Deborah Melton Anderson: About Deborah



	Deborah Melton Anderson has been an art quilt maker for 25 years, having been inspired by antique quilts, ethnic textiles, and other fabrics. Deborah began by emulating the designs and techniques used by 19th Century quiltmakers, but very quickly she evolved into an artist creating her own designs. An early interest was liturgical textiles, where Deborah has had many commissions, but her primary mode of expression has been the art quilt. She has exhibited in numerous juried and invitational shows and has won many awards. Deborah is the mother of two children, and with her husband, she has collected antique textiles from around the world. A transplanted Missourian, she resides in Columbus, Ohio, where she has lived since 1961.

	As can be seen from the photos in the galleries, my work reflects many design and construction ideas. My earliest work was based on traditional designs but with a twist. I have returned to this idea periodically, having created my own contemporary versions of the nine-patch, log cabin, hour glass, Amish, and other traditional designs. Samples of this work are seen in Gallery 1. Another group of my works is made up of pieces inspired by folk art textiles. Illustrated in Gallery 2 is a series of quilts made up of miniature "ties" appliqued to the foundation to make the design. These pieces were inspired by a bed quilt from the 1930's reportedly made by black women from North Carolina during the Great Depression. It is one of the great treasures of our family's antique quilt collection. Early in the 1990's, I became intrigued by the expressive possibilities of using photo transfers --- a technology which grew out of the tee shirt business. Using my own photographs, a color laser copier, and a heat press, I began making quilts based on the transmogrification of my photos. Like many other artists, I learned how a "realistic" subject could be changed for expressive purposes into something more abstract and suggestive by creative manipulation. Gallery 3 highlights this group of work. Finally, in Gallery 4, there is a group of quilts which defies easy definition. Perhaps the best way is to describe them as pictures or designs of varying degrees of abstraction built directly on the fabrics themselves. They may suggest architecture or landscapes or fantastic vegetation, other textiles, or just interesting designs. They are the most challenging to construct, yet can often prove to be the most rewarding.


		Studio Art Quilt Associates David Walker: Artist and Web Designer

	Exhibitions 2005 SAQA Regional Exhibition, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN Old and New, Tony Kitz Oriental Carpets, San Francisco, CA Contemporary Works of Faith ’05, Liturgical Art Guild Biennial, Capital University, Columbus, OH Pushing the Surface 2005, Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum, Roscoe Village , Coshocton , OH Summer Quilt Show, Art Quilt Network/ New York Members Exhibition, Fitton Center for the Creative Arts, Hamilton , OH Explorations in Fiber: New Works by Art Quilt Network/OH, Concourse Gallery, Upper Arlington Municipal Center , Upper Arlington , OH The Fabric of Inspiration: Textiles influencing Textiles, Solo Exhibition, Columbus Cultural Arts Center , Columbus , OH 2004 Art Quilts 2004, Art Quilt Network/NY, Hub-Robeson Galleries, Penn State University , State College , PA Best of 2004, Ohio Designer Craftsmen Annual Exhibition, Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, OH Biennial Art Exhibition, National League of American Pen Women, Washington, DC Explorations, Quilt/Surface Design Symposium instructors' exhibition, Mansfield, OH Fava Invitational, Firelands Association Of the Visual Arts, Oberlin, OH 2003 Fibrations, Art Quilt Network/NY members, Noho Gallery, NYC Contemporary works of Faith ’03, Liturgical Art Guild Biennial Exhibition, Capital University , Columbus , OH Spring Juried Exhibition 2003, Ohio Art League, Acock Building, Columbus , OH Best of 2003, Ohio Designer Craftsmen Exhibition, Ohio Craft Museum , Columbus , OH, and Southern Ohio Museum , Portsmouth , OH Pushing the Surface 2003, Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum , Roscoe Village , Coshocton , OH Explorations, Quilt/Surface Design Symposium instructors' exhibition, Wesserling Museum , Mulhouse , France Ohio Pioneers of the Art Quilt, Snowden Gallery, College of Human Ecology , Ohio State University, Columbus , OH Off the Bed, On the Wall, Everymember Exhibiton of the Art Quilt Network/OH, Fitton Center for the Creative Arts , Hamilton , OH Quilts=Art=Quilts 2003, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center , Auburn , NY Professional Experience, Awards, Collections Deborah has shown work in Quilt National, Visions, several Best of . . . (Ohio Designer Craftsmen's annual exhibition), Liturgical Art Guild Biennials, NLAPW Biennials, with both Art Quilt Network/OH and Art Quilt Network/NY groups, juried and many invitational exhibitions throughout the United States. Deborah's professional experience includes teaching workshops at Quilt/Surface Design Symposium, Columbus, OH. Also she has served as juror, curator, and organizer of exhibitions and has lectured about quilts and liturgical textiles. Deborah has received awards from Ohio Designer Craftsmen, Liturgical Art Guild, National League of American Pen Women, FAVA (Firelands Association of the Visual Arts), and Tactile Architecture. Deborah's work is included in corporate and private collections, and her commissioned liturgical textiles (45 or more) appear in schools, churches and temples, primarily in central Ohio.