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Quilter Marie de Porres Taylor: Sights & Sounds

Courtesy Marie de Porres Taylor

Sights & Sounds is your weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene. President of the African American Quilt Guild of OaklandMarie de Porres Taylor told KALW’s Jen Chien about three amazing arts events happening around the Bay this week.

Credit Beppe Sabatini
Nicole Kure with knitted items made from yarn handspun from sheep and alpaca on their farm in Redding, CA.

KPFA’s 47th Annual Craneway Crafts Fair features over 150 artisans from California and beyond who gather to exhibit and sell their original and quality handworks in all media, including jewelry, ceramics, and knitwear. Enjoy live entertainment, like blues band Skillet Licorice and the jazz harpist Destiny Muhammad, in a festive food court. There's free parking onsite and a free shuttle from Richmond BART. Admission is $12 and the fair is open on 12/16 and 12/17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"They will be selling ... quilts of course, wall hangings, Christmas-themed items, handywares. So it will be a time for the members and the public to see some of the arts and crafts that the Guild has to offer."

Credit Abbey Shane-Lawrence
Quilts from A 12 X 12 Year on display at Bay Quilts in Richmond.

"A 12 X 12 Year from 30 Perspectives" at Bay Quilts in Richmond asks what happens when a group of artists commit to creating 12 works of art in 12 months with each piece measuring 12" x 12"? 12 X 12 was originally a group of 12 women, but this show has expanded on the original theme and will feature quilts from over 20 different Bay Area artists. Curated by Jo Magaraci and Sue Fox, there are quilts, mosaics, and media on display. Bay Quilts is a quilting and crafts store that opened in 2016, and every month they feature a rotating exhibit at the store's gallery. A 12 X 12 Year from 30 perspectives will be up until 1/2.

"The quilts by this group are all art quilts ... the exciting thing is that they've been doing this for years! This is an opportunity for the 12 X 12 to really exhibit their skills and their projects."

Credit Hayward Arts Council
Artists featured in Favorites by the Sew 'n Sews.

"Favorites from the Sew ’n Sews" is a unique exhibit presenting an array of sewing techniques, textiles, and the creative use of the artists’ daily experiences portrayed in their quilts. Eight artists and fifty-eight quilts comprise this colorful show by the Sew ’n Sews, including members of the AAQGO. Featured artists include Blanche Brown, Dolores Vitero Presley, Carolyn Pope, Julia Vitero, Norma Mason, Pat Bailey, Marylin Handis, and Ann Robinson. Sew ‘n Sews was established twelve years ago with the purpose of sewing and supporting each other in their creative endeavors. The exhibit includes the results of the Sew 'n Sews “Whisper Challenge 2014-15,” a fabric version of the telephone game. The show is at the John O'Lague Galleria inside Hayward's City Hall and will be up until 2/9.

"It's a very exciting new era for the skill and the art of quilting."