The Carson-Myre Charitable Foundation recently awarded a $20,000 grant to the Paducah Quilt Murals Inc (PQMI) for the Quilt City USA® (QCUSA) Murals project. The funds secure the sponsorship of the premier mural featuring an image of the iconic quilt Corona II, Solar Eclipse (1989) by Carol Bryer Fallert-Gentry.
The first QCUSA® Mural, painted by Lead Artist Char Downs of Pinecone Gallery, was unveiled on September 13, 2017 at AQS QuiltWeek®–Fall Paducah, on the floodwall adjacent to the Schroeder Expo and Carroll Convention Center. The timely premier coincided with the historic solar eclipse in 2017.
One of the key objectives of QCUSA® Murals is to use mural paintings of actual quilts to inform the world about the relevance and rich history of quiltmaking in the United States and abroad. Though predominately an outreach program, the Carson-Myre Charitable Foundation recognized the value of this project’s mission and its impact on Paducah.
“The trustees of the Foundation do award limited grants to arts organizations like the National Quilt Museum and the Carson Center,” said Clay Howerton, Vice Chairman of the Carson-Myre Charitable Foundation. “After hearing Dr. Jay Siska speak about Quilt City USA® Murals at Rotary, I had a sense that this project was very real and not a fantasy.”
“The donation from Carson-Myre Foundation is a great enhancement to the fundraising for the Quilt Murals. We are grateful that they saw the value of this public art endeavor,” said Gayle Kaler, PQMI board chair and visionary of QCUSA Murals.
Many local quilting and art enthusiasts, as well as friends across the country and abroad, have shown their support of this project early on with financial gifts and donations that provided start-up expenses, supplies, and legal fees. Since Carson-Myre Charitable Foundation awarded this grant, interest and awareness about the quilt murals is gaining momentum. Additional sponsors will soon be announced.
Quilting and mural painting are both ancient and modern artforms that have become fascinating community records. Quilts and visual arts have also played a major role in transforming Paducah’s creative landscape. By marrying these two artforms, the QCUSA Murals project enhances Paducah’s cultural pedigree as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, and provides a relevant public art tourism attraction with international appeal.
“The quilt murals are a perfect opportunity to showcase how Paducah is a catalyst for connecting cultures through creativity,” said Kaler. “But in addition to its global appeal, QCUSA murals is reinvesting dollars into Paducah’s economy by using the services of local artists and contractors to create and install the murals.”
Upcoming quilts for Quilt City USA® Murals will reflect historic, educational, humanitarian, or environmental relevance, or have an iconic provenance to their time in history such as Corona II. A Quilt Selection Committee, chaired by AQS Show Director Bonnie Browning, has selected quilts for future murals that tell a compelling story and expand the scope of the project.
Dr. Jay Siska, Project Administrator, and Char Downs, Lead Artist, are presenting a series of talks to local groups and organizations explaining the relevance of the project and sharing the behind the scenes look at the development process. Dr. Siska may be reached at 270-443-0895 or jay.quiltmurals@gmail.com.
To follow the project and learn more about Quilt City USA® Murals, visit www.paducahquiltmurals.org.
