The National Quilt Museum has two special exhibits on display: 12th Quilt Japan and the Gala of the Unexpected. On Sounds Good, Tracy Ross speaks with Judy Schwender about the exhibits and thoughts on why quilting has room to grow as a medium and is growing in popularity worldwide.
12th Quilt Japan
The Japan Handicraft Instructors' Association hosts an international contest every two years. The quilts on display in Paducah are made by Japanese quilters. The styles are different than those you might see in the west, Schwender says, because in Japanese quilt making there is a hierarchical structure for teaching.
She says if you were to take up the craft, you'd work your way through a group of teachers. You'll see more embroidery in these quilts, she says. Instead of a patterned fabric for background you may see an embroidered one, for instance a leaf motif scattered along the background.
She says there is a refined sensibility of what constitutes the whole work of art - the entire work - which is an attribute, she says, that can be applied in general to great works of art around the world.
This exhibit is open through August 9.
Gala of the Unexpected
The National Quilt Museum turns 25 this year. They decided to celebrate the craft moving forward and sought quilts that adhere to the basic structure, but expressed in unexpected ways. She says in this exhibit there is a quilt made of leather, one of duct tape, another that uses chicken wire.
She says it's fun to see what people do with unusual materials and ideas and adds that she loves watching the looks of surprise on quiltmakers' faces when they see the exhibit and the feeling that their minds are expanded by the experience.
The vast majority of people don't have personal experiecnes with oil paint or copper plates or granite sculptures, she explains, but everybody knows fabric: you sleep under it, you wear it. It's an accessible medium, she says, as humans we react to what we know. something people can look at and say "I get this." It's emerging in popularity as an art form around the world, across continents.
This exhibit is open through July 12.