SAQA Ohio - Here & Now

Quilts from SAQA Ohio

Juried exhibition 2024

Here and Now

The work included in this exhibit is a juried sampling of work by members of the Ohio Region of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). We are a group of over 130 quilt artists throughout the state, many of whom share their work through teaching and exhibitions.

This exhibit represents SAQA members’ reflections on contemporary life, both as artists living and working in Ohio and as part of a global artistic community: the realities, struggles, and delights of contemporary life we experience as Ohioans and as global citizens. Artists explore the here and now as it pertains to environmental, social, political, or the personal.

SAQA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt. SAQA is an international community of over 4,000 artists, curators, collectors, educators, and art professionals.For more information, please visit www.saqa.art.

Cover and facing page: Love Along the Blueridge by Beth Schillig

Juror statement

The entries to the Here and Now prospectus are reminders of how artists pay attention to the world around them and experience it. There are always many interpretations of themes. This group of entries was varied and well executed.

The natural world brings peace and serenity to many. A city sunset or landscape expresses a peaceful sense of time and place. For others, past memories bring depth to the present as we recognize that many have influenced our lives and history is to be remembered. Creating abstract work requires working in the present moment and can become its own memory. Peace can come from within or from others.

The many ways of interpreting the theme illustrates the thoughtfulness of the artists. It was an honor to jury the exhibit and the artists can all be proud of their work.

Juror: Jeanne Marklin, Williamstown, Massachusetts

Fiber collage artist Jeanne Marklin has been featured nationally in exhibitions and in print. Her work is held in private collections at the General Commission on Race and Religion in Washington, DC, and the Mississippi Center for Justice in Jackson, Mississippi. She has held several solo exhibits and participated in a myriad of invitational and juried exhibitions. She has previously served as a SAQA board member. https://jeannemarklin.com/

Participating Artists

Cynthia H. Catlin

Rebecca Dickson

Cyndi Dininger

Barbara J. Huff

Donalee J. Kennedy

Patty Kennedy-Zafred

Joanna M. Mack

Linda McConaughy

Beth Schillig

Lessons from Storytime

40 x 40

machine piecing, machine quilting and machine applique

Reading with my son was always a very special time of discovery and learning. My son’s reading skills were strengthened and his passion for each book in the series grew the more time we spent together. It was a precious time of discussing the books, learning the characters on the pages and listening to my son’s interpretation. As a mother, I seized the opportunity to share life lessons with my son that he could carry the rest of his life. The stories were a way to present the lessons. It was a sacred time to empower his young mind and heart with common sense wisdom. Reading time was treasured and this artwork reflects the legacy of our many conversations during story time.

Tranquil Thoughts

40 x 40

machine piecing, machine quilting and machine applique

As I navigate through life’s journey with aging parents who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia, I find the need to support my wellbeing through creative projects. This abstract figure is all consuming and a perfect distraction for complete restoration. As I honor my creative spirit, the outside noise becomes less of a distraction. Designing this artwork allowed me to reach a meditative zone, a peaceful state of being. The style of abstract curve shapes and batik fabrics proved to be a positive challenge and very gratifying.

Rebecca Dickson

Radar Signals

12 x 12

painted canvas, machine stitched and machine quilted.

The airwaves are a busy place in the Here and Now of Ohio and the world. We have cell phone towers, satellites beaming from outer space, radio & TV waves.

16 x 25

Improv strip piecing, Hand stitching, Machine free-motion and straight line quilted.

We must continue to reduce carbon emissions to preserve the wonderful parks, rivers, woods of Ohio and the world. These spaces allow us all to walk, run or ride bikes enjoying peacefulness and fresh air (hopefully).

Counting Sheep

29 x 26

Drawing, painting, free-motion quilting.

I love living in rural Ohio surrounded by farms with grazing sheep and cows. This is what inspired me to create Counting Sheep. I wanted a colorful, whimsical take on the sheep in my quilt. I drew the sheep and used fabric paint and dye to give my sheep their bright colors. I painted and free-motioned quilted each sheep differently to further show their individuality among the herd. I stitched happy smiles on each of their white faces. It was a joy to create!

Peace Moon

43 x 20

hand dyed and painted Fabric, free-motion quilting with metallic and rayon thread.

My hope in the here and now is for peace in our world now and in the future. When I created Peace Moon, my thoughts and hopes for peace were in support of Ukraine in their war with Russia. Now we have more conflicts and I continue to think everyday of the innocent people who have been ravaged by war.

I created Peace Moon using applique, hand-dyed fabric, fabric paint, metallic and rayon thread to create the moon rising on the water surrounded by stars. The hourglass, peace sign, our earth floating in the foreground and a peace sign from someone hiding behind the rock all signal my hope for peace in our world.

The Power of Pink

34 x 34

Machine piecing and machine quilting

In the here and now in Ohio and around the world, some people in power are taking away the rights of others, while enriching themselves. Conflicts are multiplying, divisions are widening, and environmental disasters are becoming commonplace. It often seems that on both a personal and social level, there is more to worry about than celebrate. The color pink has traditionally symbolized hope, gentleness and femininity, but women have transformed it to also stand for strength and solidarity. My pink quilt, made of many small pieces, represents the hope we can have in coming together to work for a brighter future.

Tumbling Boxes to Organized Chaos

40 x 29

Machine pieced, machine quilted, and hand stitched.

This piece is a visual example of my life here and now. There are areas of my life that are neat and tidy, boxed and organized. There are also areas that are almost always in complete chaos. Sometimes the boxes tumble from tidy in to chaos. My surface detail further demonstrates my brains desire to compartmentalize areas, to add calm to busy parts or create chaos on calm parts.

American Portraits: HEart of the Family

46 x 55

Hand screen printed images on vintage feed sacks, Image transfer of text; machine pieced and quilted.

The agricultural landscape of rural America has changed dramatically since 1900, when half of the population lived and worked on farms. That number now rests at just two percent, while more than one-third of American farmers are over the age of 65. Every week, faced with economic hardship, long hours, and corporate competition, hundreds of farmers leave their land for good. The independent family farm is an essential part of our diverse American fabric, representing strength, tenacity, and perseverance. Having been born and raised in a small Ohio town, these 1930’s images were familiar faces to me, inspiring this series as a tribute to the family farmers who continue.

Sunset on Main St.

18 x 24

Fused machine applique, machine stitching, mounted on painted stretched canvas.

I used a photo I took of a spectacular sunset in downtown Akron to commemorate that fleeting moment in fused fabric applique. Sadly, I see my piece as a symbol of issues facing many Ohio towns and cities as they work to keep the sun from setting on the life in their towns.

Lake Erie Sun

40 x 38

Machine pieced, hand quilted.

I live about a mile from Lake Erie. This quilt was inspired by the colors and patterns I see in Lake Erie when the sun is low in the sky as it shines on the waves and ripples in the water. People gather every evening at the beach in my community to watch the sun set over the water. We are so lucky to have beautiful Lake Erie on our doorstep.

Galaxies

40 x 38

Machine pieced, hand quilted.

We’ve experienced a solar eclipse and viewed the Aurora Borealis in Ohio in 2024. . Inspired by the photos from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, this quilt references that bigger picture: how do we relate to the vastness of the galaxy?

Dreamweaver 1

39 x 29

Hand dyed fabrics, machine piecing, turned edge machine applique, machine decorative stitches, freehand machine quilting, hand beading. Give it time and life has a way of working things out! After years of owning a business in the sewing machine industry, I now have the freedom to use my time and ability to create unique, quilted artwork. I love spending time on dyeing fabrics and creating one of a kind fiber artworks. Fabrics, threads and creative sewing machine artwork feed my soul!

Beth Schillig

Love Along the Blueridge

30 x 46

Machine piecing, freehand quilting, hand beading, fused raw edge applique.

In this crazy, hectic, sometimes scary world in which we live, it is nice to take time in nature for relaxation and inner fulfillment. A slow drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway does wonders for the heart and soul.

Beth Schillig

Stormy Skies

54 x 41

Hand-dyed fabrics including pole wrapped Shibori, machine piecing, freehand quilting including ruler work.

Although I always admired hand dyed Shibori fabrics, I never felt they fit into my artwork. Suddenly I saw new potential! I could combine my soft, subtle hand-dyed fabrics with the strong lines of Shibori dyed fabric and my freehand quilting to create unique compositions.

Get Involved with SAQA Ohio Regional Representatives

Becky Dickson

Linda McConaughy ohio@saqa.art

Facebook: SAQA - Ohio Region Instagram: @SAQAOhio