Artist to present free quilt exhibit

Monday, May 9, 2005

BISHOP HILL - Award-winning artist Velga Easker of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will have a special free exhibit at the Steeple Building from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday the week of the annual Bishop Hill Quilt Show, May 13-15. The exhibit will be on display until the end of May.

A reception for the artist will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Steeple Building.

The public is invited.

Easker was born in Valmiera, Latvia. She has a bachelor of arts in art from the University of Iowa. She has been employed full-time in various social service capacities for the Iowa Department of Human Services, attended numerous workshops and conferences with a concentrated interest in fibers and is a founding member and holder of several offices in the Cedar Rapids Fiber Guild.

She has exhibited her work in Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona.

"Growing up in bi-cultural America encouraged me to discern differences yet make the connections in the world around me," she said. "Straddling the two worlds helped me see the layers of things, to use a critical eye and not just accept the obvious."

"The traditional quilt format is my current fascination. I admire how elements echo each other, how they can be ordered, as well as appreciating their original beginnings ... as women in the past sewed their quilts from left-over fabric and worn-out clothes, I have sewn and assembled my quilts from discards and leftovers. I enjoy the surprise of the viewer as they discover the raw material of the quilts. I see it as a serious look at not so serious material in our very serious world."

For information, call the Bishop Hill Heritage Association at (309) 927-3899.