CC Foundation, Art Dept and Hi Desert Quilt Guild team up to present ‘The Art and Obsession of Stitching’

Titled “HDQG – The Art and Obsession of Stitching,” the exhibition will open on March 1. The opening will kick off at 6 p.m. with artist talks beginning at 6:30 p.m. The event will end at 9 p.m.

The opening will be held in the art gallery in the library at Cerro Coso’s Ridgecrest/IWV Campus and will remain on display through late April.

The title of the upcoming exhibition is appropriate, according to Quilt Guild member JoAnn Foster.

Anyone who has viewed the guild’s work can attest that quilts are a form of art. And to those who practice it, quilting can quickly become an obsession (in a positive sense).

“Once you start [quilting], you just want to keep trying new things,” Foster said with a laugh.

The exhibition was curated by Cerro Coso Professor of Art Tanner Maguire and will feature roughly 22 quilts by 12 quilt artists.

Quilts on display will range from art quilts to more traditional ones – all stitched by local quilters.

Patterns range from figurative and abstract to landscapes, according to Maguire. One quilt was even made with fabric left over from making COVID-19 face masks.

“There is no one kind of quilting,” Foster explained.

As anyone who appreciates quilts knows, each one comes with its own story – which this exhibit will acknowledge.

“Quilters who have quilts up there will have two minutes to tell about their journey, how did they get to this point and what was something special about what they stitched,” Foster said. “You see their quilts and you don't know a lot about them. It's really fun to find out what their journey has been.”

The presentation will begin with opening words from Quilt Guild President Linda Christiansen, followed by short talks by the individual quilt artists.

In addition to displaying original art, the exhibition can serve as an introduction for anyone interested in learning more about quilting. Just beware. According to Foster, stitching can become addictive — as the exhibition title implies.

The CCCC Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to support access, success, and excellence for students, faculty, and staff at Cerro Coso Community College. For more information contact the Foundation at kimberly.metcalf@cerrocoso.edu or call (760) 384-6145 or learn more about the CCCC Foundation.