Frances Abell Brand: Exhibits, Awards & Publications
Exhibits & Awards:
Annual and Juried Quilt Shows:
Bayberry Quilters of Cape Cod Quilt Show, 1988 – 2011, Judged by non-professionals. 18 ribbons on record, including 4 First Place, 4 Second Place, 2 Third Place, 2 Outstanding Hand quilting, 1 President’s Choice and 5 Viewer’s Choice.
Vermont Quilt Festival Quilt Show, 1988 – 2008, Professionally judged. 20 consecutive years of ribbons, which include 9 special awards including 2 Best Quilting, 1 Exceptional Merit, 3 Judge’s Choice, 2 First Place, 2 Second Place, 1 People’s Choice.
The Best Mixed Media, a Special Award, for Fruitorama, which includes 1 large and 4 small stenciled paintings on velvet, was presented to Frances by the Governor of Vermont. This quilt was donated to the National Quilt Museum in Padukah, Kentucky.
Also, the coveted Founder’s Award in 2006, along with First Place, was awarded by Richard Cleveland for the quilt, Wreaths of Friendship.
New England Images,1985 and 1986. Juried Group shows.
National Quilt Museum Quilter’s Society Shows,1987, 1989 and 2000. Juried Group shows.
New England Quilt Museum, 1988. Juried Group Show.
Quilters’ Heritage Celebration, 1994. Juried Group Show.
East Coast Quilters Alliance,1994 and 1995. Juried Group Shows.
Pacific International Quilt Festival, 1998. Juried Group Show.
Solo Exhibits:
Frances was invited to exhibit a representative collection of her work at the following:
Vermont Quilt Festival 2000, Two Visionaries: Frances Abell Brand & Molly Upton. Frances showed 12 full-sized quilts and 31 Early American decorative pieces. Frances practiced and taught Early American decoration before she started quilting and this show focused on how this background influenced some of her Quilt Designs.
This show subsequently travelled to the National Quilt Museum in Padukah Kentucky in 2003. Gerald Roy & Barbara Wysocki were the Co-Curators of both events.
Elly Sienkiewicz Applique Academy, 2004. Frances was featured as the Honored Quilter and showed 12 quilts in this show.
Bayberry Quilters of Cape Cod, 2007. Frances was the featured quilter and showed 10 quilts in this show.
Invitational One-Time Exhibits:
These are shows in which the work of several artists is on display for a special event:
Museum of Science, Winter Holiday Exhibit, 1987. Boston, Massachusetts.
1717 Meeting House, Historic Quilt Show, 1993. Barnstable, Massachusetts.
Dennis Senior Center, Quilt Trunk Show, 1994. Dennis, Massachusetts.
Heritage Museums and Gardens, 1998. Sandwich, Massachusetts.
Historical Society of Early American Decoration, 2002. Danvers, Massachusetts.
New England Quilt Museum, Circle of Friends 2006. Lowell, Massachusetts.
Vermont Quilt Festival History Makers: Stars from VQF Contest Archives, 2006. Essex Junction, Vermont.
Permanent Collections:
National Quilt Museum, Padukah, Kentucky.
Fruitorama, 80×80”. 1998. Mixed Media. One large and 4 small stencil paintings on velvet (“theorems”) featured by multiple borders emanating out from them. Hand quilted.
New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, Massachusetts,
Bountiful Baskets 82×82”. 1987. A whole cloth masterful use of stencil painting using multiple colors. Hand quilted.
Vitamin C Plus. 55×55”. 1996. Nine theorems on velvet displayed beautifully then hand quilted.
Publications:
Articles wherein the work of Frances is featured:
Good Housekeeping Magazine. Stenciled Quilts by Cecilia K. Toth. April, 1989.
American Quilter. Frances Abell Brand: Blending Yesterday and Today by Barbara Wysocki. Summer, 1999. Baltimore Country is one of the quilts featured in this article.