Stunning Textile Work on Display in Circular Abstractions: Bull's Eye Quilts at The Westmoreland

Anne Anderson, Orbit, Cotton, 79 x 78.5 inches

GREENSBURG, Pennsylvania (November 20, 2018) – Circular Abstractions: Bull’s Eye Quilts, a touring exhibition that features some of the best machine-piecing and quilting being done today, will be on view at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art from December 15, 2018 through March 10, 2019. An opening reception will be held during Art on Tap, the Museum’s monthly happy hour, on Friday, December 14, 2018 from 5-7pm.
Organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art and curated by Nancy Crow, a renowned fine art quilt maker herself, Circular Abstractions displays 41 quilts by 32 artists who were challenged to create works that interpreted the bull’s eye pattern, traditionally a four-quadrant design with a bull’s eye at the center of each quarter.
Artists responded to the invitation by deconstructing and reassembling the bull’s eye into new compositions, resulting in a strikingly complex body of images, with each piece conveying its own distinct voice. Many of the artists maintain the quadrants, while others have circles that break those boundaries.
“I was drawn to this exhibition when it was first offered by the Muskegon Museum of Art because I was fascinated with the variety and complexity that the artists achieved by using a simple bull’s eye pattern,” said Barbara Jones, chief curator of The Westmoreland. “Speaking through the fundamental tools of art making—pattern, color, design, composition, rhythm, value and movement—these pieces communicate a host of impressions and narratives.”
“We are very excited for our visitors to experience this exhibition featuring some of the best fine artists working in textiles and pushing the boundaries of quilt making,” said Anne Kraybill, the Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO of The Westmoreland.
Circular Abstractions: Bull’s Eye Quilts was organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art with Guest Curator, Nancy Crow. Travel is sponsored in part by Bayer Crop Science.
This exhibition is made possible by the Hillman Exhibition Fund of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and through the generosity of our members and donors.
Related Events for Circular Abstractions:
Holiday Brunch and Exhibition Tour
Sunday, December 16 > 11:30am
$35 ($30 members)
Enjoy a holiday-inspired brunch by Elegant Catering and a tour of the exhibition with Chief Curator Barbara Jones.
Artists Talk: Quilting in the Modern Era
Sunday, January 13 > 2-3:30pm
FREE
Join us as quilters Stefani Danes and Shawn Quinlin lead a discussion about their experiences and perspectives as fabric artists in the 21st century.
Quilting Workshop with Tina Brewer
Sunday, January 20 > 1-4pm
$55 ($50 members)
Tell your story through the creation of your own story quilt in this workshop led by internationally recognized fabric artist Tina Williams Brewer.
Sewing, Quilting and Fiber Arts Drop-In Events
Sunday, January 27 > 1-3pm
Sunday, February 24 > 1-3pm
FREE
Are you a quilting and sewing enthusiast? Curious about fiber arts? Bring your project or curiosity and enjoy the company of fellow quilters and sewers. All skill levels are welcome and light refreshments will be served.
Members Tour: Quilts in the Vault
Wednesday, February 20 > 6-8pm
FREE (Museum members only)
Join Chief Curator Barbara Jones for a walkthrough of Circular Abstractions, and then enjoy a special sneak peak of the Museum’s quilt collection in the vault.
Celebrating Quilts, Music and Movement
Sunday, March 3 > 2-3:30pm
FREE
Join faculty and students from the dance, musical theater and music programs at Seton Hill University as they present a special performance inspired by Circular Abstractions.
For more information on these programs, including RSVP/ticket purchasing, go to thewestmoreland.org/circular.
About The Westmoreland Museum of American Art 
Committed to stimulating imagination and innovation through great experiences with art, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, is the only museum dedicated to American art in western Pennsylvania. The Westmoreland’s extraordinary permanent collection, with its strong focus on the art and artists of southwestern Pennsylvania, is complemented by an impressive schedule of temporary exhibitions— both nationally traveling exhibitions and those organized by the Museum—as well as community-oriented programming and special events. More information is available at thewestmoreland.org and on the Museum’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles.
The Westmoreland receives funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; the Marketing to Attract Tourism Grant through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development; and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.