2010 online catalog now available!

The 2010 exhibit, "In My Words", hanging at the American Sewing Expo

The online catalog of the quilts from the 2010 exhibit is now up and available for viewing!

A flickr page has been set up for the exhibit.

This will allow you to leave comments on the quilts if you like. At the moment, only the 2010 exhibit is there but it is my goal to migrate all of the work there from 2008, 2009 & 2010. This will provide a lovely history for all of the work to be seen as a whole.

Many thanks to everyone who participated in the 2010 exhibit and all the past exhibits! The exhibit is now retired and I'm very grateful to all of you for the opportunity to curate this and work with all of you!

THANK YOU!!!

2010 Exhibit Favorite

Phil's Temple by Holly Kreag

The 2010 Breaking Traditions exhibit may be small but it is mighty. There are many many touching and beautiful quilts this year. It was difficult to choose just one. But Holly Kreag's quilt, Phil's Temple, has emerged as the 2010 Exhibit Favorite.

Here is Holly's artist statement: This quilt is dedicated to my nephew, Phil, who was recently diagnosed with autism. He lives in Japan, and visited me in the U.S. last year, just prior to his diagnosis. At the time, he repeated almost everything that was said to him. He has since progressed and moved out of the repeating phase. I wrote a haiku (a Japanese poem) about my memory of his visit. Creating this quilt was a comfort to me, and made me feel closer to Phil.


The haiku that is on Holly's quilt reads:

Phil
Repeats what you say
Not sure what he's thinking, but
answers your questions


Congratulations to Holly for being chosen as the Exhibit Favorite and to everyone that participated in the 2010 show! More picture to follow soon!

"Home" exhibit showing at 212 during September 2010

The 2009 Breaking Traditions, Home, will hang at the 212 Arts Center in Saline Michigan for the month of September.


There will be an opening reception for the exhibit on Friday September 10 from 7pm-9pm.

Many thanks to the 212 Arts Center for hosting the exhibit again!

fist sneak peek for the 2010 exhibit!

Learn, Grow, Listen, Soar by Mary Byberg

I've received the first quilt for the 2010 exhibit from Mary Byberg. Here is her artist statement:

"I tried to think of things that someone wants to say and do, but tends not to say them out loud. I chose the image of hands releasing a butterfly to symbolize the encouragement we all need from time to time to soar above even our own expectations."

The 2010 exhibit is helping raise funds for Claudine Intner's Art Now for Autism. If you'd like to participate, you can find all the information here and as always, I'm available to answer any questions that you have - email at breakingtraditions@earthlink.net

Can't wait to see more entries!

2010 exhibit to benefit Art Now for Autism

logo by Jeanelle McCall

"Every one Fits In" quilt by Karen Newman Fridy

I am very pleased to announce that Breaking Traditions is teaming up with Claudine Intner's Art Now for Autism. In honor of Claudine's efforts to raise money for autism research, the theme for 2010 is "In My Words..."

The exhibit features 12" x 12" art quilts. Participants for the 2010 show will express the ways in which autism has effected their lives. If you do not personally know anyone who has autism or has been effected by it, you can still participate by making a quilt in support of autism research.

From the Autism Speaks website: "Autism is a complex neurological disorder that typically lasts through a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common then pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girl. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe."

$10 of the $15 entry fee will be donated to Autism Speaks through Art Now for Autism.

This is an open call exhibit, everyone is encourage to participate. Prizes are donated for those in the exhibit and and Exhibit Favorite is chosen.

All the information for participation in the 2010 exhibit can be found by following the links below. I hope you will join us in making this another successful year!

2010 Exhibit Guidelines

2010 Online Entry Form

2010 Prize Gallery

2010 Blog Button & Press Release

"Home" catalog now available for purchase

Home

2009 Breaking Tradi...

By curated by Lynn K...

Book Preview

The 2009 catalog is now available for purchase. (Click on the image above or follow the link here.)

The catalog consists all the rescue that were posted for the New Beginning Sunday posts and all 84 quilts in the exhibit along with their artist statements. You can also get a preview of what the first fifteen pages of the catalog look like.

The exhibit favorite by Kristin LaFlamme is featured on the cover.

I hope you enjoy the catalog and thanks again to everyone who participated!

New venue added for "Home" tour

A new venue has been added to the tour of the 2009 "Home" exhibit.

The exhibit will be shown at the Perrysburg Area Arts Council in Perrysburg, Ohio for the month of May 2010.

Breaking Traditions is proud to show at this exciting venue, please visit their website to see what they are about.

"Home" at Plymouth Community Arts Council

The 2009 exhibit, "Home", began its 2010 tour today at the Plymouth Community Arts Council in Plymouth, Michigan. It will hang there for the month of January 2010.

The PCAC has a wonderful exhibit space where they also host small musical performances and lectures. Its in this space that the exhibit is hanging. Below are installation shots:

The exterior of PCAC

The view as you approach the exhibit space

Two of the three walls featuring "Home"

Third wall featuring the remaining two panels of "Home" and
artwork by Mary Byberg and Cynthia Trevino Bodene

Additional view of exhibit

Additional view of exhibit

Many thanks to the PCAC for the wonderful opportunity to exhibit in their space!



If you are interested in booking the exhibit, please contact Lynn at FibraArtysta@earthlink.net

2009 Exhibit Participation Prize Winners

Every year the participants of the exhibit have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes donated by very generous artists and businesses. Everyone who participates has her name put into a hat and winners are randomly drawn.

I'm very pleased to announce that the following participants of the 2009 exhibit are the lucky winners!


Handmade pottery bowl donated by Lynn Krawczyk & funky hand-knitted pouch donated by Vickie Boteler - Carol Bruce, Anne Louise Mullard-Pugh and Debi Bright


Handmade teabag saucer donated by Lynn Krawczyk & funky hand-knitted pouch donated by Vickie Boteler - Laura Krasinski, Mary Andrews, Jeanette Thompson, Jeanne Turner McBrayer


Handmade dragonfly plaque donated by Lynn Krawczyk & funky hand-knitted pouch donated by Vickie Boteler - Wendy Starn


Puppy Pawprint pendant donated by S.J. Engraving - Claudine Intner



"Fabric Art Collage" book donated by Rebekah Meier - Sherry Boram


Hand-dyed fabric donated by Gail Forces Fabric & funky hand-knitted pouch donated by Vickie Boteler - Wendy Ferguson-Whitehead and Anne Copeland


Hand-dyed fabric donated by Gail Forces Fabric - Jackie Kirner and Judy Carpenter


Mini art quilt donated by Jan Johnson & funky hand-knitted pouch donated by Vickie Boteler - Judi Corrado


Fabric postcard donated by Jan Johnson & funky hand-knitted pouch donated by Vickie Boteler - Janet Bonarski


Fabric, thread & embellishment pack donated by Carol Ann Waugh, Edna J. Patterson Petty & Peggy Trickler - Vickie Boteler, Catherine Evans, Laura Sonntag, Rhonda Baldwin and Jennifer Solon




Bali fabric donated by Laura Krasinski - Nikki Wheeler, Valerie Stiles, Robin van Boeschoten, and Cathy Ortelle



"Love a Dog" paperweight donated by Fred Parker Pottery - Jeanelle McCall




CONGRATULATIONS everyone and a HUGE thank you to all those who generously donated items to the wonderful artists who gave not only a donation to A Place to Bark but have shared their beautiful artwork.

Looking forward to a fantastic exhibit in 2010!

"Home" debuts at the American Sewing Expo

The 2009 Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit, "Home", is now hanging at the American Sewing Expo in Novi, Michigan. The expo runs from September 25-September 27.

The exhibit features 84 art quilts honoring the qualities and special moments that define what a home means. Through the hard work of the 73 artists involved, $795 was raised for Bernie Berlin's A Place to Bark, an animal shelter that helps find forever homes for abused and abandoned animals.

Every year I am honored and privileged to curate this exhibit. Its amazing to see the same artists year after year and meet new ones. This exhibit and the artists involved bring me a tremendous amount of joy.

I hope you enjoy it too!

2009 Exhibit Favorite

2009 Exhibit Favorite

Rooted IX
Kristin LaFlamme

Waipahu, Hawaii

I am very pleased to announce the 2009 Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit. This year's artwork comes from Kristin LaFlamme in Waipahu, Hawaii. Congratulations Kristin! As the exhibit favorite, Kristin will receive the following Prize Package:

A copy of Jane Davila & Elin Waterston's new book, Art Quilts at Play

A package of TAP (Transfer Artist Paper) from Lesley Riley

Stewart Gill paints from Artist Cellar

The Exhibit Favorite will be featured on the print catalog for the exhibit

And I'm also very pleased to announce the Totals for this year:

73 artists
84 art quilts
$795 raised in donations

The money will go toward ensuring a loving, safe, secure future for abandoned and abused animals taken into Bernie Berlin's shelter, A Place to Bark.

Many, many thanks to everyone who participated! Winners of the Participation Prizes will be announced here in the upcoming weeks so check back often. Catalogs (both online and print) are in the works and will be announced soon.

Details are currently being worked out for the 2010 exhibit and will be announced by the end of 2009. We hope you will join us again next year!!!

"With One Voice" at the Saline District Library

The 2008 Breaking Traditions exhibit is currently hanging at the beautiful Saline District Library in Saline, Michigan for the month of August.

Many thanks to the library for hosting us and to Kat and Carol for helping hang the show!

The exhibit is hung on either side of the main desk. Below show how the exhibit was distributed around it:








Please stop in and see the show if you are in the area!

"With One Voice" at the 212 Arts Center

The 2008 Breaking Traditions exhibit, With One Voice, made its third stop on its tour during the month of July at the 212 Arts Center in Saline, Michigan.

212 is a very inviting cozy house that has been converted into a stellar arts center. They offer classes and host exhibits. The center is run by incredibly generous and art loving individuals and it was a huge honor to have the exhibit hang there for a month.

The lower level is split into two rooms. Below are installation shots of the exhibit in these rooms:






There are two rooms on the second floor where classes are also held. As students go up the stairs, they were greeted by one of the exhibit's panels:


And the hallway on the second floor was also host to two panels from Breaking Traditions:


In addition to Breaking Traditions, six local artists exhibited work (click on image to view larger):

From left to right: Entwined by Jacqueline Lams, The Edge of Spring Series by Joan Potter Thomas, Deb Kolar with her beautiful fiber art, work from Sidney Savage Inch & Leann Meixner and The Woven Seasons series from Lynn Krawczyk.


A huge thank you to 212 for having us and also to Leann and Kat for helping to hang and take down the show.

Below are the local artists that showed up to the opening reception:

From left to right: Deb Kolar, Sidney Savage Inch,
Leann Meixner, Lynn Krawczyk and Carol Schindler.

You're Invited - see With One Voice at the 212 Arts Center!

The 2008 Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit is currently on exhibit at the 212 Arts Center in Saline, Michigan for the month of July.

From 212's website:

The mission of Two Twelve Arts Center is to provide a creative hub offering visual and performing artists the opportunity and working space to come together to work, create, and teach.

The Center also contributes to the cultural life of the residents of Saline by supporting a full schedule of classes, programs, performances and exhibits. We look forward to providing a framework for a vibrant and supportive arts community with varied opportunities for artists, students and audiences.

Breaking Traditions is very honored to exhibit in this stellar center. The exhibit hangs on both levels of the center and is accompanied by additional artwork from local Michigan artists that participated in the 2008 exhibit.

You can also see work from Jacqueline Lams, Sidney Savage Inch, Leann Meixner, Deb Kolar, Jean Canavan, Joan Potter Thomas, Kat Campau and Lynn Krawczyk.

There will be an opening reception on Friday July 17 from 7pm-9pm.

We hope to see you there!

New Beginnings Sunday

Cathy Neri's tale of the kitty cast that fills her home with excitement and love:

Sir Edmund Hillary

Just before Christmas 2002, my husband and I were "owned" by a pair of brother-sister kitties. Hillary is a tuxedo cat with extra toes, named for Sir Edmund Hillary (we originally thought SHE was a HE). Tipper was a gray tabby without extra toes but with an exceptionally large personality (he ran to answer the doorbell and loved our UPS guy). He was officially named for Tip O'Neill, the late Speaker of the House (my DH once caddied for Tip).

Anyway, during the summer of 2002, a family in our NY neighborhood was losing their home to foreclosure and they abandoned their house and their thirteen cats under cover of darkness. A few days later, animal rescue people were called, and they came in and scooped up twelve of the kitties. One, an orange longhair, eluded them and roamed our neighborhood for months. Many of us fed him. We called him the Mayor. Eventually he came to be known as Julius (after “Orange Julius”). He certainly knew how to cozy up to people, but he didn't want to be adopted, at least not just yet.

Then, winter came. It was a late seasonal arrival in our corner of NY, and most of the local humans were keeping an eye out for Julius. He hadn't been around for a few days and we were all worried.

Maybe he got himself trapped in someone's garage or shed, but Julius started making his rounds again just before Christmas. In fact on 12/22 he walked up *our* front stairs to *my* studio window and knocked. Yes, he knocked. (He couldn't reach the doorbell.) By now Hillary and Julius were almost officially senior citizen kitties, and we were all coping with the onset of an autoimmune disease in Tipper. So while we were thrilled to see Julius, we couldn't just throw open the door and put out a plate of salmon.

Fast forward: we caught Julius. We brought him to our vet and he was given a clean bill of health (remarkable, actually, since he had been on the street for months). Gradually he won our hearts as well as Tipper's companionship (we think Hillary has always secretly wanted to be an only cat). He recognized that even though he weighs in at sixteen pounds, he was the junior member of our feline contingent. Julius was an excellent addition to our family.

Julius

Then, in 2004, we moved to NE Pennsylvania, and not long after, Tipper lost his battle with IBD. We were all heartbroken but Julius really missed his pal. Fortunately our home overlooks some wild open spaces, so Julius occupied himself watching the deer and the bunnies and the bears which roam our property. But he was lonely.

Thus, I segue into my second rescue story. In the years Julius has lived with us, he has been an indoor cat. (He doesn't ever want to be an outdoor cat again.) So last summer, when he accidentally got out onto the back deck and was mesmerized by some activity along the rock wall twenty feet below, I paid attention.

It was a mama cat and her litter. How Mama saw the neon sign (visible only to itty bitty kitties) indicating that this home was a Cat House, I'll never know. Mama bore a strong resemblance to Hillary. It was such a strong resemblance that Julius came running inside, went upstairs to make sure Hillary was snoozing in her usual afternoon sun puddle, then ran back down to watch Mama and her kittens. It was a routine which was repeated many many times over the coming weeks.

Naturally, we started feeding Mama (who was apparently ready to wean The Kits). Mama was never ever going to be domesticated, but I held out hope for The (three) Kits. I spent many happy hours watching the little cat family cavort in our weeds and get more comfortable with human interaction.

Soon I was able to capture Mama and have her spayed (I wasn't planning to run a kitty commune, after all). By now The Kits were weaned and were almost friendly. By the time I was packing to go to Houston for Quilt Festival in October, The Kits were indoor Kits and had been spayed (all were girls) and Julius officially had His Hairem. In the meantime, Mama took off for parts unknown.

Oreo, Lil Bit & Moo

So, now, our Cat Census is officially four. (One of the Kits, Lil Bit, succumbed to a respiratory ailment in December. But at least she experienced the joys and comfort of living as a kept kitty for a chunk of her little life.) Now Julius struts around with Moo (like her Mama, she's another tuxie with bovine-like spots) and Oreo (mostly black with a strategic white stripe—my DH works for Kraft Foods, which makes Oreo cookies?) and Hillary watches all of their craziness from atop her seven-foot cat tower.

It's almost a feline version of West Side Story, I'm not kidding.




New Beginnings Sunday is a weekly series featuring the story of a rescued pet and the ways in which the life of the animal and person has changed. This series will run through the end of 2009 in conjunction with Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit’s fundraising efforts for Bernie Berlin’s animal shelter, “A Place to Bark.”

**If you have a story that you would like to share, please email it along with a picture or two of your pet to BreakingTraditions@earthlink.net

New Beginnings Sunday

Toni Mitt's tale of the cocker spaniels who taught her about the joys of having dogs in her life:

Gracie

My husband and I got our first dog from a shelter in Illinois called Orphans of the Storm. We went down there on a Sunday, and found this poor little scared cocker spaniel that had been found wandering in a neighboring forest preserve. She was a beautiful buff color, and was cowering in the pen that she shared with a very gregarious beagle. We took her out into the yard, and were surprised at how proudly she walked on a leash. We think she was being groomed as a show dog, but for some reason was just dumped in the woods. Since she had just been found a few days before, we had to wait until the following Wednesday to adopt her. What torture!

Wednesday came, and I drove down with my daughter, Erika, who was in high school at the time. The gate was closed, as we had gotten there a few minutes early, and I spotted another car with several kids in it, also waiting for the place to open. I got a funny feeling in my gut, and I knew they were there for the same dog. When they opened the gate, I literally shoved Erika out of the car and told her to RUN to the door and tell them we want the cocker spaniel. I was right—one of the kids from the other car got to the door a second after Erika, and they, indeed, also wanted the spaniel. *Whew*

We named our new dog Gracie, after Gracie Allen, to honor her husband, George Burns, who had died just a few weeks before. Gracie was around 18 months old when we got her. She had a few health problems and went blind in about her 9th year, but she taught me a lot about second chances. She was a great dog and was loved and spoiled until she was 13.

Because of her, we bought another cocker spaniel from a puppy store when Gracie was around 5 years old. Beau, a stocky, playful sport spaniel, took over as the top dog in the house. He was a great help to Gracie when she went blind, leading her around the house and down the stairs to get out the door. I learned all about dogs from Gracie. I had never had one before, and I was surprised at their diverse personalities. Just like children!

Gracie had been gone a couple years, and Beau, who had a case of doggie glaucoma in both eyes, is now the old blind dog of the household. So, last September, we decided to get another rescue dog. We found our second buff cocker spaniel from Canine Rescues in Illinois. He had just gotten to his foster house on a Friday, and we picked him up on Saturday afternoon. He was about 11 weeks old, and just a little pistol.

Georgie

We named him Georgie, again to honor George Burns, and he is now 8 months old. We've started puppy school this week, and he, of course, is the problem child of the class. But I love him to death and he'll have a long and happy life with our family.





New Beginnings Sunday is a weekly series featuring the story of a rescued pet and the ways in which the life of the animal and person has changed. This series will run through the end of 2009 in conjunction with Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit’s fundraising efforts for Bernie Berlin’s animal shelter, “A Place to Bark.”

**If you have a story that you would like to share, please email it along with a picture or two of your pet to BreakingTraditions@earthlink.net

New Beginnings Sunday

Wendy Starn's tale of the many kitties in her life that inspire not only her heart but her artwork as well:


In early 2000, we acquired litter mates Boris and Natasha. While not strays, they were the babies of a stray kitten adopted by friends. Sadly, Natasha died of feline cancer in 2006.






Meanwhile, in 2005, a stray mama cat and her just-weaned kitten showed up on our back porch. We sat outside and talked to him as he gradually got closer and eventually let us touch him. Once mama found Moose a good home, she disappeared. Outdoors, he pretends to be feral, but when he comes inside, he's a teddy bear.






In August of 2008, my son found a tiny kitten under the hood of the car, covered in grease and fleas. He cleaned her up and she won his heart, as well as the scorn of our other two cats. Boris the black cat is determined to be Alpha male, and is also proud of his prowess at catching (catnip) mice, while Moose the orange cat is the mighty hunter of lizards and bugs (and a few real mice) who’s afraid of everything. Oslo the kitten sleeps in the dirty laundry, dreaming, no doubt, of how best to annoy her big brothers.



And here they are in my quilt, Cornered! (2009). All are based on my photos, and constructed of fused fabric with threadpainted fur.

Boris the black cat

Moose the orange cat

Oslo the kitten

You can see the full view of Cornered! here.







New Beginnings Sunday is a weekly series featuring the story of a rescued pet and the ways in which the life of the animal and person has changed. This series will run through the end of 2009 in conjunction with Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit’s fundraising efforts for Bernie Berlin’s animal shelter, “A Place to Bark.”

**If you have a story that you would like to share, please email it along with a picture or two of your pet to BreakingTraditions@earthlink.net

2009 Participation Prize Showcase

For those who are new to the exhibit, a Participation Prize is just that - something you have a chance to win simply by participating in the exhibit.

Prizes are donated and everyone's name goes into a hat and the winners are randomly drawn. This is one of the things that makes this exhibit such a joy to organize and be a part of. It feels as if we have all become one big happy family.


The photo above shows the wonderful Fabric and Embellishment kits that were put together with the generous donations from Carol Ann Waugh, Edna J. Patterson-Petty and Peggy Trickler.

There are five opportunities to win one of these fabulous packs!

There are many more prizes being offered this year. They will continue to be showcased on the blog in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned! (Also, all the prizes shown on the blog can be found in a link list on the right hand sidebar under the title Check Out the Prize Opportunities for 2009!)

New Beginnings Sunday

Shoshana Edwards' tale of the little lady who lights up her life:


I never thought I would be a dog person, even though I have always loved dogs. We always had cats. However, recently both of our cats died within a month of each other, and for the first time in my life I found myself without an animal in the house.

The call came in the early evening about three weeks ago. Would we be willing to take Bailey. She is a dachshund who had been given to a friend of ours by a rescue organization. She had proven too much for our friend, who is extremely mobility limited and has a very tiny income.

When Bailey first came into our lives she was listless, had difficulty moving, and cried out in pain or fear whenever someone tried to pick her up. As soon as we could we took her to the vet, where we learned that she had serious dental problems. Surgery and a huge bill later, she was without 17 of her teeth, and abscesses had been removed.

Already, three weeks later, Bailey is running, jumping, leaping and loving life. Not only does she not yelp at being lifted; she wants up all the time. She has totally bonded with us and appears to have many years left of happy play. Now we are looking for a second dachshund to give her a lifetime friend -- a rescue, of course.




New Beginnings Sunday is a weekly series featuring the story of a rescued pet and the ways in which the life of the animal and person has changed. This series will run through the end of 2009 in conjunction with Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit’s fundraising efforts for Bernie Berlin’s animal shelter, “A Place to Bark.”

**If you have a story that you would like to share, please email it along with a picture or two of your pet to BreakingTraditions@earthlink.net

New Beginnings Sunday

Johnni Mae Schell's rescue tale of the lovely Lucy Lou:


My husband and I moved to Hardin County, Tennessee in 2007. I have been amazed at how many stray dogs there are in this area. Some of them in fact do have a home and are 'cared for' and fed - but their owners just let them roam free.

We have 3 jack russells - I just love this breed! On one of my walks last summer with my smallest jack, Skittles, I saw a broken coat jack russell standing in the front yard of an empty house. I spoke to her with a friendly voice and she RAN to me - then followed us home, no more than 3 feet from my side at any time.

She was full of fleas and ticks so we dosed her with Frontline and let her spend the night on the back porch. By this time we had named her Lucy Lou.

The following day I scouted the neighborhood for an owner - but no luck I am happy to say. We could easily tell by how she reacted to any quick motion that she had been abused and smacked around.

We took her to our vet - got her vaccinated and medicine for ear mites. The vet figured she was about a year old and in good health otherwise.

Unfortunately we could not keep her. We found that owning 3 jacks is not a lot more work than 2 - but for some reason, adding that 4th jack, the work load suddenly quadruples. And Lucy Lou was becoming possessive of me - pushing the others out.

But this story has a happy ending - by posting notices about her in town, we did find her a home where she is loved and cared for as a member of the family.




New Beginnings Sunday is a weekly series featuring the story of a rescued pet and the ways in which the life of the animal and person has changed. This series will run through the end of 2009 in conjunction with Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit’s fundraising efforts for Bernie Berlin’s animal shelter, “A Place to Bark.”

**If you have a story that you would like to share, please email it along with a picture or two of your pet to BreakingTraditions@earthlink.net