We were lucky enough to have Joe Cunningham speak as one of our Stitch Modern special events. Stitch Modern is the annual show of the East Bay Modern Quilters and we will be covering the entire exhibition in a week or so, so stay tuned for that.
Joe the Quilter came to sing to us, talk to us and joke with us- as is his way- and of course to show us his remarkable quilts and talk about quilting and art. He sews every bit of his large, mostly square quilts himself – some by hand, most by machine. Originally a musician, Joe has been a professional quilter for 35+ years. Having initially delved deeply into the history and traditions of quilts and techniques, his original quilts are unique and sought after. With eleven books under his belt, and quilts in permanent collection of museums, he is a popular lecturer and workshop teacher.
And before I forget, Joe Cunningham is doing a retreat with Patricia Belyea at St. Andrew’s Retreat House on the Hood Canal near Seattle, Washington in November. Session 1 is Sunday, November 8th to Friday, November 13th with the theme “Pattern as Metaphor”. Session 2 is Friday, November 13th to Wednesday, November 18th with the theme “Folk Ways”. More info can be found at Okanarts.com
So let’s have a gander at some of the quilts Joe shared with us. To see more there is a gallery on his website, and more stories and information has well as photos on his blog.
We all had a good time with Joe.
Joe Cunningham at Stitch Modern 2015
Patchwork Quilt by Joe Cunningham, 74×47, 2012
detail of Patchwork Quilt by Joe Cunningham, 74×47, 2012
Winter Twister by Joe Cunningam, 73×69, 2010
Winter Twister by Joe Cunningam, 73×69, 2010
The Higgs Explained by Joe Cunningham, 72×74, 2013
detail of The Higgs Explained by Joe Cunningham, 72×74, 2013
1871 by Joe Cunningham, 86×75, 2012
detail of 1871 by Joe Cunningham, 86×75, 2012
Job’s Tears by Joe Cunningham, 2015
detail of Job’s Tears by Joe Cunningham, 2015
Luke Haynes in his American Context by Joe Cunningham, 74×74, 2012
detail of Luke Haynes in his American Context by Joe Cunningham, 74×74, 2012
Bed, after Rauschenberg by Joe Cunningham, 52×64, 2013
Bed, after Rauschenberg by Joe Cunningham, 52×64, 2013
Cerberus Missing His Constellation by Joe Cunningham, 72×72, 2013
detail of Cerberus Missing His Constellation by Joe Cunningham, 72×72, 2013
New Lone Star by Joe Cunningham
New Lone Star by Joe Cunningham
by Joe Cunningham 2014
by Joe Cunningham 2014
Quilt Back by Joe Cunningham 2014
by Joe Cunningham
by Joe Cunningham
by Joe Cunningham
by Joe Cunningham
The Plaid Portico 
Reblogged this on East Bay Modern Quilters and commented:
This is a great post by Carol Van Zandt about the Joe Cunningham lecture at Stitch Modern!
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Great post, Carol! It’s fun seeing the quilts from your perspective!
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Thanks, you looked great holding them all up!
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Interesting man and his quilts!
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How impressive! I love his modern designs. Thanks for sharing.
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I enjoyed seeing all the different quilts that Joe has made, thanks for sharing them with us.
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I just love the huge variety of styles in his body of work. Amazing. Thanks for sharing it!
BB
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