divided our time into several sessions. After our individual voting, we met via conference call to compare our choices and make the final selection of artists.

After much deliberation, we selected 37 artists to participate in Seasonal Palette. We asked them to tell us which season they preferred, and to state their reasons and the colors they expected to work with. We did our best to follow their requests while meeting our goal of having an approximately equal number for each season.

Working with Vicki was a pleasure. Although we had never previously met, our tastes and visions were remarkably similar.

The artists completed their quilts in six months. They worked diligently on their documentation and produced wonderful portfolios to illustrate their process. There is much variety among them: inspiration, sketches, fabric samples, photographs, thoughts, concerns, frustrations — every part of the process.

The quilts are wonderful! With each image that we received of the completed work, Vicki and I became more and more excited. When the portfolios arrived, we were as fascinated and intrigued as we expect other viewers will be.

Martha Sielman, Deidre Adams, and all of the artists have been wonderfully supportive and encouraging. Thanks also to Bill Reker who has worked to find more opportunities to exhibit Seasonal Palette. And special thanks to Lynne Harpst Koen, whose generosity made this catalog possible.

—Kathleen McCabe
Co-curator, Seasonal Palette