Long Beach Quilt Show - did you go?

[Connie R.]

I was not able to attend Long Beach this year (July 2008). I understand it's the first time in Long Beach and was wondering if anyone attended. If you did attend, how was it? Your thoughts and comments will be appreciated. Connie in California

[Connie R.]

Yes, I went on both Friday and Saturday. It was crowded and the parking, was well, they call it parking? I was told that Olympic trials were taking place in the same area on those days.

There were so many vendors and so many quilts. The way they had the quilts laid out was rather confusing. You couldn't just go up one aisle and down the next, it was in circles or squares or something. I am sure that I missed some quilts. I didn't care for the lighting in the quilts areas, it was difficult to see the quilts clearly. It didn't take long to see them because there weren't many that appealed to me. Most of them were art quilts and I am not a fan.

The good thing? I didn't have far to go to get to Long Beach. I was really rather amazed at the fact that those people have actually put on shows before. There were so many things that were so poorly done. At a small local show last weekend, I spoke with three vendors who had been at the Long Beach Festival. They didn't speak well of it and didn't do very well there even though there were about 13,000 people the first day and they expected 30,000 the second. I heard that they only expected 5,000 the first day.

Will I go next year? Nope, I don't think it was worth the gasoline to drive 35 miles, the $10 to get in and the $10 to park my car.

JoAnne

[Connie R.]

I forgot to mention that I've spoken to many people who went to the show and have yet to hear a positive comment.
JoAnne

[Judy M.]

I had unexpected surgery and didn't get to go! I was supposed to white glove, too, and had to have a dear soul fill in for me. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't like the show, JoAnne. I haven't talked to anyone about it--I hope to talk to people in my guild this month. The parking and entrance fees are about normal for a big show. Was it a juried show? I don't remember them asking for submissions. I don't know how well vendors are doing this year at the shows. I know I haven't spent as much $$$ as usual, but I've got so much stuff and I'd really like to finish the quilts I've got in progress. Maybe other quilters are feeling the same way. Judy in Torrance

[Judy M.]

Judy, I know that the entrance price and parking are the usual, I just didn't think that spending the $20 was worth it. It wasn't a juried show and that was a little disappointing. Maybe they will change that and also change their belief (at least that's what it seems to be) that most of the quilts should be art quilts. That was the biggest disappointment for me, there wasn't a good variety of quilts.

I think that the vendors might not have done as well as they hoped was because there were so many of them. I believe that there were over 150. There were plenty of people buying and I spent a good deal though I certainly shouldn't have. I already have too much fabric.

I do hope that all is well with you. We'll meet one of these days!
JoAnne

[Hannelore N.]

Why is a non-juried show a disappointment?? I'm a big fan of them, because you genuinely get everything from the sublime to the ridiculous. I love that sort of variety because it genuinely reflects what quilting and quilters are all about. There is also the argument that when you spend a lot of time, effort (and money) on making a quilt, it feels good to know that it'll be on show, rather than being rejected by some jurors who sometimes have very specific ideas about what should be accepted and what not. I remember a quilt getting turned down in a medium-size show. It then went on to win it's category in one of the biggest shows in the US.

Traditional quilts have the same problem here in the UK. Art quilts seems to gain in popularity, and sometimes at the expense of the traditonal ones, or so it seems. This can easily be remedied: Make traditional quilts and keep entering them into all shows that you can think of.

I'm switching off the computer now for a few days and go to Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. Can't wait to meet Ricky and to see what my friends' and my quilts look like hanging there - and they are all in the traditional categories.

[Hannelore N.]

I always encourage folks to send in entries to shows. They need a few hundred quilts to make up the show, so you have a shot at getting juried in. And if you don't at the first one you try, try again at a different one, since they will have a different jury with different opinions. Jonathan Shannon's quilt, "Amigos Muertos", got turned down the first time he entered it at Paducah, but another year, with another jury, it was accepted and won a prize, and it ended up being included in the 100 best quilts of the 20th century, so you just never know.

Pat in Rockport, TX

[karen f.]

Isn't that so arbitrary? To not even get in one year and then the same quilt is chosen one of the best 100?! Wow. It's no wonder a quilter could not be sure on their own if their quilt is good or not. I guess it's a good idea to just send them in and take a chance.
Karen

[karen f.]

Lorchen, to me, a non-juried show brings more variety and I like that. Most of the quilts at the Long Beach show were of the art type and I missed seeing the traditional ones and others. Shows locally are non juried but they always have a lot of variety, not everyone likes the same type quilts.

JoAnne

[Judy M.]

JoAnne, I understand now what you meant about the fees not being worth it. I wouldn't want to see just art quilts, either. It would probably give me a headache :!: :!: :!: :lol: Lorchen, I like a wide variety of quilt styles, too. I've seen that in a juried show before. It was a Mancuso sponsored show about ten years ago in Palm Springs, CA--it was the most AMAZING show I had ever seen!!! Also, I agree with everyone about jurying and judging of quilts--the beauty and sometimes workmanship is in the eye of the beholder. I enjoy seeing the art quilters demonstrate how they make their quilts, but I would probably never do it myself. I have to go with what makes me happiest, and that is traditional quilts! It seems quilts fall in and out of "fashion" just like everything else. I always remember the 1933 World's Fair Quilt Contest--a traditional quilt won, and it really didn't hold a candle to some of the more progressive and original designs that were submitted. (and to top it off, the winner cheated and didn't even make the quilt!) BTW, Lorchen, I hope you have a great time at the Birmingham show!!! Judy in Torrance

[Judy M.]

Lorchen

I believe Yvonne will be at the quilt show too, if so I hope you two get to meet up! Good luck with showing your quilt,How exciting,"I hope you come back with a wonderful ribbon". It was years before I saw the beauty in art quilts,Ricky has changed this for me,now I look with amazement of the beauty that is hidden with in ones vision like music it all comes together for me. I Hope all this make sense and yet I'm traditional quilter. I Love seeing Mickey Depree art quilts,Stephanies, and many others as well. Wish I had alittle more art in myself to explore through creating quilts & crafts.

Here we had a quilt/craft show with many vendors two years ago. Paid an entry fee. There was not many quilts in the show set up for ribbon catagory. I saw about 8-10 quilts at the most set up for the show. I bought an applique iron from one of the vendors good thing I checked the two different booths,same iron $2.00 difference,well $2.00 I could buy something else! So now I go around to check out all the vendors before I buy anything unless its fabric that I REALLY REALLY Like. I Love seeing all the crafts vendors have set up and I like looking at there quilt displays,tools,fabrics. Yeah, I get lost in it all!!!

We have a sewing machine and vacum shop in Montgomery called Kramers.They have beautiful quilts/crafts every where displayed in there shop. They do beautiful work and have agreat many of work shops for different lessons. I like to go in just to look at all there quilts/crafts. I already have a machine________I don't want no vacum,I have a cheap one that works fine when it comes out dancing. Lessons I've never done____maybe some day I might do one, I'm pretty visional when it comes to traditional. I could hang with Ritzy all day_______"I spy" LOL, with Kathy and Brigette holding up a bolt of fabric,staking out the exit!!! I Gotta do Indiana some time its not to far off.

Anyhoo, ( Have agreat time at the quilt show and bring back us a nice ribbon) of course lots of goodies too.

Hugzzz,Kathy

[Judy M.]

I just looked at Mickey Dupre's site and I know very well what Ricky's quilts look like. Maybe what I am calling "art" quilts aren't art quilts. They are hard to describe, they're interpretive or something. You can't tell what they are trying to depict by looking at them. It was like looking at a lot of "modern art" and I did not care for it. I am wishing that my daughter, an art teacher, had been with me. Now, I wish I had taken photos.

I had heard, months ago, that the Long Beach show was going to feature "artsy" quilts because it's L A! Oh, to have to live in LA LA land!

JoAnne

[Judy M.]

JoAnn

I'm a traditional quilter and just the past two years I found a Love for art quilts. Everyone likes different things and its okay just like fabrics & patterns - we all have different taste. I feel you struggling like myself for years in like-ing folk art quilts and ect. its okay.We all like what we like really. I can see a beautiful quilt and think dang that is ugly fabric,I visioned something someone else might have loved. We all like and see things differently through our own eyes. I think over time you will find you really do like it, if your daughter was there with you and she liked it you might have seen something through her vision,I'm like this with my girls.
Hugzzz,Kathy

[Judy M.]

There is a Fibre Arts show at the Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center in Ocean Springs this month. Sonuvaquilter and I have a date for Monday! He leaves for school the next day so I'll get some quality time with him. He's alot of fun to hang out with. Anyway, it should be very interesting. I love the town I live in. I describe it as an "artsy little town".
Sherry in S MS

[Judith T.]

Sherry, where is his farewell message or did I miss it? Judy in AZ