Gualala Arts will host the Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild 2009 Challenge from the opening Saturday, April 11, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. through May 3.

The name of the 2009 quilt challenge is "It's Easy Being Green," which should bring in a delightful array of quilt concepts ideas: Climate change. Global warming. Disappearing rainforests. Melting ice-caps. Carbon footprint reduction. Renewable energy. Alternative energy. Energy independence. Energy conservation. Plug-in cars. Solar. Wind. Waves. Fuel-cells. Technology. Nature. Clean air. Clean water. Reduce, reuse, recycle, rot. The words and ideas are in the news every day. Going green is an important challenge for each of us, our country, and the world community. Hopefully, Pacific Piecemakers will find "going green" with our quilts a fun and engaging challenge as well.

Quilters everywhere find the concept of a "quilt challenge" irresistible. For over a dozen years on our coast, annual Quilt Challenges have delighted residents and visitors with colorful, creative examples of the art and craft of quilting. Even before local quilters organized to form Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild in 1996, they sponsored annual challenge exhibits at Gualala Arts, each with a special theme or a required fabric or design element. Rules have always been simple, and there's no judge or jury: it's all about participation.

In preparing their projects for these exhibits, quilters of all levels stretch to expand their skills and creativity - and that's the essence of "challenge." The result is an exciting event that involves the wider community, as hundreds of people either attend the opening reception, or visit the show afterwards.

In 1996 the long tradition of quilting in the coastal communities of California from Timber Cove to Fort Bragg was transformed into the Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild thanks to the leadership of Anita Kaplan and Gayle Stewart. The guild encourages creativity at every level.

Monthly programs often feature world famous textile artists who bring their talents to our community through lectures, trunk shows, and workshops open to the public.

Talented guild members also share their skills, teaching basic and advanced classes to anyone who is interested. Consequently, PPQG has grown from about 40 members in 1996, to 120 members.

The quilters of PPQG contribute greatly to the life of the community, providing raffle quilts for the annual arts scholarships, hundreds of "comfort quilts" for those in need, and advancing the arts in general. The annual Challenge show is always a popular event.

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.