The world's largest quilt festival, "International Quilt Festival" / A stroll through New York

Although New York City is gradually regaining its vibrancy, many art events are still closed, making for a somewhat lonely winter... Just then, a craft-loving friend of mine remarked, "Texas is really thriving!" Curious, I asked what she meant, and she explained that the world's largest quilt festival, the "International Quilt Festival," is scheduled to take place there. This event, famous for attracting high-quality works from around the world, is perfect for satisfying my long-held craving for art!

A three-and-a-half-hour flight from New York took me to Houston, a major city in Texas. This city, where Hispanic and white cultures blend beautifully, has recently attracted many artists and is a hot spot that is likely to attract even more attention as an art hub.

Upon arriving at the venue, the George R. Brown Convention Center, the entrance was packed with craft enthusiasts carrying quilt bags. This long-running festival, held annually since 1975, was canceled last year due to the coronavirus, so everyone must have been eagerly awaiting its return for the past two years.

Upon entering, the first thing you see is the booths of manufacturers selling craft-related products. This year, the event was half the size of previous years, but still, nearly 300 brands of all sizes from across the United States were crammed into the space. In addition to basic items such as needles and fabrics, the entire floor was filled with unique vintage buttons and decorative items that are hard to find even on shopping websites, and everyone from quilting beginners to advanced quilters was enjoying themselves in their own way. There were also many manufacturers selling the latest products of long-arm quilting machines, which have seen increasing demand in recent years, and some booths offering hands-on experiences had long lines.

Just visiting these booths is incredibly satisfying, but the biggest highlight of this festival is undoubtedly the "Judged Show." This section displays award-winning works by artists, categorized into 17 different themes. It's a rare opportunity to see hundreds of carefully selected works from not only America but from all over the world! Although some of the works can be seen on the website, the softness unique to quilts, the interplay of light and shadow created by their three-dimensionality, and the exquisite detail that makes them almost indistinguishable from photographs can only be experienced at this venue. I was particularly drawn to the geometric patterns reminiscent of Amish quilts, and the works that made extensive use of circular patterns had a mandala-like quality that drew me in, making me want to buy several. Seeing so many wonderful works in person made me truly glad I came!

We also had the opportunity to speak with Bob Luziello from the festival's organizing team, and the first thing he said was, "I'm so glad we were able to overcome the COVID crisis and hold the event. That's the most important thing. I want to thank the team who worked so hard with me," he said with a relieved expression. Apparently, many people started making masks and other crafts during the pandemic, and became interested in quilting, which has kept the quilting industry very busy. In fact, the festival has attracted far more visitors than expected from the very first day, and he happily told us that he is very much looking forward to seeing what kind of works they will create in the future.

Finally, when I asked Bob for his recommendations, he mentioned two pieces: "Access Delayed," a series of works depicting the suffrage movement of African American women that has continued since the 19th century, and "Women from the Winterveld," which uses Mapura embroidery from South Africa to express the hardships of the pandemic. I felt that this festival's stance was to confront racial issues in America through art.

It seems there were fewer participants from Japan this year compared to previous years, but hopefully next year it will be easier for people from Japan to participate! By the way, the BBQ in Texas is absolutely delicious.

* The official website for the International Quilt Festival that Ms. Ikezawa visited isCLICK HERE.

Takashi Ikezawa

Following the policy of "I only do what I love," I run RESOBOX, a Japanese cultural space in New York, the land of freedom. My hobbies are mountain climbing, Iaido (Japanese sword drawing), and playing the violin. I also host a podcast called "All Night New York" with two other Japanese men living in NY. Please check it out!https://www.resobox.com/