Holly Badgley discussing her art at the Sebastopol Center for The Arts

Sebastopol Center for the Arts: Art Quilt Show

It was a long time that I didn’t submit any of my work into various shows. Life got in the way and maybe I didn’t resonate with the themes. My friend and fellow “quilter”, Karen Balos, suggested I join SAQA, Studio Art Quilt Association. She told me that the definition of “quilt” had been revised and loosened to include a more freeform style of working.

Marj City by Holly Badgley, Size: 36”x24”

As a result I entered three pieces into the Art Quilt Show, a collaboration between Sebastopol Center for the Arts and SAQA. One piece was accepted. I was thrilled. The piece was one I made from couture scraps belonging to my, many years deceased, mother-in-law Marjorie Stern.  Collected from her trips to Paris couture houses (mainly Dior), ranging from the ‘30s to the ‘60s, the rolled up bits of cloth fell into two categories: city clothes and country clothes.

I made two wall pieces as a result. The one selected for the show was called “Marj City”, a collage of beautiful greys with some black and white mixed in, as well as a splash of coral. In her closet were the finished garments lending inspiration to my process. One gown, (how often do we see gowns these days?), was a strapless Lanvin in a large brushy, painterly print, topped with coral soutache. The soutache gave dimension and a strong graphic pattern to the gown. It has an honored place at the De Young as part of their textile collection. And the scraps have a place on my wall hanging!

Holly Badgley discussing her textile art at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Holly Badgley discussing her textile art at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts
It has an honored place at the De Young as part of their textile collection. And the scraps have a place on my wall hanging!

I wasn’t available to attend the opening of the show, but offered to come up for the SAQA members talk a couple of weeks into the show. It was wonderful to see the variety of work present and I was happy to be in such an appreciative crowd.  The talks went well and my friend Marla recorded mine. I am grateful to the Center for the Arts for the opportunity to show my work.  Now that I have gone through the application process, I know there will be more chances to show my work.

Looking back to January and February, it seems like a lifetime ago we could go to art galleries and openings, many prayers that we will again. In the meantime- Let’s make Art!

 

Resources Mentioned in this Blog Post

Sebastopol Center for the Arts

Studio Art Quilt Associates

Karen Balos

Marla Brillart