Gualala Arts

2006: Festival -  Judges -  Quilt Raffle

	Art in the Redwoods Festival Quilt Raffle (2006)

"Rainbow Dreams"
2006 Art in the Redwoods Raffle Quilt

On Sunday, August 20, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. the name of the lucky winner of this year's Art in the Redwoods quilt will be pulled from the familiar green raffle drum. Someone, who was wise enough to purchase a ticket, will be the owner of a fantastic prize. The winner need not be present for the drawing.

This queen-sized quilt, made especially for the raffle, named Rainbow Dreams, was designed by Lola De Longoria, and pieced and finished by Lola, Joyce Gaudet, Laura Hamilton, and Mary Alice Bastian. The machine quilting was done by Sharon Malachowski. All of these fine quilters and artists are members of the Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild.

Rainbow Dreams has an interesting evolution. The members of the guild regularly hold Comfort Quilt Workshops where they make the quilts they donate to victims of disasters. Lola originally had designed the cover for a comfort quilt for survivors of the Hurricane Katrina.

Several members were quite impressed with Lola's use of colors so they asked her if she would consider allowing the idea and pattern to become the Art in the Redwoods raffle quilt. When Lola agreed, the lap quilt design was expanded to a queen-size, which was a considerable challenge, but obviously achieved!

The fabrics used to create the top were batiks, donated to the Pacific Piecemakers by Bali Fabrics. Marva Jacobs, of The Loft, generously donated the backing. Rainbow Dreams can be seen at The Dolphin Gift Shop and Gallery and at various other locations around town.

As is the tradition, all the money from the sale of raffle tickets goes into a fund for art scholarships. The Scholarship Committee, under the leadership of Shirley and Chester Case, awarded scholarships of $1000 each to seven outstanding young local artists this spring. They were Jimmi Dawn Lester of Gualala, Rennée Meisner-Bogdahn of Point Arena, Mary Scanlon-Hill of Point Arena, Amanda Hopkins-Pence of Stewart's Point, Lindsey Smith of Annapolis, Danielle Spoor of Gualala, and Jacob Stillman of Gualala. Since the Young Artists Scholarship Program was launched in 2000, Gualala Arts has encouraged local talent with the granting of 29 scholarships, totaling $29,500. When you buy a raffle ticket you are making sure a graduating student goes on to study art.

Get your raffle tickets now at Gualala Arts Center, The Dolphin, The Loft, Four-Eyed Frog Bookstore, Jack's Gualala Pharmacy, and Point Arena Pharmacy. Tickets are $2 each, seven for $10, or 15 for $20. You can also use the handy forms on page 8 of the August 2006 issue of Sketches. The page can be photocopied. Write your name, address and phone number on the tickets you want put into the raffle. Make checks payable to Gualala Arts, P.O. Box 244, Gualala, CA 95445. We also accept Visa and MasterCard.

Check out the 2005 quilt.

For information please call (707) 884-1138 or e-mail to info@gualalaarts.org.