Golden

The opening reception of "No Girls Allowed" was on Friday. It was the second time one of my quilts was part of the biennial men's exhibition, and my first time visiting the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.

It was just an overnight trip, but it was comfortable. I stayed at the new Westin at Denver International Airport. It's really cool. Golden wasn't too far, and it was a gorgeous drive. There was snow on the ground but the roads were clear. The welcome sign in Golden was a stone's throw from the museum.

A friend who I've known since the early 1980s came to the reception. Before we met up, I went over to the museum to get oriented. The first people I met were Rod Daniel and Jim Carnevale, who were standing outside the museum. They traveled from their home in Placitas, New Mexico to be there.

Rod Daniel with his quilt, "Ain't That American!"

Rod's quilt, "Ain't That American!" is really more like a collaboration. Jim took the photograph, and Rod made the quilt using the image. In October, Jim and Rod will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. They are two of the nicest people you'd ever meet, and they make a great creative team.

It went with the color of the "Wow Wall" (quilted by Jolene Knight)

My quilt was on the wall just inside the front door. The museum staff calls it the "Wow Wall" because it is the first thing you see when you go inside. It is visible from the street, even when the museum is closed.

Around the corner was the gift shop, where I was happy to find a stack of my books and the Pour l'Amour du Fil event bags for sale. Later this year, I will exhibit at the museum, so I am glad to know they will have these goodies on hand.

Jack Edson with his quilt, "Eakins, Flute Player"

Before the reception, we gathered at the museum's office, a large space connected to the museum's future galleries. It is a short drive away from their current location. We were recording segments for the audio tour, and when I arrived, several of the artists were already gathered around a large conference table with curator Irene Berry. It was great to meet everyone and hear their stories.

Jack Edson was there, and I have wanted to meet him since first seeing his work. Jack's quilts are inspired by classical art, and they stand out from all the other pixelated, patchwork portraiture I have seen. He came from upstate New York for the reception, and traveled with Bill Stearman, also part of the show. Bill came all the way from Ontario, Canada, and his quilt, "At Peace" was a show stopper-- simply beautiful!

"The Whole Thing" by Tim Latimer of Lansing, Michigan

One of the first quilts I saw in the gallery was a beautiful wholecloth stuffed work quilt by Tim Latimer of Lansing, Michigan. Tim was not at the reception, but everyone was talking about his remarkable hand-quilted masterpiece. When people first discover Tim's work, they are always amazed by the quality and surprised when they discover a man made the quilt.

"Did You Wash Your Beak?" by David Taylor of Steamboat Springs, Colorado was facing Tim's quilt, and was also a tour-de-force. David, Tim, and all the others are much better at sewing than I'll ever be, and I greatly admire their work.

"Sir Lancelot" by Richard Tims, Wichita Falls, Texas

Never before had I been to a quilt show that included works made by two generations of men. When I first saw the invitation for "No Girls Allowed" I wondered if there was an error. The names Ricky Tims and Richard Tims both appeared, but it was not a typo. It was a father-son duo! Richard, Ricky's father, pieced the beautiful, earthy "Sir Lancelot" top from patches cut by Ricky. It was one of the last quilt tops Richard made before he passed away in 2015.

Self Portrait by Ricky Tims, LaVeta, Colorado

The reception was very well attended, a packed house; and the museum staff and volunteers did a fine job hosting the festivities.

The main gallery before it was too packed to take photos

It filled up a lot after I took this photo

I wish I'd had more time in the gallery before the reception. It was hard to get pictures after the doors opened. The place was packed, and the quilts were stellar.

In the Groove by Leo Ransom, Sherman, Texas

Put a Ring On It by Michael Michaelski, Brooklyn, New York

After returning home, I noticed an interesting thread in one of the men's quilting groups on Facebook. The AIDS Memorial Quilt was recently digitized, and there was talk about how many male quilters got started making quilts around the time of the Names Project. My friend Collin posted the link.

one section of the AIDS Memorial Quilt

He made two panels for the AIDS Memorial Quilt back in the day, and eventually took up quiltmaking more seriously about a year ago. Several men in the Facebook group also made panels. Many men started making quilts because they were memorializing family and friends who died from the devastating disease, and that was an epiphany. People are drawn to quiltmaking for a wide variety of reasons.

"No Girls Allowed" is the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum's 13th biennial exhibition of quilts made by men is on display through April 26th. For more information, click here.