Business of Craft Episode 21 Martha Sielman on Art Quilting

Business of Craft Episode 21 Art Quilts with Martha Sielman

WELCOME TO EPISODE #21 OF BUSINESS CRAFT

In today’s episode, Leanne talks with Martha Sielman, executive director of Studio Art Quilt Associates. She has a wealth of experience advancing the movement of art quilting, gaining exposure for the medium in museums and generally educating everyone about the wonderful world of art quilts.

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#1 Can you give our listeners a primer on your organization, SAQA? [2:00]

#2 How would you define what an art quilt is? [2:45]

#3 What has been the biggest shift in the art quilt world? [6:35]

#4 What do you see for the future of art quilting? Can you give us a couple of predictions? [9:10]

#5 Other than framing, what other characteristics distinguish art quilts? [10:36]

#6 Are you seeing anyone use the new technologies like virtual reality or augmented reality as part of their work? [13:46]

#7 Tell us about the benefits of joining SAQA as a member? [14:25]

#8 Do the regional groups have opportunities to meet up outside of the annual conferences? [16:25]

#9 For quilters out there who might be interested in taking their craft to the level of art, what advice would you have for them? [19:05]

#10 How does one determine whether they’re a hobby quilter or an art quilter? [23:26]

#11 Do most artists start out as a hobby quilter and then move to art quilts or do most artists start somewhere else? What’s the “gateway craft” you most commonly see? [25:18]

#12 Are you concerned that the basic skills are not being learned that would eventually lead someone into art quilts? [28:35]

#13 I’d love to hear more about your philosophy about how art quilts can facilitate dialog about a particular topic. Can you share with us some examples of exhibits that have been particularly effective in that regard? [31:50]

#14 How do you develop exhibitions? [36:05]

#15 How should curators go about contacting SAQA for an exhibition? [37:14]

#16 Can you tell us about the SAQA mentoring program? [37:50]

#17 How long is the mentorship?[39:00]

#18 I understand that you might be publishing a history of the art quilt movement. Can you tell us about that? [41:25]