‘Hesitant’ artist holds out HOPE

The theme of the upcoming My Own Two Hands community arts fundraiser to benefit Sisters Folk Festival is “Holding Hope.” Some 100 original art pieces will be sold in both a silent and live auction held online from May 10-15. Bidders will have an opportunity to view the works to be offered in advance at times to be announced.

Pieces to be included will represent a broad spectrum of art including ceramics, sculpture, carvings, paintings, lithographs, furniture and fabric art. SFF Board Chair Terry Buchholz, describing herself as a hesitant public artist, having only once before shown any of her quilted art publicly, will enter a work.

She is in awe of the many fine artists whose creations will be on exhibit. Like other reluctant artists, she had to be coaxed into submitting an entry for the juried event.

In keeping with the “Hope” theme, Buchholz has designed a 7-by-7-inch framed quilt with three images — rainbow, sun and dancing children. The rainbow portion itself consists of 500-plus hand-dyed fabric pieces. Intricate would be an understatement. Detail and intricacy, however, match her background as a water resource engineer.

Terry has been quilting for about 15 years, starting primarily with landscapes and growing into more abstract designs in the last ten years. She has made quilts as small as five inches square to 100-by-100 inches. She began her quilting journey with her best friend, Kristin Sacks, both brand new to the world of fabric art.

Buchholz, like she does with all of her many community and professional endeavors, absorbed all she could on the subject or task before her. She took classes, studied the masters and innovators and experimented unabashedly. She credits her growth to Jean Wells, founder of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show and owner of Stitchin’ Post.

“Jean was always so positive and reinforcing,” Buchholz says, adding that “Wells saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.”

Terry works in a small home studio where she has a stash of every imaginable fabric, part of the joy she finds in quilting. She usually starts with a paper sketch, moving to free form cutting and then fusing. Most of her topstitching is by hand with some machine work, depending on the subject. She favors metallic and variegated thread for added dimension and color. She uses an iron not just for fusing but shaping the fabric for artistic effect.

The My Own Two Hands virtual auction will open on Monday, May 10 and close on Saturday, May 15. No ticket purchase is necessary to participate in the auction, and bids can be placed from home via cell phone or internet-connected device.

MOTH art is on display at the Campbell Gallery & JAM Studio at Sisters Art Works, 204 W. Adams Ave. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through May 14. Private art viewing is available by appointment outside of those hours; email [email protected] Social distancing and proper mask use are required at all times inside the Sisters Art Works building.

For more information visit www.sistersfolkfestival.org.