Brigham City Museums’ Annual Quilt Show goes “Wild”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

6/9/2022

Brigham City Museums’ Annual Quilt Show goes “Wild”

The Brigham City Museum of Art and History invites you to take your imagination on a journey to a WILD place with the 2022 Annual Art Quilt Exhibition from Saturday, June 25 through Saturday, September 17. An opening reception will take place on Saturday, June 25 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. “WILD!” is a new juried exhibit from the Colorado/Utah/Wyoming chapter of the Studio Art Quilts Associates making its premier at the Museum.  

Visitors plan far in advance to attend the exhibition. Reeta Wadzeck from Austin, TX makes an annual trip to Northern Utah during the summer months and always includes a visit to the quilt exhibition. “Quilters are a sisterhood”, said Wadzeck. “Regardless of where we are, we seek out other shows. The Brigham City Museum’s show is so high quality that no quilter would ever miss it. I’m so looking forward to getting a big group together for a tour.” Art quilters and textile artists serve as docents and incorporate their skills and expertise into their guided tours. The Museum recommends anyone interested in scheduling a tour do so as soon as possible by calling 435-226-1435 or visiting the website to complete the tour request form. 

Artists within the Colorado/Utah/Wyoming Chapter of SAQA took the opportunity to apply the theme not only to the subject of their quilts, but also to how they approached their choice of materials and techniques. Theresa Ely, CO/UT/WY Regional Representative, hopes people will realize that fiber or cloth is just another art medium and utilizes as many or more techniques as other art forms and can be very effective in creating artwork. “I’m sure they will also find pieces that resonate deep within them and remind them why they live in this beautiful part of the country”, said Ely. “Fiber art is so phenomenal and there’s so much depth in it that you can only see in person and up close”.

Dolores Miller, SAQA Board Vice President; renowned fiber artist Petra Fallaux; and Alana Blumenthal, Brigham City Museums Director, served as jurors. “Serving as a juror for the 2022 Colorado/Utah/Wyoming regional exhibition, WILD!, has been an enlightening and rewarding experience”, said Miller. “It was a privilege to look at the artwork created from so much inspiration, thought and effort, but also a bit daunting for a relatively new juror. I needed to think through and define what “best work” meant to me in this context as I made my initial ratings. Ultimately, I gave the highest scores to the works that, to my eye, stood out based on three criteria: that the work be visually impactful, draw me into its world and compel me, forcefully or quietly, to look closer; that the use of textiles and other materials be appropriate to the artist’s intent and the work be well executed; and that the exhibition theme be expressed in a clear and/or unique voice”.

The Brigham City Museum of Art & History is northern Utah’s cultural hub, offering temporary exhibitions on art (contemporary and historical) and history. The museum’s mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret art and materials that tell stories of human experiences and of the land.

The museum is a department of Brigham City Corporation and receives added support from the Box Elder Museum Foundation. It is located at 24 North 300 West. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Field trips and guided tours are available by appointment.  Admission is free. Visit brighamcitymuseum.org for more information.  

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Please contact Museum Director Alana Blumenthal at ablumenthal@bcutah.org or Curator of Education Mary Ann Urban at maurban@bcutah.org or call 435-226-1439 for more information.