Visual Verse: Collaborations in Poetry and Cloth - 2003

Visual Verse was an intensive yearlong collaborative effort in 2003 between textile artists and poets sponsored by the Contemporary QuiltArt Association. The resulting juried exhibition features the innovative works of over two dozen artist/poet partnerships. Completed projects include works in both visual and literary form, investigating these art forms‘ intersections, connections and departures. The exhibition explores visual/literary collaboration in depth, as each artist/poet pairing committed to documenting their combined process through journaling, photographs, video or audio recording, a web site, or some combination of these, or other media. This documentation is intended as an integral part of the exhibition.

The exhibit was juried by Michael James, internationally known quilt artist and Fellow of both the American Craft Council and the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and Hilda Raz, editor of the literary quarterly PRAIRIE SCHOONER, published poet and professor at the University of Nebraska. It includes the works of a number of internationally known quilt artists and poets, as well as newer arrivals on the artistic scene.

Participating poets include Nikki Giovanni, with more than two dozen books published, Linda Bierds of the University of Washington, and Hilda Raz. Other poets have published a wide range of works in books, chapbooks, anthologies, literary journals, magazines and audio recordings.

Following the October 2003 opening of “Visual Verse” in Seattle the exhibit traveled over the next five years, showing at these locations:
      Hoffman Gallery, Oregon College of Art & Craft, Portland (July 2004)
      University Place Art Center, Lincoln NE (February 2005)
      LaConner Quilt Museum, LaConner WA (May-July 2006)
      Rocky Mtn. Quilt Museum, Golden CO (August-October 2006)
      Center for Arts & History, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston ID (Dec. 2006)
      Curfman Gallery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO (Jan-March 2008)

Please click a thumbnail to see the full image.


Bonny Brewer and Janet Kurjan - Plum Tango

Cathy Erickson - Carpenters Quilt

Cathy Erickson - Girl's Lace Blouse

Cathy Erickson - Radiance

Deborah Gregory - Passages

Erika Carter - Facing Time

Erika Carter - Time Line

Erika Carter - Time Squared

Gayle Bryan - Fade To Rememberance

Janet Kurjan and Bonny Brewer - Spice Island

Karen Soma - Infinity

Karin Carter - By The Lake

Karin Carter - Druid Moon

Karin Carter - Girl Dreams

Karin Carter - I Dance and Dance

Lindi Wood - A Week Like Any Other

Lorraine Edmond -The Surface Of Water

Maria Groat - Word Salad

Maria Groat - Word Salad Too

Patty Hieb - Wonders Never Cease

Priscilla Peterson - She Wears Her Art

Priscilla Peterson - She Wears Her Art Front

Priscilla Peterson - She Wears Her Art Rear

Priscilla Peterson - Wetland

Priscilla Peterson - Wetland Front

Priscilla Peterson - Wetland Rear

Sally Sellers - I'm Not Sorry

Susan Pefley - A Curious Pursuit