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Gathered on the lawn in the front of the Marie Webster House, over
300 enthusiastic guests celebrated the Grand Opening of The Quilters
Hall of Fame on Friday, July 16, 2004. The yellow ribbon strung across
the front porch of this National Historic Landmark in Marion, Indiana,
was cut by President Hazel Carter, Site Manager Madonna Fowler,
Marie’s two granddaughters and other dignitaries.
“We’re all here making history,” said event coordinator Karen
Alexander. This sense of history-in-the-making was pervasive
throughout the four-day Celebration, thanks in large part to the
presence of so many quilt-world legends.
Eleven Honorees, identified by commemorative medallions on blue
ribbons, were on hand to attend the Grand Opening. Site Manager
Madonna Fowler estimated that the three-story Webster House,
festive with Honoree quilts and memorabilia, a gift shop and vintage
garden, received at least 200 visitors a day during the four-day event.
Participants from different parts of the country and different spheres of
the quilt world-art quilts, traditional quilts, quilt history and the quilt
business-truly shared a sense of community.
In her program on the history of the sewing machine, Honoree Jean Ray
Laury observed that early manufacturers presented it as an elegant
piece of furniture rather than as a tool. Among the advertising cards
and postcards she showed was one that pictured men watching a
woman at a sewing machine. “You obviously exude a great deal of sex
appeal as you sew,” said Jean. She is shown here with her pioneering
Tom’s Quilt, exhibited in the Webster House. Jean also led a workshop
on “Photo Transfer to Fabric.”
Honoree Jeffrey Gutcheon gave a slide lecture on his experience
teaching Haitians to quilt as part of an economic development project
in 1974. Jeffrey exhibited his quilt, Hamish to the Amish #1: Pretty
Polly, at the Honorees’ exhibit in the Marion Public Library.
Honoree Yvonne Porcella treated us to a talk on her delightful quilts,
“Dogs, Frogs & Cherubs,” followed by lunch at Marion’s elegant
Hostess House. Yvonne also led a workshop at the library: “1930s Quilt
Block: Quick Clips Original.” Her colorful wall hangings were exhibited
at the library as well as in the Marie Webster House.
Honoree Donna Wilder staged a nostalgic fashion show, “Wearable Art:
A Quilted Expression,” at the Country Club, using local teens as models.
Garments selected from 20 years of Fairfield Fashion Shows included
Caryl Bryer Fallert’s coat with a Flying Geese motif, a dress and head-
wrap made of men’s ties, a pieced Elizabethan coat with embroidered
portraits of Henry VIII and his six wives, and a wedding gown with
trapunto work. Outfits created by Honorees Yvonne Porcella, Jean Ray
Laury and Georgia Bonesteel were modeled.
Honoree Jinny Beyer presented her popular “Color Confidence”
workshop at the Honeywell Center, in nearby Wabash, Indiana, on July
15. Also featured in Wabash was a tour of Marie Webster’s childhood
home, courtesy of the present owners, Jim and Bonnie Haughn.
Jinny spoke about “My World” on July 16 at Marion’s Meshingomesia
Country Club, showing slides of the faraway places where she has lived,
and of the garden she designed with sections laid out like quilt
patterns. Her famous 1977 Ray of Light quilt, exhibited in the Marie
Webster House, awed many visitors. Her Windows quilt, made
following the tragic events of 9/11, was shown at the library in the
exhibit “Today’s Honorees: Collectors and Designers.”
At the “Reclamation of Our Quilting Heritage” panel at the public
library, Karen Alexander and Honoree Georgia Bonesteel interviewed
Honorees Joyce Gross, Cuesta Benberry, and Barbara Brackman. The
panelists agreed that quilt research now requires more documentation
than when Marie Webster wrote the first quilt history in 1915, but that
writers still make mistakes. They recommended that readers read
critically and not neglect the older sources, even if they contain some
errors. Cuesta emphasized that even official sources make mistakes.
They urges researchers to study the written records and material
culture that give quilts context: tops, blocks, fabrics, patterns,
embroidery designs, letters, postcards, diaries, newspapers, magazines,
and vintage photographs. When Georgia observed, “I think we have a
trio of private investigators,” Joyce confessed, “I watch Angela Lansbury
religiously.”
In her workshop, “Dating Old Quilts: Material Pleasures,” held on July
18 at Gethsemane Episcopal Church, Honoree Barbara Brackman
examined piles of quilts brought by attendees , and organized them by
date and style. Barbara complimented Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
Pennsylvania on producing fine red-and-green appliqué quilts. “In Ohio
they have the showoffs, and in Indiana,” she said. “Further west, there’
s nothing of this quality. So you guys are living in the right places.”
Honoree Georgia Bonesteel had a busy weekend. In addition to
moderating the panel discussion, she interviewed all the other
Honorees for a documentary she is producing on the Great Quilt
Revival. Her son, film maker Paul Bonesteel, was on hand to videotape
the interviews and the Grand Opening events. We hope to see the
program on Public Broadcasting stations next year. Georgia also led a
workshop on July 18, “Catch Crazy Patch Fever.”
Honoree Jonathan Holstein, who spoke at the very first induction
ceremony in 1979, also gave a lecture, 25 years later, at the Founder’s
Luncheon on July 16, 2004, at the Country Club. He recalled his
excitement at discovering traditional quilts and introducing them to
the art world in the 1970s. He called Marie Webster “the first quilt
celebrity” and noted the many roles that Honorees have held: artist,
designer, author, editor, historian, television host, teacher, lecturer,
collector, curator, founder, entrepreneur and company executive.
He paid tribute to this former wife, Honoree Gail van der Hoof, who
died recently. As the backdrop for his talk, he chose a fine Amish Center
Diamond quilt that was her favorite. “If there is a great quilting bee in
the sky, you can be sure that is where Gail is,” he said.
Honoree Karey Bresenhan spoke enthusiastically about her work- “The
Best Job in the World: Celebrating Great Quilts!” During her talk at the
Country Club on July 15, she reviewed major trends of the 30-year quilt
revival and art-quilt movement including the rise of machine quilting,
use of embellishments, landscape quilts, and days we couldn’t get
yellow,” Karey said, noting that quilts are now a $2.5 billion industry.
300 enthusiastic guests celebrated the Grand Opening of The Quilters
Hall of Fame on Friday, July 16, 2004. The yellow ribbon strung across
the front porch of this National Historic Landmark in Marion, Indiana,
was cut by President Hazel Carter, Site Manager Madonna Fowler,
Marie’s two granddaughters and other dignitaries.
“We’re all here making history,” said event coordinator Karen
Alexander. This sense of history-in-the-making was pervasive
throughout the four-day Celebration, thanks in large part to the
presence of so many quilt-world legends.
Eleven Honorees, identified by commemorative medallions on blue
ribbons, were on hand to attend the Grand Opening. Site Manager
Madonna Fowler estimated that the three-story Webster House,
festive with Honoree quilts and memorabilia, a gift shop and vintage
garden, received at least 200 visitors a day during the four-day event.
Participants from different parts of the country and different spheres of
the quilt world-art quilts, traditional quilts, quilt history and the quilt
business-truly shared a sense of community.
In her program on the history of the sewing machine, Honoree Jean Ray
Laury observed that early manufacturers presented it as an elegant
piece of furniture rather than as a tool. Among the advertising cards
and postcards she showed was one that pictured men watching a
woman at a sewing machine. “You obviously exude a great deal of sex
appeal as you sew,” said Jean. She is shown here with her pioneering
Tom’s Quilt, exhibited in the Webster House. Jean also led a workshop
on “Photo Transfer to Fabric.”
Honoree Jeffrey Gutcheon gave a slide lecture on his experience
teaching Haitians to quilt as part of an economic development project
in 1974. Jeffrey exhibited his quilt, Hamish to the Amish #1: Pretty
Polly, at the Honorees’ exhibit in the Marion Public Library.
Honoree Yvonne Porcella treated us to a talk on her delightful quilts,
“Dogs, Frogs & Cherubs,” followed by lunch at Marion’s elegant
Hostess House. Yvonne also led a workshop at the library: “1930s Quilt
Block: Quick Clips Original.” Her colorful wall hangings were exhibited
at the library as well as in the Marie Webster House.
Honoree Donna Wilder staged a nostalgic fashion show, “Wearable Art:
A Quilted Expression,” at the Country Club, using local teens as models.
Garments selected from 20 years of Fairfield Fashion Shows included
Caryl Bryer Fallert’s coat with a Flying Geese motif, a dress and head-
wrap made of men’s ties, a pieced Elizabethan coat with embroidered
portraits of Henry VIII and his six wives, and a wedding gown with
trapunto work. Outfits created by Honorees Yvonne Porcella, Jean Ray
Laury and Georgia Bonesteel were modeled.
Honoree Jinny Beyer presented her popular “Color Confidence”
workshop at the Honeywell Center, in nearby Wabash, Indiana, on July
15. Also featured in Wabash was a tour of Marie Webster’s childhood
home, courtesy of the present owners, Jim and Bonnie Haughn.
Jinny spoke about “My World” on July 16 at Marion’s Meshingomesia
Country Club, showing slides of the faraway places where she has lived,
and of the garden she designed with sections laid out like quilt
patterns. Her famous 1977 Ray of Light quilt, exhibited in the Marie
Webster House, awed many visitors. Her Windows quilt, made
following the tragic events of 9/11, was shown at the library in the
exhibit “Today’s Honorees: Collectors and Designers.”
At the “Reclamation of Our Quilting Heritage” panel at the public
library, Karen Alexander and Honoree Georgia Bonesteel interviewed
Honorees Joyce Gross, Cuesta Benberry, and Barbara Brackman. The
panelists agreed that quilt research now requires more documentation
than when Marie Webster wrote the first quilt history in 1915, but that
writers still make mistakes. They recommended that readers read
critically and not neglect the older sources, even if they contain some
errors. Cuesta emphasized that even official sources make mistakes.
They urges researchers to study the written records and material
culture that give quilts context: tops, blocks, fabrics, patterns,
embroidery designs, letters, postcards, diaries, newspapers, magazines,
and vintage photographs. When Georgia observed, “I think we have a
trio of private investigators,” Joyce confessed, “I watch Angela Lansbury
religiously.”
In her workshop, “Dating Old Quilts: Material Pleasures,” held on July
18 at Gethsemane Episcopal Church, Honoree Barbara Brackman
examined piles of quilts brought by attendees , and organized them by
date and style. Barbara complimented Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
Pennsylvania on producing fine red-and-green appliqué quilts. “In Ohio
they have the showoffs, and in Indiana,” she said. “Further west, there’
s nothing of this quality. So you guys are living in the right places.”
Honoree Georgia Bonesteel had a busy weekend. In addition to
moderating the panel discussion, she interviewed all the other
Honorees for a documentary she is producing on the Great Quilt
Revival. Her son, film maker Paul Bonesteel, was on hand to videotape
the interviews and the Grand Opening events. We hope to see the
program on Public Broadcasting stations next year. Georgia also led a
workshop on July 18, “Catch Crazy Patch Fever.”
Honoree Jonathan Holstein, who spoke at the very first induction
ceremony in 1979, also gave a lecture, 25 years later, at the Founder’s
Luncheon on July 16, 2004, at the Country Club. He recalled his
excitement at discovering traditional quilts and introducing them to
the art world in the 1970s. He called Marie Webster “the first quilt
celebrity” and noted the many roles that Honorees have held: artist,
designer, author, editor, historian, television host, teacher, lecturer,
collector, curator, founder, entrepreneur and company executive.
He paid tribute to this former wife, Honoree Gail van der Hoof, who
died recently. As the backdrop for his talk, he chose a fine Amish Center
Diamond quilt that was her favorite. “If there is a great quilting bee in
the sky, you can be sure that is where Gail is,” he said.
Honoree Karey Bresenhan spoke enthusiastically about her work- “The
Best Job in the World: Celebrating Great Quilts!” During her talk at the
Country Club on July 15, she reviewed major trends of the 30-year quilt
revival and art-quilt movement including the rise of machine quilting,
use of embellishments, landscape quilts, and days we couldn’t get
yellow,” Karey said, noting that quilts are now a $2.5 billion industry.
| Jeffrey Gutcheon, 1990 Inductee Photo: Rosalind Perry |
| Georgia Bonesteel, 2003 Inductee Photo: Rosalind Perry |
| Joyce Gross, 1996 Inductee Cuesta Benberry, 1983 Inductee Barbara Brackman, 2001 Inductee Photo: Rosalind Perry |
| Jinny Beyer, 1984 Inductee Photo: Bob Johnson, ©2004 BJ Associates |
| Jonathan Holstein, 1979 Inductee Photo: Richard Perry |
| Karey Bresenhan, 1995 Inductee Photo: Bob Johnson, ©2004 BJ Associates |
| Donna Wilder, 1990 Inductee Yvonne Porcella, 1998 Inductee Photo: Richard Perry |
| The Grand Opening of The Quilters Hall of Fame By Teri Klassen |
| July 2004 |