Writer/reporter who covered first AQS Quilt Show sponsors upcoming Quilt Mural
“…and Our Flag Was Still There!” by Melinda Bula, California. Part of The National Quilt Museum Collection
DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES RELATED TO COVID 19, THE UNVEILING OF THIS MURAL HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR VETERANS DAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2020, at 11 am.
June 27, 2019, Paducah, KY—Paducah Quilt Murals Inc (PQMI) is pleased to announce that Pat Brockenborough, former reporter for the Paducah Sun and contributing writer for Posh Magazine, is sponsoring the second painting for the Quilt City USA® (QCUSA) Murals project. On the heels of a recent grant award from the Carson-Myre Charitable Foundation, this important sponsorship provides a viable and visible boost for this public art program featuring painted versions of quilts on the floodwall adjacent to the Schroeder Expo Center.
A long time supporter of the arts, Pat Brockenborough can relate to the importance of quilting to Paducah and recognizes its economic impact, growth and international appeal. She covered the first AQS Quilt Show in April 1985 as a reporter for the Paducah Sun. “I am so proud of Paducah,” said Brockenborough. “We have so much to offer and I think this can be the crown jewel.”
The second quilt to be reproduced on the floodwall will be “…and Our Flag was Still There!” by Melinda Bula from El Dorado Hills, California. The relevance of this quilt complies with the criteria outlined by a Quilt Selection Committee headed by Bonnie Browning, AQS Executive Show Director, of having historical provenance.
“From the early days, quiltmakers have included the American flag in their needlework,” said Browning. “Melinda Bula made this quilt when her only son became a United States Marine. She dedicated it to all military families who have raised sons and daughters who sacrifice to keep us free.”
Of her own work, Bula states, “It’s a painting without any paint, where every color change is another piece of fabric. After the raw-edge fusible appliqué was completed, I used thread painting to blend the colors.”
The second mural will be painted by Lowertown artist Stefanie Graves of Cowango Studios under the direction of Lead Artist Char Downs. A nurse and health care management specialist, Graves has led a variety of workshops and watercolor classes over the past 30 years. Her work has been in a number of two-person and group shows and is in numerous private collections.
Graves was one of six muralists selected through a maquette process, where more than 20 local artists submitted samples of the premier mural “Corona II: Solar Eclipse” by Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry to demonstrate their ability to paint fabric to look photo realistic or trompe l’oeil. The other juried artists are Kijsa Houseman, Cynthia Hubble, Deb Lyons, Tanya Gadbaw Neitzke, and Kelly Sparks-Salchli.
“The six juried artists are the best professional group I’ve worked with so far in my life,” said Downs. “I am looking forward to spending time individually with each artist as they go through the process of creating the next murals.”
The anticipated date for unveiling the “…and Our Flag was Still There!” mural is April 2020.
For more information about the project, visit www.paducahquiltmurals.org To speak with the artists, contact Rosemarie Steele or Dr. Jay Siska, Project Administrator, at 270-443-0895.
About Paducah Quilt Murals Inc
The mission of the Paducah Quilt Murals Inc is to celebrate the arts of quiltmaking and mural painting through an educational display of quilt murals that showcase their particular place in history, both nationally and internationally.
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