Conversations with the Artists
This panel of fiber artists from SAQA Global Exhibition 3D Expression was moderated by Evelyn Penman of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts and Martha Sielman. Artists Shannon Dion, Judy Martin, Betty Busby, and Patty Kennedy-Zafred spoke about creating three-dimensional art quilts. They discussed the process, techniques, and inspiration behind their fiber artwork.
Exhibition Benefactors
Helen Blumen & Jan Acton
Participating Artists:
 | Betty Busby is a New Mexico artist who has been working in fiber since 2004. The classic fractal structures of the sub microscopic world are a constant inspiration, as are natural processes, such as oxidation, replication, and growth. |
 | Shannon Dion grew up in Indiana and Oregon. She now lives in Portage, Michigan. She has been quilting for 36 years and has been a member of SAQA for a little over 2 years. Dion's work explores themes of Judaica and nature. |
 | Patty Kennedy-Zafred creates thought provoking narratives using fabric, dyes, silkscreens, and ink to develop a visual dialogue with the viewer. Kennedy-Zafred has been telling stories through the medium of textiles and art quilts for over thirty years. |
 | Judy Martin uses naturally dyed and/or reclaimed domestic cloth to make sculptural artworks about the inner world. The amount of hand-stitching in her work adds strength, beauty and the sense of touch. Martin strives to connect emotionally and spiritually with her viewers and has adapted the archetypal shapes such as the circle, cross, and repeated dot. |
About the Moderators
 | Evelyn Jones Penman is the Assistant Director at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University where she designs the Gallery’s exhibitions and manages the University Art Collection. With over 30 years’ experience in a variety of museums, Evelyn still finds designing new exhibitions energizing. As an avid historian, Evelyn is interested in bringing art and history together and presenting it in a way that makes it appealing to new audiences. |
 | Martha Sielman is the Executive Director of Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. (SAQA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing art quilting as a fine art medium. As SAQA’s Executive Director, she has witnessed the explosive growth of art quilting, as well as growing interest in art quilts as a legitimate and collectible fine art medium. Over the past 16 years of Sielman’s leadership, SAQA’s membership has grown to over 3,700 members in 39 countries. |
