Why I Love the AAQ
Caryl Bryer Fallert
AAQ advertisement, , April/May 2009 Issue of Quilters Newsletter
The Alliance for American Quilts is asking quilt enthusiasts from inside and outside of the quilt world to tell us what they love about our projects and our mission to document, preserve and share the rich history of quilts and quiltmakers. We would like to thank award-winning art quilter Caryl Bryer Fallert for sharing her favorites with us.
To find out more about Caryl and her work visit her website: http://www.bryerpatch.com/.
Message from Caryl:
"When I was a young painter, just out of College, I visited the great museums of Italy. What I remember most about that trip was that amongst all of the famous painting and statuary was a portfolio of preliminary sketches by Leonardo da Vinci, giving us some insight into his process. He didn't just get an idea in his head and start painting. He sketched and planned his compositions and tried many different variations on a theme before he began working on his masterpieces. I often find this kind of window into the artists thought process more interesting than the finished product. When there is a special exhibit in a Museum, I'm one of those with the headsets listening to the story of the work on display, what was going on in the artist’s life at the time, why the work was made, how it was made, and for whom it was made. While I agree with many that a great piece of art should be able to stand on its own, I personally enjoy viewing the work more if there is a story or an artists statement to go with it.
From the time I began making quilts, I have consciously documented each of them. I write at least a few sentences about each piece, often much more. I also keep all of my preliminary sketches, and photos of the work in progress. As I began to teach design and technique classes, this documentation process repeatedly helped in preparing for my workshops. The resources on the Alliance for American Quilts website gives me finger-tip access to information about how my work fits into the context of contemporary quilts in general.
How frustrating it is to fall in love with a gorgeous antique quilt only to discover that it was made by "anonymous". The Alliance for American Quilts plays an important role in documenting the work, processes and stories of contemporary quilt makers, many of whom are no more aware than "anonymous" of how interesting their personal stories may be to others.
I applaud you for doing this important work."
Some of the Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories interviews I have especially enjoyed are:
B.J. Adams: http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/qsos/interview.php?pbd=qsos-a0a3o1-a
Charlotte Warr Andersen: http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/qsos/interview.php?pbd=qsos-a0a0n6-a
Emilie Belak: http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/qsos/interview.php?pbd=qsos-a0a0p9-a
Jean Ray Laury: http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/qsos/interview.php?pbd=qsos-a0a0s2-a
Pauline Salzman: http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/qsos/interview.php?pbd=qsos-a0a1b7-a
Laura Wasilowski: http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/qsos/interview.php?pbd=qsos-a0a0w8-a
David Walker: http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/qsos/interview.php?pbd=qsos-a0a7h1-a