The Affair of the Necklace is an affair to remember

A reverent crowd gathered at Sisters Art Works on Friday evening to see the Journeys Art Quilt Group's new exhibit, "The Affair of the Necklace."

The quilting group chose Betty Gientke's necklace as inspiration for their exhibit at a brainstorming meeting. Betty just happened to be wearing the chunky, textural necklace at the meeting and, with its riot of jewel-tone color, it caught the eye of the other quilters. Each member crafted an 18-by-45-inch quilt inspired by the necklace.

The Journeys Art Quilt Group consists of 13 wildly creative and talented quilters.

"That's a lucky number for us," said Donna Rice, a member of the group.

The Journey members clearly do not follow the rules of superstition. They don't follow any rules in quilting, either.

"We are really a group of people ready to break away from traditional quilts and experiment with art quilts," said Rice, while explaining why the group got together back in 2006.

Although each quilter drew inspiration from the same necklace, the creations are distinctly different. Most echo the vivid fuchsia, teal, canary yellow, and lime colors of the necklace, but some focus on the more muted metallic chain. Some, such as Betty Gientke's quilt, capture the sheen of the beads and the predominant circular shapes of the necklace.

Jean Wells Keenan's piece, "The Break Up," began with an end in mind. She writes about her inspiration: "With most affairs there is a break-up and it is no different with 'The Affair of the Necklace.'" Her quilt depicts beads scattering away from the chain, creating visual texture and the sudden need to belt out Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive."

In the lobby of Sisters Art Works, where "The Affair of the Necklace" pieces hang, the quilters complement each other's work.

"We respect each other and share ideas," said Gientke of the group. "We are all on a journey of exploring our own voice in art," she added.

The Journeys quilters are united by their innovative techniques and artistic skill, but the members come from a variety of backgrounds. "We are all so different, and we have different voices," Rice explained.

"Charlene (Kenny) is a big knitter so she incorporated wool in her quilt; Donna (Cherry) is more of a realist and you can tell that's her quilt," elaborated Gientke, pointing to Cherry's "The Gift," an amazing fiber portrait which takes its cues from Rembrandt.

The Journeys Group is clearly on point with their exhibit. But how do they find the patience and inspiration? Ruth Ingham, another Journeys quilter, shares the secret: "We laugh a lot."

"The Affair of the Necklace" will be on display at Sisters Art Works until February 28. The exhibit will also show at a variety of other locations, including the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in July.