CLINTON, NY – In 1987, Clinton residents came together to create a community quilt to
celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of the founding of the village of Clinton. The quilt was
then raffled off to benefit the Kirkland Art Center. This spring, its owner returned it to Clinton,
where it will again be raffled, this time as a benefit for the Kirkland Town Library, the Clinton
Historical Society, and the Kirkland Art Center.
“The return of this gorgeous quilt quite naturally led to creating an exhibition of quilts by
contemporary Clinton artists to hang alongside the 1987 quilt,” said Kirkland Art Center
executive director Anita Welych. “There is a wealth of talent in the area, and we even have a
surprise: one of the artists isn’t a quilter at all!” Artist Pinny Kuckel has recently written and
illustrated Pamela’s Quilt, a charming children’s picture book. Her original illustrations are on
display, and the books themselves are available for purchase; all proceeds benefit the Kirkland
Art Center.
The quilters in the A Celebration of Quilting include nationally-recognized artists Thomas
Knauer and Sue Beevers; both are authors and teachers of the craft. Knauer’s work is the most
conceptual, referencing social justice issues like Black Lives Matter. His books will be available
for purchase during the exhibition. Beevers, on the other hand, creates bold, expressionist
quilts that exude joy and spirit; as a longtime fabric designer, her quilts feature her lush
patterns. The quilts of Margaret Willemsen feature exquisite, delicate detail that demand close
observation to see, for instance, tight hand-stitching and extensive beading. Jill Pavlot’s quilts
are a visual delight of carefully chosen patterns and textures whose reliance on shape make
them seem almost sculptural.
This small group of artists cover a wide range of approaches to quilting, each complementing
the other, with the more traditional Clinton Commemorative quilt at the center. Quilt raffle
tickets will be sold along with the books by Pinny Kuckel and Thomas Knauer at the KAC.
