"Topography #2: Crest Trail" by Shannon Conley was inspired by her favorite hiking trail in Southern New Mexico.

Topography #2: Crest Trail was inspired by the high desert mountains of Southern New Mexico and is a depiction of one of Shannon's very favorite hiking trails to take in those mountains. The quilt is made based on a U.S.G.S topographic map with all the layers individually cut out by Shannon.

Artist Statement: "The flexibility of cloth and stitch lends itself well to creating motion and texture, and I'm interested in how the processes of layering and then taking away can create dimension and shape. Layer after layer is peeled away to expose what's underneath: organic openings that shift in shape, color, and depth. This piece began with hand painted cloth and a machine quilted base, and then are layered and/or cut away, and anchored with hand stitching.  Each layer corresponds to a 160ft topo line from a USGS map of the White Mountain Wilderness in southern New Mexico.  The region depicted was chosen in gratefulness for my favorite childhood hiking trail: Crest Trail #25."