STATEMENT

 

A quilt is both pattern and texture.  The texture of a quilt speaks to the relationship I feel with quilters who have come before me: the need to produce an article of use, of enveloping warmth, and the need to be part of a nurturing and creative community.  The visual traditions I relate to are abstract and repetitive.  These are what drew me to quilt making from my first baby quilt in 1975, and form the underpinnings of my work today.

 

I was never interested in recreating someone else’s work.  Nor was I satisfied with symmetrical compositions—balanced, yes, symmetrical, no. During the past 30 years, I have experimented liberally, using the techniques of piecing, quilting, embroidery, collage, appliqué, painting, drawing, and sculpture.  I have forced myself to use “ugly” fabrics.  I gave up color for several years.  I created quilts that stuck out in odd shapes. While living in the frenetic world of the city, I crowded my work with an over stimulation that characterized my surroundings.

 

When my husband and I made the move out of the city and into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, my artistic vision and my personal search for “awe” could finally merge. My quilts now have a serenity that underlies them and is often the focus of the piece. But they are also on the edge, as one is when looking thousands of feet below into a granite gorge or when plunging into the microscopic center of an alpine flower.  My sense of awe is fed by my being close to the overwhelming beauty and frightening power of the natural world.  No matter how serene a piece, I demand that it glow or shimmer. I believe that if you can live in the same room with a piece of art and yet stop looking at it—if you do not continue to be surprised by it—that piece is a failure.  Therefore, I want my smallest pieces to catch the eye from a distance and fascinate at close range. 

 

 

RESUME

 

Bio/Education

Born Los Angeles CA, 1944

BA, Stanford University, 1966

Teaching Credential, California State University at Fullerton, 1968

MFA, San Francisco State University, 1993

 

Solo Exhibitions

2007                    Columbia College, Columbia CA

2007          Featured Quilter, Sierra Quilt Guild Annual Show, Sonora CA

      2002          Cowell Theater, Fort Mason, San Francisco CA

      1999          Cafe Sumatra, Twain Harte CA

      1998          C/S Bath, San Francisco CA   

1996-98           Lalime’s Restaurant, Berkeley, CA

1993                    MFA Show, San Francisco State University, San Francisco CA

1992          Coyote Gallery, Butte College, Oroville CA

1991          East Bay Chapter, American Institute of Architects, Oakland CA

1989-90                     Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto and Cupertino CA

1989          Ventura College Art Galleries, Ventura CA

1987                    Charleston Heights Arts Center, Las Vegas NV

1986                    World College West, Marin County CA

 

Group Exhibitions

2007-09                     Fiberart International 2007,” Pittsburgh PA (jurors: Dorothy Caldwell,     Naomi Kobayashi, Lois Moran)

2007-08           “Sum of the Parts,” Surface Design Association’s International Conference, Kansas City MO and traveling

2007                “Form, Not Function,” Carnegie Center, New Albany IN

2006-08           “Expressions: The Art Quilt,” La Veta, CO and traveling USA

2006-08           “Transformations: Artists Working with Fiber,” Birmingham, England and traveling throughout USA

2006                “Mixed Blessings,” Art Harvest, Sacramento CA

2006                “Valley Threads: New Perspectives in Traditional Craft,” Merced CA

2006                “Textile Arts Today,” Synopsys Inc., Mountain View CA

2005-06           California Masters,” Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz CA

2001-03           “Quilted Constructions,” American Folk Art Museum, NYC and traveling to Nagoya, Japan, Youngstown OH, Ft. Wayne IN, and Calgary, Canada.

2000-05           Sierra Quilt Guild Shows, Sonora CA

      1999          “Women's Art Show,” Columbia College, Columbia CA

1995-98           American Cultural Center, Taiwan

1994-98                     North Berkeley Library Quilt Shows, Berkeley CA

      1992          “Fiber Art,” Maveety Gallery, Salishan OR

      1991          “Bay Area Emerging Artists,” Alligator Gallery, San Francisco CA

“Focus: Contemporary Quilts,” Banaker Gallery, Walnut Creek CA

“Originals: Innovations in Contemporary Quilts,” Auburn CA

1990-94           “Contemporary Quilts USA,” Boston University 1987 show traveling in Yugoslavia, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Greece, England, Poland, The Netherlands, and Germany

      1990          International Textile Design Contest, Tokyo, Japan

                        “Leslie Carabas, Peggy Moulton & Joanna Lindsley,” Davis Art Center, Davis CA

                        “The Artist as Quiltmaker IV,” FAVA Gallery, Oberlin, OH (juror: Terry Hancock Mangat)

                        “Quake of '89,” New Pieces Gallery, Berkeley CA

                        “Quilts as Art,” Mill Valley Art Commission, Mill Valley CA

                        “Mostly Black & White,” The Craftsman's Gallery, Scarsdale NY

                        “California Works,” California State Fair (jurors: Harriet Berman, Jud Fine, Kathryn Funk)

                        Retrospective Gallery, La Jolla CA

      1989          “Living on the Edge: Quilts & Drawings,” Arizona State Univ, Tempe AZ

                        “Fiber Invitational,” Adams Art Gallery, Dunkirk NY

      1988          “The Artist as Quiltmaker,” FAVA Gallery, Oberlin OH (juror: Judy Warren)

                        “Design '88,” Showplace Design Center, San Francisco CA (jurors:  Kenneth Trapp, Meredith Tromble, Michael Miller)

                        “Greater Midwest International,” Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg MO (juror: Roy Slade)

                        “Celebration 47,” Cedar City UT (juror: Dan E. Burke)

                        “3COM Art Show,” Mountain View CA

                        “Quilt Show '88,” Lawrence Gallery, Glendon Beach OR

                        “The Quilt: New Directions,” Sun Gallery, Hayward CA

     1987           “Quilt National '87,” SEO Cultural Arts Center, Athens OH (jurors: Gerhardt Knodel, Penny McMorris, Jan Myers)

                        “Beyond Power—A Celebration,” San Mateo Arts Council, Belmont CA (jurors:Rena Bransten, Judith Bettelheim, Eleanor Dickenson, Jo Hanson)

                        “Contemporary Quilts,” Boston University Art Gallery (jurors: Faith Ringgold, Annie Shaver-Crandell, Nancy Halpern, Arlette Klaric)

                        “Quilts: Tradition & Innovation,” Society for Arts in Crafts, Pittsburgh PA

                        “Leslie Carabas/Marla Gunderson/Fiber,” Center for Contemporary Art, Kansas City Artists' Coalition, MO

                        Witchita National 1987,” Witchita Art Association, KS

                  “California Works,” California State Fair (jurors: Kathy Erteman, Kenneth Trapp, Edith Wyle)

                        “Contemporary Quilts,” American Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose CA

 “Paper/Fiber X,” The Arts Center, Iowa City IA (juror: Nance O'Banion)

                        “American Quilter's Society Show,” Paducah KY

1986-87           “Five Artists: Quilts,” San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery and traveling to Macon GA, Huston TX, Palo Alto and Stockton CA

      1986          Exibition '86,” Sun Gallery, Hayward CA (jurors: Misch Kohn, Marilyn da Silva, Jim Mitchell, Russel Moore, Sam Richardson)

                        “Utah Designer Craftsmen 25th Annual,” Salt Lake Art Center UT (jurors: Gerhardt Knodel, David Sofer)

                        “Kaleidoscope of Quilts,” Children's Home Society, Oakland CA

                        “All California Biennial Juried Exhibition,” Riverside Art Center CA (juror: Joan Hugo)

                        “Space: New Form, New Function,” Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg TN (juror: Ken Holder)

      1985          “EBHQ Quilts,” Gutcheon Patchworks, New York City NY

      1984          “Emerging Quiltmakers,” Columbus Cultural Arts Center, Columbus OH

                        “From the Hands of Women,” San Francisco Women Artists' Gallery (juror: Inez Brooks-Myers)

1983-84           “Breaking with Tradition,” Centennial Gallery, Oakville, Ontario and traveling in Canada (jurors: Nancy Crow, Gloria Rosenburg, Victor Tinkl)

      1983          “California Works,” California State Fair (jurors: George Neubert, Margaret Keelan, John Garrett)

      1982          Quilts:A tradition of Variations,” Mills College Art Gallery, Oakland CA

                        “Three Contemporary Quiltmakers,” Trinity Art Gallery, Berkeley CA

      1981          “Quilt National '81,” SEO Cultural Arts Center, Athens OH (jurors: Daniel Butts, Diane Itter, Nancy Crow)

1978-04           East Bay Heritage Quilters’ Shows, Oakland CA

 

 

Awards

      1992          Stillwell Fellowship, San Francisco State University

      1990          Semi-Finalist in Surface Design, International Textile Design Contest, Tokyo, Japan

  1990          Award of Merit, California State Fair

      1987          Award of Merit, California State Fair

      1983          Fifth Award, California State Fair

 

 

Art Related Employment

1988-now        Teacher/Lecturer on fiber techniques, California quilt guilds, Sew Country Fabrics, Sonora CA and Cotton Patch Fabrics, Lafayette CA

      1988          Juror, Marin Quilt Festival

1986-87           Curator, “Five Artists: Quilts,” San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, traveling USA

      1982          Co-editor, “Quilts: A Tradition of Variation” catalog

1976-80           Owner/Manager, Patience Corners Fabric Store, Albany CA

 

 

 

Publications: Books and Catalogs

Studio Art Quilt Associates, Portfolio 13, 2006.

Surface Design Journal, Gallery Issue, September 1, 2006

Fashion Foundation, The International Textile Design Contest, Tokyo, Japan, 1990

Arlette Klaric, Contemporary Quilts USA, Boston University Art Gallery, 1990

Roberta Horton, Plaids & Stripes, C&T Publishing, 1990

Quilts: 1989 Calendar, Landmark Calendars, 1988

Fiber Expressions: The Contemporary Quilt, Schiffer Publishing, 1987

Michael Kile and Rod Kiracofe, The Quilt Digest Press, 1986

Hands All Around, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1984

The Great American Log Cabin Book, E.P. Dutton, 1984

Michael Kile and Rod Kiracofe, The Quilt Digest Press, 1983

East Bay Heritage Quilters, Quilts: A Tradition of Variations, 1982

 

 

 

Publications: Reviews and Articles

Suzannah Schatt, Folk Art Magazine, “Quilted Constructions: The Spirit of Design,” Fall 2001

The Union Democrat, “Quilt Patterns Take New Shape,” Aug. 5, 1999

Jim Leitzell, The Union Democrat,“Exhibit Gives Recognition to Women,” Mar.12, 1999

Carol Jessen, Quilting International, “In My Opinion...The Art Versus Craft Debate Revisited,” Nov. 1993

Anna I. McClain, Diablo Magazine, “Ordinary Genius: Artists Who Transform Everyday Crafts into Fine Art for the Home,” Sept. 1991

Carol Jessen, Fiberarts, “Stitches That Do More Than Bind,” Nov/Dec 1991

Carol Fowler, Contra Costa Times, “New Art Exhibits Spotlight Quilts,” July 29, 1991

Marilyn Moyle, Davis Enterprise, “Fine Crafts Dominate Gallery Scene,” Feb. 15, 1990

Las Vegas Review-Journal, “Colorful Quilts on Display in LV,” Aug. 2, 1987

Margo Ernst, The Stockton Record, “Short Quilt Show Is a Work of Art,” Sept 13, 1987

Jessica Scarborough, Fiberarts, “Five Artists: Quilts,” Sept/Oct 1986

Kathleen Rowley, Fiberarts, “Quilts: A Tradition of Variations,” Mar/Apr 1983