Toronto !

(Above:  Me ... during my Power Point presentation!)

Months ago, I learned that my presentation was accepted for the SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) annual conference.  This international group numbers around 4,000 members and has an annual conference.  Ordinarily, every other year, the conference is a virtual event.  Because of the pandemic, however, there hasn't been an in-person conference since 2018.  Until now, there's not been a conference outside the USA.  So ... basically ... this was a BIG DEAL!  I am really proud to have been selected but I was also rather nervous.

(Above:  Selfie before the presentation!)

The title of my Power Point presentation was "Working as an Installation Artist".  It included defining "art installations" ... as a site specific, temporary, and spatially transformative work of art!  I talked about crowd-sourcing materials, partnering with local organizations and businesses, and promoting the opportunities I've enjoyed.  Mostly, I talked about my own journey in this fascinating medium ... starting with a Sacred Circle in 2005, creating Blues Chapel (which was the reason for starting this blog in 2006), and going on to other installations like Last Words, Anonymous Ancestors, Threads: Gathering My Thoughts, etc.  Obviously, the images would appear in the order I selected.  Thus, I had to really "know my own script" backwards and forward!  After all, I didn't want to come off as "reading from notes".  That would be boring!  I practiced for weeks!  Mark Twain once said, "It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech."  Believe me!  I understand! Thankfully, it went very, very well.  I even got a standing ovation!

(Above:  The SAQA conference's banquet and charity auction.)

I met all sorts of talented artists, SAQA staff and board members, and invited guests.  More than 300 small art quilts were available through an on-line/in person auction during Saturday night's banquet.  The event raised over $36,000!  Yes, of course I donated!

(Above:  Some of the talented people I met!)

Despite meeting dozens and dozens of art quilters from Canada, Belgium, Australia, the USA, and all sorts of other places, I was most happy to reconnect with my Canadian cousins!  They've lived outside Toronto for as long as I remember.

I hadn't seen Ann since we went to Hungary in 2010.  She looks the same!  Click here for a blog post and links to photos from this trip.  Ann was married to my Dad's first cousin John (who has passed on).

Herb and Susan are Ann's children.  In the photo above, Herb's wife Janice took the picture.  In the photo below, Susan's partner Mark took the photo.  Until the wonderful lunch at Herb and Janice's house, I'd never met Mark.  The time went too quickly and I hope it isn't such a long time until we see one another again.