The quilt was presented to the Beaufort County Arts Council in late 2011, a gift from one arts organization to another. It represents 40 years of the arts council existence and the effort of the Pamlico River Quilter’s Guild members to commemorate the anniversary by supporting the arts.
Throughout 2012, the quilt has been on display at every arts council reception and gathering; tickets have been sold for $1 each or six for $5, for the drawing that will send one lucky winner home with a piece of Beaufort County history to keep them warm at night.
The last chance to buy tickets for the drawing will be at the opening reception for the Irene Glover Forbes retrospective exhibit at 5:30 p.m. tonight.
“The exhibit of Irene’s work will be a fitting backdrop for the drawing of our
anniversary quilt,” said Joey Toler, executive director of the arts council. “She was such an important part of the arts community here for so long.”
The quilt was hand-stitched by quilter’s guild members Pat Carlson, Gwen Estep, Kathy Schaffter, Toni Reiner and Glenda Barnes and machine-quilted by Louise Heerschap.
Sewn into a corner on the back side of the quilt is a synopsis of Beaufort County arts, outlining the council’s beginnings as an outgrowth of a painting class held by the City of Washington’s Recreation Department, to the formation of the Pamlico Arts Group. That organization got the ball rolling with what, in 1972, became the Beaufort County Arts Council, with monthly art exhibits, poetry readings and art classes. Pamlico Arts Group was also behind the creation of a “Fine Arts Division” of the Beaufort County Fair — a precursor to the arts council’s annual Fine Arts Show held every October.
The drawing and exhibit signal an end to a series of anniversary events held throughout 2012.
The opening reception for the Irene Glover Forbes exhibit and drawing for the anniversary quilt will be held at the Washington Civic Center, 110 Gladden Street, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. tonight. For more information, call the arts council at 252-946-2504.