Meet the Manhattan Quilters Guild

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Anniversaries have a way of invoking memories for most of us. In the next few months, Quilting Arts Magazine will be celebrating a milestone: twenty years of artistic inspiration, bold creativity with fabric and thread, and insight into the work of artists we all admire.

In anticipation of that milestone, we’re giving you a peek into our December 2020/January 2021 issue and the work of the Manhattan Quilters Guild. Why? They’re celebrating an anniversary of their own: 40 years as one of the most renowned quilting groups in the United States. Read on to learn more.


The Manhattan Quilters Guild Celebrates 40 Years

by Meg Cox

It began with an ad in Quilters Newsletter Magazine in 1980, when Karen Berkenfeld was looking to start a ‘quilting bee’ in her upper Manhattan apartment. At the start, it was as much a social gathering as anything, with members including several new moms eager for some ‘me time.’ “In those days, there was always wine and baked goods, and the meetings were a combination of quilting on our separate projects, kaffee klatsch and book group,” recalled Katherine Knauer.

From left, “Wavering Away” by Benedicte Caneill, “Serenity” by Ludmila Aristova, and “Dreams” by Teresa Barkley


CREDIT: Photos from left, by Jean Young, Jean Vong, and Rachael Dorr

Over the decades, the guild evolved into an invitation-only group of established art quilters who critique one another’s work and plan exhibitions. This year the Manhattan Quilters Guild turns 40 and its 21 current members are celebrating with a traveling exhibition of quilts that measure 40″ x 40″. As they reworked an ambitious touring schedule disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the members thought back to what this group has meant for them and their work.

From left, “Renewal XII” by Randy Frost, “Eye-Catcher” by Diana Goulston Robinson, and “Terra Firma” by Iris Gowen

CREDIT: Photos from left, by Peter C. North, Malcom Varon, and Willem Deenik

The transition to a group focused on art quilts and professionalism wasn’t seamless. Iris Gowen, an early member, said “When I left to live in Katmandu in 1993, it was not a warm and fuzzy group. There was a lot of tension between art and craft, and people had very fierce feelings. Some strong egos left.” But Iris has continued to belong to the group, even while mostly living outside the U.S., currently in Bangkok. “I have clung to the guild all these years for the wonderful friendships,” she said during a recent Zoom gathering of the guild. “People are kinder, more supportive now.”

The Manhattan Quilters Guild was one of the pioneering art-focused critique groups in the country. It began well before Studio Art Quilt Associates was founded in 1989, at a time when the internet was brand new. Paula Nadelstern recalls that SAQA founder Yvonne Porcella visited with the guild in Manhattan in the early ’90s on an East Coast trip. “There were few critique groups around the country and she wanted to expand that idea.”

From left, “Tying Up Loose Ends” by Ruth Marchese, “Wheelhouse Rock” by Paula Nadelstern, and “Life Begins at 40” by Robin Schwalb

CREDIT: Photos from left, by Randy Duchaine and Jean Vong (2)

The guild has an enviable track record in getting members’ quilts seen and talked about. The group has been represented in more than 35 exhibitions over the years, not counting the five members-only themed shows the guild has mounted; the “40 x 40 @ 40” show will be the sixth. Along the way, the guild’s work has been reviewed by the likes of the New York Times and Washington Post. In 1985, Family Circle magazine commissioned the guild to design modern versions of Amish quilts for an issue of the magazine.

From left, “Silver Rain of Memories” by Tatiana Ivina, “Daisy Eyes” by Katherine Knauer, and “The Princess of Weaving V” by Emiko Toda Loeb

CREDIT: Photos from left, by Tatiana Ivina and Jean Vong (2)

An International Group

One feature that continues to nourish guild creativity is the international nature of the membership. The current group includes artists from France, Japan, Russia, England, Switzerland, and Australia. Emiko Toda Loeb, a member since 1982, spends more of her time in Japan than the U.S. these days, but still attends multiple meetings in New York each year. She said that the fact that “American and Japanese quilts are very different” has made the cross-cultural experience extremely valuable to her.

For most members, this is their first immersion in a group that takes their quilting so seriously and it has affected their work deeply. Ludmila Aristova said, “Having discovered the world of art quilts in the early ’90s after a career in fashion design in Russia, it was important to me to join this group in 2001, full of amazing, talented women who are constantly pushing the quilt making to another level. The collective energy of the group inspires me and fuels me with energy.”

From left, “What Remains” by Paula Swett and “Quilt Drawing #23” by Daphne Taylor

CREDIT: Photos from left, by Donald Hillman and Kevin Johnson

Building a Professional Presence

Beth Carney, a member since 2005, said “I was changing over from traditional quilting at the time and I wanted a group as I went on a journey to find my true voice in this medium. I especially wanted a group that knew how to critique in a professional manner.” Beth said that if it weren’t for the group’s warm support and constructive criticism, “I never would have had the nerve to enter my work in Quilt National in 2007. I got in then, and five times since. I’ve exhibited my work nationally and internationally and even had a solo show in a New York gallery.”

That push for professionalism is a benefit many members remark upon. Teresa Barkley, who has been quilting since high school and has worked as a patternmaker in the garment district since 1981, noted that quilting is a solitary pursuit generally. One of the reasons belonging to the guild has helped her boost her art quilt career “has been the opportunity to learn to be at ease talking about my work.” Teresa also cited the chance to hear about calls for entry, learning new techniques from other members, and networking about publications and curators who may be interested in the group’s work.

From left, “Movement 3” by Beth Carney, “Eukaryotes” by Rachael Dorr, and “Look to the Trees” by Victoria Findlay Wolfe

CREDIT: Photos from left, by Don Hillman, Rachael Dorr, and Alan Radom

Long-time member Paula Nadelstern said the transition to a professional approach included, among other things, a movement from a home setting to a neutral public space. “A conference room provides gravitas to the occasion, provides equal responsibility (no one needs to play host), and provides each member the same ability to see and hear, which is important.” Keeping the group small enough to fit around a good-sized conference table helps. She added, “We’ve learned to offer judgement without being judgmental.”

It’s watching the progress of their peers’ creations over time that inspires many members. “We watch pieces evolve and it’s exciting to be a part of that process,” said Victoria Findlay Wolfe, one of the newer members. “Each is so different, but the passion is the same. It pushes me in my own work, watching them.”

Having long ago proved its bona fides as a serious critique group and talent incubator, the guild has dispensed with some of its previous formality, even rigidity. Potential new members once had to fill out lengthy forms. Some even recall that a home visit was required. To ensure power was shared, the leadership rotated every three months. Now, the process is more relaxed. Prospective members must be recommended by a current one and be seen as both professional and collegial before a vote is taken. Several years ago, the guild began accepting non-quilting textile artists, and other professionals who are deeply engaged with quilt culture, such as journalists.

A Continued Sense of Community

Because of COVID-19, the group hasn’t meet in person in Manhattan for months, moving its critique sessions to Zoom, like so many other gatherings. But something unexpected happened that took the members back to their beginnings as a more purely social group. They found they missed one another’s company and longed for a weekly ‘bee’ experience, so on the Wednesdays when there isn’t a formal meeting, whichever members are free, grab their stitching and possibly a drink and spend time catching up. On a recent Wednesday, many stories were told about the path that brought them to this anniversary. They savored their accomplishments and anticipated the coming exhibition and the future.

From left, “Emergent 8: Flying Over Winter Fields” by Arle Sklar-Weinstein and “Day #4: ‘On Your Own’” by Kim Svoboda

CREDIT: Photos from left, by John O’Donnell and Kim Svoboda

In the 40 years since the founding of the Manhattan Quilters Guild, the estimation of quilts within the art world has risen and, without doubt, these women have played a part in that change. “We were leading edge and a great many people have seen our work over the years,” said Arle Sklar-Weinstein.

To learn more, pick up your own copy of Quilting Arts Magazine or visit ManhattanQuiltersGuild.com.

Best,

Vivika Hansen DeNegre
Editor

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