Paula NadelsternThe Texas Quilt Museum will merge the fantastical with the traditional with its summer exhibits, featuring a free appearance and guest lecture by one of the art form’s most noted names!

 

The works of Paula Nadelstern will be celebrated in “Symmetry and Surprise: Kaleidoscopic Quilts by Paula Nadelstern.” Opening on June 13, the retrospective with 15 quilts of this artist’s unique work is sure to delight the eye with its colorful and detailed images that bring to mind the wonders of the optical instrument.

 

Nadelstern will also make an appearance at the Museum and give a free lecture about her work and the exhibit on Saturday, June 29, at 3 pm. Museum admission is free beginning at 2 pm.

 

“As Paula has said, the word ‘kaleidoscope’ promises surprise and magic, change and chance. Paula Nadelstern’s amazing quilts sparkle with these elements,” says Museum Curator Dr. Sandra Sider. “Most of these works are quilted by hand, and several of them feature fabrics designed by the maker whose work was included in The Twentieth Century's 100 Best American Quilts. Come and enjoy the fascinating world of Paula’s beautiful quilts!”

 

On her website, Nadelstern expounds on her work. “Exploding with visual excitement, a kaleidoscopic design organizes an abundance of light and color, form and motion into a complex and coherent image,” she writes.

 

​Kaleidoscopic XVIII: Chai (37" x 37”) by Paula Nadelstern. From the exhibit “Symmetry and Surprise.”

 

“My goal is to harmoniously integrate the idea of a kaleidoscope with the techniques and materials of quiltmaking. I try to free myself from a conventional sense of fabric orderliness, seeking a random quality in order to imitate the succession of chance interlinkings and endless possibilities synonymous with kaleidoscopes.”

 

In addition to her award-winning quilts, Nadelstern is also a teacher, lecturer, author, and fabric designer. Find out more about her and her work at www.PaulaNadelstern.com

 

Also on display this summer is an exhibit that features contemporary interpretations of some of quilting’s most traditional patterns, blocks, styles, and techniques. Opening on June 27, “In the American Tradition” features 31 works of breadth and diversity.

 

​Broadway Beauty (58" x 58") by Mary Davis. From the exhibit "In the American Tradition." 

 

“Our exhibition includes works in traditional style, some with an original twist, such as a charming hankie appliqué quilted with hearts, an autumn-themed quilt with pumpkins on the bordering vine, a basket design with different flowers in each basket, and a Double Wedding Ring in brilliant neon hues,” Dr. Sider says.

 

“Several showstoppers feature spectacular hand quilting, the technique dominating this exhibition. It also has an appealing pictorial quilt depicting four 18th-century women stitching the original American flag, along with a graphically modern Yo-Yo quilt.”