Quilt Exhibit Opens September 10 at Miami Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester
PEACE BY PIECE, an exhibition of works by members of the Mason Ohio Stars Quilt Club, opens with a free public reception on Sunday, September 10, from 2 to 5 pm at Miami University's Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.
The exhibition, a joint presentation by the Learning Center and The Arts Alliance, runs through November 7. This is the Club's second exhibition at the Learning Center, and the second time the Learning Center and Arts Alliance have collaborated.
The exhibition's title reflects the peace that quilters find in designing and sewing their creations, working to create something new that they hope will provide comfort for recipients – both the physical warmth of the quilt as well as the comfort from the positive thoughts and energies the quilters put into their creations.
The Club was formed in 1990 by a group of students who took a quilting class in Springboro. A core group of twelve decided to work together, forming the Club which continues to meet at the Mason United Methodist Church.
Over the years the club has made thousands of charity quilts for AIDS infants, Project Linus, veterans, Good Samaritan Hospital's NICU, and for cancer patients. In addition to group projects and learning new techniques, the Club also arranges several field trips each year to attend quilt shows and explore quilt shops around the tri-state area.
The design pattern of Ohio Star quilts date back to the early 1800s, and experienced a resurgence in the Depression era quilts of the 1930s. The pattern was popular among immigrants from Scotland and Ireland, and frequently used by Amish quilters.
The Voice of America Learning Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of VOA Park Drive and Cox Road in West Chester. The exhibition may be viewed Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 9 pm, and on Fridays from 9 am to 4 pm.