The Shadow
Twenty-two quilts with accompanying artwork are on display on the Third Floor WestRock Room of The Historic Masonic Theatre during the Arts Community Celebration. The Women in History Quilt & Art Exhibit opens on Friday, September 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Saturday, September 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and on Sunday, September 17 from noon to 2:00 p.m. The exhibit is free of charge.
The majority of the quilts were designed and made by international quilt designer, author and teacher, Kaye England. The twenty quilts honor women in history who left an indelible mark on the country and the world. They include Martha Washington, Helen Taft, Betsy Ross, Dolley Madison, Harriet Tubman, Frances Cleveland, Lucille Ball, Amelia Earhart, Carry Nation, Sarah Breedlove “Madam C. J. ” Walker, Priscilla Alden, Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Grace Coolidge, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Julia Ward Howe, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Louisa May Alcott, and Helen Keller.
The entire collection of quilts, art, and several first-edition books about the women in the collection was donated to the Theatre and will be auctioned in March with all proceeds going to the Theatre. Twenty antique quilts made by hand in the 1800s will join the “Women in History Quilt and Art Exhibit once the display pieces are ready.
Kaye visited the Alleghany Highlands as a presenter at the Heritage Day Festival in 2016 and has returned in subsequent years to teach Quilt Retreats in the Historic Masonic Theatre.
Kaye will be teaching two Welcome to Spring Quilt Retreats in March. Quilters from all over the United States attend the Kaye England Retreats with approximately 30 % being local attendees. The first Retreat is March 1, 2 and 3. The second Retreat is for Quilt Shop owners and is March 5 (set up) 6, 7 and 8. An early bird registration fee is available through September 30. The Women in History Quilt & Art auction and the Antique Quilt auction will follow the second retreat.
The Women in History Quilt & Art Exhibit will be on display several times between September 15, 2023 and March 1, 2024. A Chuck Almarez Photo Exhibit will also be on display on the second floor of the Theatre in the Chuck Almarez Gallery during the Arts Community Celebration during the same dates and times as the Women in History Quilt & Art Exhibit.
To register for the Retreat and for more information, please visit historicmasonictheatre.com or contact the Theatre at 540 862 5655.
