Vashon Allied Arts Community Quilt

Drawing: Sunday, July 19, 4 pm
Tickets: $1 each
Available at Blue Heron, Heron’s Nest and most Island businesses

Congratulations, Vashon Community Care Center Won the Quilt!

Psst! Has anyone told you about this year’s Vashon Allied Arts Community Quilt? Well, where have you been? It’s been paraded around town in all its glory. First at Books by the Way, it marched to Vashon Bookshop, and then to Island Quilter. The quilt has spent Saturdays with the wonderful, colorful folks at Farmers Market. First Friday, July 3, it will grace the window of the Heron’s Nest and will remain there until that busy, dizzy Strawberry Festival sweeps through the town.

“Art on the Rock,” this year’s quilt features our Island visual arts and artists. Working with many mediums, they fill our home, galleries and community spaces with pieces that draw the eye and spark the mind, that invite us in some cases to touch and feel. Our quilt nods recognition to 24 artists. How many more squares could we have made?

Our arts tour starts at Brian Fisher’s studio with a pair of ping pong paddles to represent back and forth conversation between two people. Angela Weiss now has the two paddles hanging on her game room wall and enjoys creating opportunities for conversations between two people (and more) when not creating quilt squares.

Sharon Munger says, “I love to throw pots; there’s something about getting one’s hands deep into colored mud and turning it into an object.” Mary Hosick, Liz Lewis, Tami Anderson and Sharon are Island women whose pottery is wheel thrown represented in Sharon’s square.

Then, we stop by Farmer’s Market to see Julie King’s birdhouses and Irene’s tiles. Walk across the street to Heron’s Nest and hope to see one of George Wright’s gates. On the way to Blue Heron we can stop by Courthouse Square and gather ‘round Julie Speidel’s sculpture, “The Gathering,” an anchor for our community spirit in stone now and forever. At the Blue Heron, particularly First Friday in Sept (9/4), we can see the works of almost every person represented on the quilt and more. If we continue on to Silverwood we may be able to see one of Margaret Tylczak’s best friends, dogs with quirky views on life.

Karen Dale, found painting one of her vibrant plein air paintings on last year’s Garden Tour, posed for the Blue Heron who appears on the back of the quilt. Terry Donnelly, the photographer who has taken the last five quilt photos, snaps a photo of the Blue Heron who is painting a picture of him.

About 10 years ago I paraded through town two days before Strawberry Festival with a sign. One side read “The end is near!” When I twirled it around, the other side read, “Have you got your quilt raffle ticket yet?” The end is near! Strawberry Festival is coming soon. Have you got your quilt raffle ticket yet?! Sunday July 19, at four o’clock a lucky person will win this one-of-a-kind community treasure; will it be you? Tickets are still just one dollar and when you buy 10, you receive a free booklet that tells all about the quilt.

Please buy bunches and bunches and bunches and let’s keep the lights on Art and on at our own Blue Heron Art Center.
Tickets may be purchased at Book by the Way, Heron’s Nest, Vashon Bookshop, Island Quilter, The Blue Heron and The Farmers Market. Appliqué Artists are: Angela Weiss, Sharon Munger, Jo Ann Bardeen, Karen Nebe, Nancy Sipple, Leann Doussett, Mary Belshaw, Toni Eaton, C. Tribble, Carrie Sikorski, Joanna Guglielmino, Chris McGrath, Nan Caskey and Eileen Bergman.
~Catholeen Tribble