Pat Kroth: Lost, Found, and Stitched and Midwest Views on Exhibit May 5–July 24, 2022
Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts presents Pat Kroth: Lost, Found, and Stitched, and Midwest Views: A SAQA Regional Exhibition, May 5–July 24, 2022
Cedarburg, Wis. – The Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts (WMQFA) is pleased to present the solo exhibition of Wisconsin artist Pat Kroth, Pat Kroth: Lost, Found, and Stitched, alongside the traveling exhibition Midwest Views, an exhibition featuring quilts from members of the Illinois and Wisconsin regional organization of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA).
Pat Kroth: Lost, Found, and Stitched is a lively meditation on the connections between recycling, repurposing, and art making. The process of gathering found materials has been central to Kroth’s lifelong creative process of making abstract fiber-based work that incorporates textile fragments, repurposed fabrics, clothing, discarded objects, candy wrappers, and sheer overlays. For the exhibit at WMQFA, she has brought her penchant for collecting discarded remnants to bring about new works, including a mixture of over 10 fiber art pieces and one large-scale installation.
The installation, postponed due to the pandemic, allowed her to delve even more deeply into the notions of
recycling. Over the past two years, she continued to save the plastic packaging materials that crossed the threshold of her home. “I am intrigued by the notion of how we assign value to things,” she says. “Sometimes, humble materials play a more important role than we would imagine.” These humble materials became the basis for her new works, and thus, the works created may also serve as a visual diary of one family’s consumption over the past several years.
The works in Pat Kroth: Lost, Found, and Stitched draw attention to the proliferation of plastic packaging, micro-fibers, and micro-plastics in our surroundings and even in our bodies. Inspired by nature, she says of the overlay of refuse and our environment: “I am intrigued when I walk in the woods and find tree branches ensconced in blown away plastic drop-cloths, or plants poking through a maze of beer cans.” Made playfully from recycled and cast-off materials, these new works explore the notion of need, want, excess, and waste in our society, while perhaps seeking to add a smile as we grapple with these daunting issues.
About Pat Kroth
Fiber artist Pat Kroth creates contemporary art quilts and fiber art installations. Her award-winning artwork has been shown in national and international exhibitions, including International Quilt Fest, Quilt National, Visions, World Quilt, Fiber Art International, Crafts National, and Art Quilt Elements. Her work is in public and private collections, among them Wisconsin Percent for Arts, Epic Corporation, and the International Quilt Museum. Featured on Public television, published in 500 Quilts, her work can be found locally at Midwest regional art fairs and galleries.
Midwest views features 42 quilts created by twenty-nine members of the Illinois/Wisconsin Studio Art Quilts Associate organization. Juried by Mel Kolstad, an artist, speaker, instructor, and arts advocate based in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, the quilts on view capture the vistas of the Midwest. Inspired by its people and places, the quilts range from abstract interpretations to detailed views of flora and fauna. As the group observes: “Views of the great Midwest can be seen from the Canadian border with glacier trails running down to the southern flat farmlands. Colorful high ridges and wet lowlands capture our attention.”
The artists on view include Frieda Anderson, Colleen Ansbaugh, Kim Bates, Pat Bishop, Mary Ann Braithwaite, Joan Bratton, Susan Clarkson, Shannon Conley, Elizabeth Edwards, Kim Frisk, Patricia Gaska, Janet Hiller, Kathleen Hughes, Susan Jackan, Jill Kerttula, Jenny Knavel, Margaret Knepper, Pat Kroth, Al Krueger, Jody Larson, Karen Matze, Lorna, Millen, Betsy Rasmussen, Valerie Rodelli, Barbara Schneider, Virginia Spiegel, Jean Sredl, Sherry Turpenoff, and Laura Wasilowski.
Generous support for WMQFA’s programming is provided by the Wisconsin Arts Board.
About the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts
The Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts (WMQFA), located just east of historic downtown Cedarburg, Wisconsin, is dedicated to creating, preserving, and displaying cultural treasures and educating the public about the artistic, cultural, historic, and social importance of quilts and fiber arts. A primary mission is to teach people of all ages and abilities the time-honored traditions of fiber arts such as quilting, weaving, embroidery and knitting. Our 1850s farmstead setting has allowed us to combine preservation of craft with preservation of historical agriculture buildings, offering a unique setting for enjoying an afternoon, taking a class, attending a lecture, or playing in a farm setting. The WMQFA is a 501(c)3 non-profit. For more information go to www.wiquiltmuseum.com.