From – April 24, 2010
This is the last of my comments on the article written by Julia Kollewe addresses her first paragraph about the popularity of quilting.
“Is it a surprise that the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Quilts exhibition has been a huge hit and quickly outsold blockbuster shows Baroque and Maharaja? Perhaps not. Quilting remains immensely popular with the ladies in Britain and across the Atlantic but is not generally regarded as art – unless it is done by Grayson Perry or Tracey Emin. You might change your mind when you see this show.”
I have stated that I strongly advocate the concept of quilting as art; I wanted to talk about the popularity of quilting. It amuses me to talk to those in my universe who are not involved in quilting. The image lingers of little old ladies saving up their egg money to buy a few supplies for their quilting. Not So.
The quilters of Gees Bend serve as a tremendous reminder that spectacular results can come from very sparse resources, however, in general the quilting industry is said to be in the multiple billions of dollars. Just the example of the Paducah Quilt Festival, the American Quilter’s Society put out the statement that:
The Kentucky Tourism Council has selected the 26th Annual American Quilter’s Society’s Quilt Show & Contest as one of their 2010 Spring Top 10 Festivals & Events.
Held in Paducah, April 21-24, this annual competition showcases more than 500 quilts and wall hangings created by both national and international quilters. The festival includes the finest workmanship and most imaginative quilts in the world, along with a merchant mall, hands-on workshops/lectures by world-renowned teachers, and a fashion show. With a $20 million dollar economic impact, the Quilt Show is celebrated throughout the town…
When the International Quilt Festival first hosted their Long Beach, California event, the organizers grossly underestimated the level of participation resulting in huge issues with parking and bathroom faculties and food availability.
This is an industry that continues to grow in popularity and participation.
To read Julia’s article in it’s entirety go to:
http://www.t5m.com/julia-kollewe/art-review-the-vas-quilts-show-has-got-it-all-sewn-up.html?fmt=news
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Karen Dennison
Learn, Grow, Share – And most of all – Create!
