If you were not able to attend the last Connecticut Regional meeting in Willimantic, please read the meeting notes to catch up on what happened. Notes courtesy of SAQA-CT Reps Catherine Whall Smith and Barbara C. Adams
AGENDA: MAY 24TH, 2014 10:00 – 1:30
INTRODUCTIONS: Michele Palmer, Co-Curator of "Inspiration Quilts: Then and Now" – welcomed the group to the museum and gave a brief history of the building and its mission.
NEW BUSINESS:
1 Kate Themel and Anna Tufankjian (up-date on) - New Britain Museum of American Art – “Stitched in Time: American Quilts 1758-2014” quilt show in October 2014.
Kate Themel, Norma Schlager, Barbara McKie, and Anna Tufankjian have all been invited to display pieces in this show. In addition, the SAQA “Traveling Trunk Show” will also be displayed during this event.
2 -- Barb Adams has kindly volunteered to be the point person in charge of scheduling the SAQA Trunk Show. PLEASE CONTACT BARB ADAMS b.c.adams@comcast.net if you would like to schedule this trunk for a quilt meeting, etc.
Before and during our meeting we had an opportunity to view the art in the trunk show. So far Barb has had several requests for this trunk – it is quite amazing, beautiful, and offers a peek at the wide variety of our SAQA members techniques. So sign up with Barb soon to be sure that you will receive it when you would like it.
3. Diane Wright – informed the group on the possibility of our own SAQA-CT traveling TRUNK show – Rita Hannafin will be working with Diane on setting this up with a time line for submitting your piece. The plan is to have this “Connecticut Members” trunk show available to travel throughout CT – it could be a fund-raiser as well. More information to follow. Feel free to contact Diane Wright (dwrite@mac.com) with questions or feedback.
4. New Committee – The fund-raising committee worked so well that maybe forming a few short and long term committees will move us in the direction of meeting the needs of our CT members.
Anna Tufankjian shared information regarding a collaboration with the New Britain Museum of American Art. Anna is a docent at the NBMAA and had been contacted to be involved with decorating the 15 foot high Christmas Tree that will stand in the entrance to the museum.
Laurie Dhandapani and Ann Marie Gontarz signed up to help Anna with this committee and work on the guidelines for submission, size, and theme of the pieces that will go on this tree.
Anna also generated a list of members at the meeting that would make a piece for the tree – you still have an opportunity to sign up as soon as we receive more information from Anna’s committee. Anna will be meeting with the NBMAA on Thursday - so an email with all the details will go out to everyone as soon as the plans are finalized.
OTHER FUTURE COMMITTEE SUGGESTIONS: A Meeting Idea Committee; A Photographer list Committee; A Connecticut Artist Bank Committee; etc.
5. Barb Adams polled our members that attended the SAQA Conference in Alexandria Virginia and asked them to share their thoughts on their experience.- Everyone was very positive. Rita Hannafin gave a brief summery of one of the sessions that she attended; “Finding Your Voice”. (see attachments) - Finding your voice—10 things to think about SAQA Journal, Winter, 2011 by Leni Levenson Wiener and, Finding your Voice Quilters Newsletter Magazine, Spring 2012 by Leni Levenson Wiener
6. Our SAQACT Spool Block Quilt – is on display in the “Inspiration Quilts: Then and Now" quilt show. A show binder that includes all of the donor’s thoughts regarding their block is on display with this quilt. THANK YOU TO ALL THE MEMBERS WHO DONATED A BLOCK!
7. WTHM - POST CARD CHALLENGE – on-going – check the SAQACT blog for details http://saqact.blogspot.com. Thank you to Normajean Brevik for submitting the first of these postcards as well as Kate Themel, and Barb Adams – several of these post cards have already been sold for $25 each and the money raised will be added to the WTHM “soar shade” fund.
PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING A POST CARD TO THIS WORTHY CAUSE – the submission is on-going throughout the show - which closes on September 7th, 2014. Reminder the museum is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 10:00 – 4:00
8. Up-coming opportunities: “I love NEW ENGLAND” – open to SAQA members residing in New England. Special Exhibit at World Quilt Show, Manchester, N. H. August 14-17th, 2014 Entry deadline – June 1st, 2014
9. SHOW AND TELL – This was a wonderful event with our members sharing their many accomplishments: books, quilts, shows, and present studio work.
10. NOON - LUNCH –we had a delicious lunch from “Moveable Feast” by Cafemantic–948 Main Street, Willimantic, CT (860) 576-9474
11. 1:30 – 3:30 – Opening of “Inspiration Quilts: Then and Now”
Members and their guests gathered on the first floor to view the “Then and Now” quilts and enjoy the WTHM/SAQACT 25th Anniversary cake baked by Motta’s bakery in Willimantic.
Most of the quilters were on hand to answer questions in regard to their thoughts and processes in creating their piece for the show. A show booklet is available at the museum which contains information on each of the “Now” quilts.
12. Next Regional Meeting – Saturday, August 23rd, 2014
– Jane Davila has invited SAQACT members to visit her studio at the NEST - 1720 Fairfield Ave in Bridgeport, CT http://www.nestartsfactory.com which is easily accessible from route I-95.
The NEST includes lots of wonderful art in the hallways and has a variety of artists in the building that we might visit. After lunch there will be an opportunity to see an excellent documentary film (82 minutes long) called "Who Does She Think She Is?" which follows 5 women artists and their struggles with creativity and balancing family and art.
Our full agenda is still in the planning stages - MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW and your suggestions are always welcome!!
Best,
Barb and Catherine
