You may be aware that I am an animal lover. I am a longtime vegetarian, with 2 dogs and 2 cats. I’ve traveled around the world to photograph animals in the wild. I’ve had an affinity for animals since I was a kid. Somehow I managed to convince my parents to let me have dogs, cats, and a horse.
That love of animals has led me out to the Wild Animal Sanctuary for many years, where 600 large carnivores are living on large pieces of land, after being rescued from terrible conditions and cramped captivity.
One of my non-quilting projects has been to photograph and help catalog hundreds of pieces of donated art at the sanctuary. In a couple weeks I am helping them to run a silent auction at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, to benefit the sanctuary. My quilt that has been traveling in the National Parks exhibit (from a photo of one of their bobcats) will be auctioned off at this fundraiser event.
The week after Quilt Festival I’ll be flying back up to the edge of the Arctic Circle in Canada to photograph the polar bears again. Every time I go up there, I can see the deterioration in the landscape and water and the bears, due to climate change. I’ve made an art quilt with a polar bear that will be traveling in the Endangered Species exhibit next year, from a close encounter I had with an inquisitive bear. I use my art to speak for the wildlife, who have no voice.
Do you use your quilts to make visual statements? Have you thought about being an artist-activist? Have you channeled your frustration by making quilts that search for the Truth?…or speak the Truth? The World needs you now than ever, and you never know how much your art could inspire others.
sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul
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eQuilter Classroom & Event Calendar:
Oct 27 – Charity Sewing Day in our NEW CLASSROOM
Dec 2 – Victoria Findlay Wolfe CQC workshop @ eQuilter
Dec 8 – Holiday Sewing Day – RSVP
Luana’s Travel Calendar:
Oct 20 – Wild Animal Sanctuary ART Fundraiser – Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Nov 2-8 – Houston Quilt Market/Festival
(Nov 8 – Love Your Mother Awards @ Teachers Luncheon)
Nov 13-19, 2018 – POLAR BEAR Tour
Dec 23 – Jan 4 – China
