Monday, September 20, 2010

September 20, 2010

During these hard economic times, how can one be expected to support the arts in any capacity. The job market is tenuous at best, people are losing family homes, and more and more people are depending on government assistance to make ends meet. A piece of art alone cannot keep the electric company from turning off your power, feed your kids or pay your mortgage....or can it?

Much like gems and gold, art has an intrinsic value. Paint a mural in a downtown and watch the surrounding shops embellish their storefronts. Art can also bring in tourist dollars. State College's Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts annually brings together artists of many disciplines, attracting out-of-town as well as local visitors. The revenue from the Arts Festival helps artists, musicians, dancers, local business, restaurants, hotels, etc. The impact of the festival on the local economy is quite impressive. All done with art.

The Pa Quilt Trails, a combination of traditional crafts and arts. It has the potential to attract eco-tourism dollars, spruce up the community, and bring beauty in everyday lives. Every dollar donated helps make the PA Quilt Trails a reality, one that will benefit its community for years to come.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

September 15, 2010


If I ever doubted the power of art with its ability to draw people's attention inward, that doubt is gone after spending the better part of the past week in Bisbee, Arizona. If you've never traveled to this art-filled town, you should immediately amend your bucket list. Everywhere you look, especially in the most unexpected places art pieces, both decorative as well as political permeated the town. As a result Bisbee is one of the most visited places in southeast Arizona outside of Tombstone (can anyone really resist Elvis impersonators hobnobbing with cowboys down a dusty Arizona road?

Like Bisbee, the purpose of the PA Quilt Trails is to draw people's attention inward by using quilt squares to draw attention to some of central Pennsylvania's special places. Followers of our trail will get to slow down, get off the fast lane and experience the beauty of central Pennsylvania by following the beautiful colors and patterns of a quilt square. These painted jewels combine the tradition of a centuries-old craft, color and form to create works of art. If you were on the fence about supporting the PA Quilt Trails,now is a critical time in getting this project fully on it's way of becoming a known attractor in the region. Sponsor an entire quilt square ($250)or donate a lesser amount (even $5 helps!) there's a Paypal donation button on the top right hand side of this page. Just click and you can easily make a donation with a credit card or Paypal account.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

September 7, 2010



With quilt square number one practically finished and housed in Lewistown at Community Partnerships RC&D for the the week. Focus is now on the next quilt square to be painted and installed. Thanks to the generous donation from the Juniata Quilters' guild, we have the finances to create a second painted quilt square. A group vote will be held at the guild's next meeting, as far as location. My recommendation for the next quilt square site is at the Ranger Station at the Tuscarora State Forest. It is a lovely site, open to the public and one that would encourage quilt trail followers to get out of their vehicles, take a hike, have a picnic or even avail themselves of state forest camping