The Cotton Street Gallery will host its first-ever quilt show beginning in November. 1 through 5 p.m. every day. The gallery is looking for quilters to participate in the contest this year, with two cash prizes to be won.
Quilters are asked to submit one quilt of any size, for $15 entry by Monday, October. 30. They they are asked to contact 334-504-8824 to arrange a time and date to drop off their quilts. Quilts must be returned by the original quilter.
“I am extremely happy about our first annual quilt show that will be held in November. We are thrilled by the positive response we’ve received from quilters from all over and have contacted 46 guilds of quilters. We encourage everyone to join us to celebrate this event. We are seeking your assistance in deciding the public’s pick to be the most beautiful quilt of the show.” Cotton Street Gallery Founder Sue Wiggins said.
The quilt Judge Madeline Hawley will select the Best in Show Award winner. The winner will receive an amount of $500 in cash which was given towards the exhibit by the Andalusia Rotary Club. Additionally the People’s Choice Award winner will be selected from the voting by those who attend the exhibition. The winner will be awarded 200 dollars in cash. Quilters are able to sell their quilt. Gallery members will be paid part of the profits from each quilt that is sold.
Wiggins asked Teresa Nelson about holding a quilt contest. Nelson established The Covington County Quilters Guild in 2004 before resigning from PowerSouth. She has three daughters and two grandchildren. She is currently the director of the Cotton Street Gallery’s Quilted Treasures division.
“Our region has numerous talented quilters from all ages and styles, from traditional to contemporary. Cotton is the mainstay here and cotton fabrics as well as the battings make up a significant part in our quilts. There are many different styles to be seen because each quilter will have their own idea of what’s gorgeous. Here is where all the fun comes into play. Everyone has their own preferences and dislikes, and we bring the experiences of our lives into our quilts. As a quilter, have a keen sense of talents in our area and am eager to see what quilters will be able to create. I am always inspired every time I go to an exhibition and I am sure this one will not be any different,” Nelson said.
Nelson said quilt shows are inspiring, emotional, and awe-inspiring.
“The quilts encourage us to get out of our comfort zones and create artwork. They are also emotional because they reflect events from our lives, bringing back memories using clothes worn by a loved one to create a narrative of their life. Quilts amaze us with their use of colors and techniques that we may not have thought of before and are art pieces that will speak to each person in a unique way. Quilters love presenting their work of art and interacting with their fellow quilters and viewers.”
The proceeds from the exhibition will be used to support Cotton Street Gallery’s Air Andalusia. AIR is an unique artist-in-residence program that is focused on textiles. Wiggins declared that among the gallery’s objectives is to have artists who reside near the facility.
The hobby of quilting is one that is very popular in Nelson’s family, as her mother and sister also quilt.
“I have created a number of quilts and am a true lover of the fabric. I can remember quilts hung from the ceiling of the quilting frame in my grandmother’s home, and lots of her close friends gathered in the frame, quilting and and laughing. It was a great moment of gathering,” she said.
There is a chance they will be successful and the quilt shows could become an annual event that takes place in the autumn.
“This will be our very first exhibition and we’ll examine what kind of enthusiasm there will be in future shows. I think we stand an opportunity to create creating a new tradition with the Gallery. I’d like to express my gratitude to Sue Wiggins for her leadership on this occasion and I would like to encourage all quilters to show their work. Every stage of quilters is welcome from novice to expert. Take a look at the fame that the first quilts of Gee’s Bend have achieved. Every quilt has an interesting story to tell, and I’m sure we’ll will have lots of stories we can tell people who visit. Happy quilting,” Nelson said.
Cotton Street Gallery Cotton Street Gallery is located at the number 104 North Cotton Street in Andalusia. For more information visit cottonstreetgallery.com, airartists.org, or call 334-504-8824.
The article Cotton Street Gallery will hold the first quilt exhibit in November was first published at The Andalusia Star-News.
