Up &Coming

American Quilts/American Voices

In 2004, Rik was named a speaker for Humanities Washington’s Inquiring Mind speaker bureau series. His topic is “American Quilts/American Voices.” The first engagements begin spring of 2005 at the times and locations shown below.

Thursday, March 17, 7:00 p.m. – Jefferson County Library, 620 Cedar Ave., Port Hadlock, WA

Saturday, March 19, 4:00 p.m. – Clear Creek Interpretive Center, Bucklin Hill Road and Levin Road, Silverdale, WA

Thursday, April 21, 7:00 p.m. – Mid-Columbia Library, 1620 S. Union, Kennewick, WA.

For more information on “American Quilts/American Voices” and Humanities Washington click here.

Inquiring Mind

Inquiring Mind is a program of Humanities Washington. It is “a speakers bureau of living history presentations and lectures by contemporary scholars and thinkers.”

Since 1973 Humanities Washington has offered communities across the state a wide range of speaker presentations, public discussions, exhibits, and interactive educational opportunities. Currently there are over 30 speakers available to communities through the Inquiring Mind Speakers Bureau.

For more information, please visit www.humanities.org.

One Hundred American Poets Against The War

A publication and exhibition organized by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and Metropolitan Arts Press.

The publication/exhibition is edited/curated by Christian K. Narkiewicz-Laine, Chicago Athenaeum’s director/president.

Exhibition dates are May 1-30, 2005. A reception and open house will be held Saturday, May 6, 2005.

For more information on the publication, exhibit, or the Chicago Athenaeum, visit www.chi-athenaeum.org/

Corner Gallery Show

Rik will have a solo show in November at the Corner Gallery, North Idaho College, Coeur d’Alene, ID. Details will be posted in early autumn. In the meantime, please e-mail Rik at Rikn@ArtsEnrich.com if you have questions.

American Quilts/American Voices

For generations, Americans have used quilts to respond to national and world events, to record local and personal history, and to express their creative impulses. From colonial to contemporary times, quilts have given “voice” to individual Americans. Via PowerPoint, Rik shows dozens of examples and discusses what those voices communicate, what they tell us about ourselves and our culture. From the look and feel of the overall quilt design, to the individual quilt blocks selected, even to the very fabrics employed – voices pour forth which address a variety of subject matter. As we view the quilts, and listen to them, a dialogue is created.

As part of the presentation, Rik shows examples of his own “quilts” (made from post-consumer recyclables) and reflects on the dialogue they have with their traditional counterparts. Audience members, too are invited to discuss their own families’ quilts and the voices they hear in them. An American quilt is not only the handiwork, but the voice of its creator. The quilt transmits its creator’s history, values and personality, as much as any photograph, diary or book. This presentation encourages audience members to more intimately consider this perspective.

To see a selection of Rik’s quilts, go to Rik's Gallery.