A Message to the First Night 2012 Committee

June 6, 2011

I quickly assembled a photo album portfolio of my work for the First Night Akron 2012 committee to peruse in their hunt for the next button artist.

Lisa Knapp of the Downtown Akron Partnership caught me during a spate of plate spinning or I would have suited up in my old Garfield High School majorette uniform and started swinging my baton. My little album was put together quickly but not without thought.

It features a very short bio; a photo of my studio at Summit Artspace;  one of  me holding a quilt; the inside of one of my quilts, which better shows the freehand drawing; and about 20 other photos of quilts or parts of quilts. I am chagrined to say I forgot to include the most recent AAM postcard announcing my talk there Aug. 4. 

You never know what people will look at or read, though. The most powerful inclusion was my artist statement. I would like to say it was gilded and printed on satin, but instead was written on the fly, reminiscent of my deadline days at the ABJ. I hope the esteemed committee, consisting of the 15 previous button artists, finds these words relevant. 

I am a quilt artist. I can do anything a painter can do. 

 I am an engineer. I combine the thin and slippery with the thick and nubby into a gorgeous single sewn surface that  will remain beautiful for many generations. 

I am a printer, painter and hand dyer. I create the color and pattern on much of my cloth using a number of techniques that have been learned over 20 years. 

I am a purist. I add detail and dimension to the surface of my quilts by drawing on them with fancy threads using my mechanical sewing machine.  Nary a lowly preprogrammed embroidery stitch sullies my work.

I am a retired veteran Beacon Journal journalist in my second career. I have written at least three dozen stories about the myriad charms of Akron’s First Night. I have tromped through the sparkling snow in the deep freeze and seen the joy on the faces that shape this city.  I understand Akron. I was born here. 

I am the consummate Akronite.   

I am deeply honored to be nominated and hope the commitee enjoys the photos. They represent work that has spanned 15 years and is a piece of my soul.

Here's a link for those of you who've never seen plate spinning.