A couple of generations back, quilting was a utilitarian pastime. Quilters patched together and stuffed fabric to warm their children, cover their beds and insulate their windows - but not as an outlet for creative expression.
But even a cursory examination of old quilts reveals an impressive world of artistry - precise stitching, charming use of colors and patterns that range from uniformly pleasing to wonderfully chaotic. And as quilting has moved from a necessary chore to an artistic pursuit, the patterns and designs have grown more innovative, unexpected and wildly creative.
That evolution is showcased in "Connected by a Thread" at the Durango Arts Center.
The exhibit features more than 30 quilts from Four Corners quilters and quilt collectors. Pieces range from a straight-forward Log Cabin design crafted about 1890 to a contemporary fiber wall-hanging created to mimic a row of Japanese sheds. Patterns such as Basket, Star and Flying Geese repeat themselves in several of the quilts, but are distinguished by the quilter's individual interpretation and personal style.
Along with pieces from local quilters, the show features vintage quilts from private collections of and represents a collaboration with Dolores Mountain Quilt Guild and Cortez Quilting Company.
Viewers can see a traditional Flying-Geese strip-pattern made around 1935 by a farm woman named Bob Hall, then can compare it to an artful and non-traditional take on the same pattern by Farmington quilter Patty Hanscom. MaryAnne LeBlanc's out-of-the-box contribution features three wall panels that pay homage to United Kingdom ravens with a primitive aesthetic. And Leesa Zarinelli Gawlik takes quilting into the realm of contemporary art with abstract pieces inspired by the sights of Japan, which she made with discarded kimono lining that she dyed.
The show will even include four quilts that trace a family line from 1900 to 1981, and were made by German immigrant Johanna Faesler and three of her descendants: Faesler's daughter, great-granddaughter and great-great granddaughter.
Methods range from hand-appliqued to tied to machine quilted and elaborately embroidered, and patterns vary from a Grandmother's Flower Garden to a spiritual circle design by Allison Goss.