Sunday, November 12, 2006

1:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

Gatehouse, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA

Art therapists create a quilt for a Katrina victim

Norcata Quilt - Sea and Sky Quilt

Workshop leaders: Janet K. Long (M.A., LMFT, ATR-BC,
practicing art therapist for 37 years and a founding member of NCATA.)
and Sara Kahn (B.A. Painting, M.A. Ed. Psych., Art Therapy Certificate U.C. Berkeley, NCATA S.F. regional rep.)

The thank you letter from the "Sea and Sky Quilt" recipients:

"Sea and Sky Quilt Project" Report

Twelve Northern California art therapists met at the Gatehouse, Fort Mason, to create quilt squares for the "Sea and Sky Quilt" Sara kahn and Janet Long were inspired by Mary Kay Kew's Art Therapy relief work in Missisipi after Hurricane Katrina; she linked them up with Mary Beth Martina, a hurricane survivor near Waveland, MS, who suggested the name of a family who lost everything (home and business) in the Hurricane, The Natals, as the reciepients of the quilt.

The quilting group constructed unique squares with fabrics chosen by Sara Kahn, working from visiting the DeYoung's "Gees Bend Quilt Exhibition" and the theme of Sea and Sky. Janet and others brought old pieces of lace, tatting, embroidery, and crochet, plus photo transfers, to add to the theme of "old and new". Each quilter used her imagination to combine forms and colors reflecting these themes. The result was unique and inspiring. Most participants finished their quilt squares at home after the meeting, sending them to Sara and Janet to combine in a "Crazy Quilt" construction(see photos) Sara Janet and Barbara Skelly worked many hours sewing the front design and putting the batting and backing, "Japanese Style" all together. The final queen sized quilt was tuffted with yarn and sent to Mississippi on 12/21/06 in time for the Winter Solstice and for the Natal Family to recieve their comforting quilt by New Years.

We discovered after concieving this project that AATA had organized Regional Hurricane Katrina Quilt projects, making color-coordinated quilts that were presented at the AATA Conference in New Orleans(See photo) We noticed that maybe our seeing the "Gee's Bend" Quilts inspired our quilt to be diverse in composition and colors. Sara and Janet want to thank all the members who gave their time to this creation. The quilt block contributers are: Gail Caulfield, Wende Heath, Jenny Hu, Sara Kahn, Barbara Kugler, Janet Long, Yudith Segev, Barbara Skelly, Deborah Sharpe, Beth VanDusen and Suzette Westsmith.

		Pictures of individual quilt blocks from the "Sea and Sky Quilt"
Deborah Sharpe	Beth VanDusen
Deborah Sharpe	Gail Caulfield
			Jenny Hu
		Suzette Westsmith	Yudith Segev
Wende Heath		Barbara Skelly	Barbara Kugler