October means orange pumpkins, falling leaves and comfy, colorful quilts to curl up in and enjoy at multiple shows.
The New England Quilt Museum presents four exhibitions on view through Dec. 31 that are guaranteed to make you feel warm in the fall.
“Quarantine Quilts,” a showcase of creativity in the midst of chaos, features 27 quilts by artists from around the world who were challenged to create a new quilt about the virus, life during quarantine or simply how they preserved their sanity in these uncertain times. Quilts were selected by Sandra Sider, curator of the Texas Quilt Museum and editor of “Art Quilt Quarterly.”
Nothing beats a cozy bed when the days and nights cool down — and that takes precedence in NEQM’s second show “Salley Mavor: Bedtime Stitches” now on view. The show features the original three-dimensional illustrations from Mavor’s latest book “My Bed: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep Around the World.” Entirely handmade, with fabric, beads, wire and found objects, each artwork is much like a shallow stage assembled in shadow-box frames.
To capture a distinct sense of place for each culture, Mavor researched the children, architecture, furnishings and landscapes of different regions. It took her six weeks to two months to complete each intricate scene, one stitch at a time. All ages will enjoy this imaginary trip around the world as they discover the many ways children enjoy falling asleep.
Also on view are “Abstract Design in Quilts, 1850-1940,” a selection from the NEQM collection, and “Wood Quilts: Works by Laura Petrovich-Cheney.”
Visit www.neqm.org for hours, admission and COVID details.
Gallery notes
UNDER COVER AT MFA: An important quilt show opened at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston this week, open through Jan. 17. “Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories” features quilts and coverlets used in North America since the 17th century, each with a unique story to tell. Over 50 works on view include examples by an under-recognized diversity of artistic hands and minds from the 17th century to today. Included are designs by female and male; known and unidentified; urban and rural makers; immigrants, and Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian and LGBTQ+ Americans. Visit www.mfa.org for info and details.
NEW AT ICONS MUSEUM: Opening this week at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton is “Icons for Our Time: Orthodox Art from Around the World.” On view through April 3, the show celebrates the 15th anniversary of the museum’s founding by presenting an exhibition of 15 commissioned icons by some of the world’s most important contemporary icon painters from Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cypress, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Japan, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, the U.K. and the U.S. The exhibition examines the spread of Orthodox Christian art through icons and explores the icon as living tradition, a signature feature of Orthodox Christianity and its concept and relevance in modern culture. Featured are recreated sacred spaces unique to each icon’s country of origin, Orthodox chants, iconographer’s workbench, tools and materials and printed recipe cards from each country. Visit museumofrussianicons.org/current-exhibitions/ for additional info, hours and COVID requirements.
MASTER TALK: Registration is open for the next Third Thursday Master Series talk at Worcester Art Museum, being held on at 6 p.m. Oct. 21 in the Museum Cafe. Laura McDonald, art collections registrar at Tufts University, will speak on “Creating an Icon: Edward Augustus Brackett’s visit to John Brown’s Prison Cell.” In her talk, McDonald shares the amazing story of the bust that sculptor Brackett carved of the famed abolitionist and will trace how the bust went missing at Tufts. WAM will share an update on its conservation project of Brackett’s “Shipwrecked Mother and Child.” Members are free; $5 non-members. Masks required for all visitors, ages 5 and over, regardless of vaccination status. The link to register is https://6230a.blackbaudhosting.com/6230a/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=b0c0d391-6996-44a6-9d7c-3cbe1261deec.
Nancye Tuttle’s email address is nancyedt@verizon.net.