Artist’s Quilts

By Janet Dodrill

The historic New Union Center for the Arts

A short distance from Cleveland lies Oberlin, Ohio, a charming college town, with a quaint town square filled with shops, restaurants, and museums. I recently visited an exhibit there, “The Artist as Quiltmaker XV” at FAVA (Firelands Association for the Visual Arts) in the historic New Union Center for the Arts, which runs through July 29, 2012.

The Artist as Quiltmaker XV

The contemporary artist’s quilt exhibit was impressive, and the work diverse in its visual impact and creativity, subject matter, and in technique–using dyes, applique and multimedia, using stitching wizardry both by machine and by hand. The artists represented are from all over the country.

Enjoy these selected artist’s quilt images from the show:

Susan Krueger, Fields, 2011
…inspiration from flying over France and Italy

Sibyl Graber Gerig, Mid-Winter Field, 2011
…capturing afternoon light in mid-winter

May Schonenberger, Dusk, 2011
…using images from my home country, Switzerland

Dusk (Detail)

Mary Ann Weber, Primordial Slime, 2010
…as I meditated, I saw lizards crawling over primordial slime and rocks

Marian Zielinski, 55 Worlds, 2009 (Detail)
…the infinite and undefinable quilt of the universe and my own human perceptual limitations

Marianne R. Willamson, Babbling Brook, 2011 (Detail)
…the movement, and the transparency of the water intrigue me

Cowan Pottery Jazz Bowl by Designer Viktor Schreckengost

By Janet Dodrill

Viktor Schreckengost 1906-2008

In the early 1930s, an Art Deco style masterpiece was created in earthenware with black and vibrant blue glazes and a jazzy New York theme, tilting skyscrapers, stars and other symbols — the “Jazz” bowl. It was designed by ceramicist Viktor Schreckengost.

A web site is dedicated solely for Viktor’s bowls. It states in Viktor’s words that a design was requested, submitted and selected for a punch bowl with a New York theme while he was working at the Cowan Pottery Co. in Rocky River, Ohio, The client turned out to be Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the bowl turned out to be the first of a series (and first of three that she ordered) that he designed. It is estimated there are between 20 and 50 of these bowls, though the exact number is unknown.

Last weekend parade participants created a huge float version of a “Jazz” bowl and displayed it at the popular ‘Parade the Circle’ event in Cleveland.

Rago Arts auction has one of the bowls with a Schreckengost signature and Cowan stamp in their June 16, 2012 auction, estimate: $40,000-$60,000. According to Kovels.com, a similar “Jazz” bowl sold at Rago in 2010 for $158,600, and the bowls have sold at other auctions across the country. The are in both public and private collections.

Jazz bowl at Rago aucton.

I was fortunate enough to see a “Jazz” bowl in person at The Cleveland Museum of Art’s exhibit “Viktor Schreckengost and Twentieth Century Design” a few years ago.

Sources and related links:

Viktor Schreckengost on Wikipedia

Rare Schreckengost Jazz Bowl to Auction at Rago’s in June

Schreckengost Jazz Bowl Sold

The Biggest Jazz Bowl in Parade

Viktor’s Jazz Bowl Web Site