May Busy-ness

After the excitement and enjoyment of the four-month exhibit at OLLI, May seemed a good time to step back and savor the remarks and visits about the quilted pieces. Thinking about the art that found new homes makes me smile. 

People ask, "What are you working on now?" "What's your next project?" I must admit that more down time is needed, and the cats and I are reading more than we used to. There are always simple stitching projects to work on, such as these little swaddle bands Forrest General's NICU asked for. Sometimes a baby will be more comfortable if he can move his hands with some limitation, so these simple 4" wide x 20" long bands were made.

Swaddle Bands

I also enjoyed repairing and extending the life of a treasured family quilt that was being passed down. It was made in the 1940s and had some worn-through fabrics in spite of having been well cared for. (See the red check patches marked with safety pins.) These and others were covered with hand appliqued patches of feed sack or other vintage fabrics.  A label was made to document the quilt's story from grandmother to mother to daughter. 

The next Meistersingers concert will be Sunday, June 1, at the beginning of FestivalSouth. What a follow-up to our Beatles music! This is called Majesty of the Opera, featuring soloists for arias and the chorus for some favorites like The Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore, Toreador from Carmen, The Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly, and The Triumphal March from Aida. It's a ticketed event at 3:00 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church.

May flowers are opening and are so welcome. We've had enough rain that watering has not been necessary yet. I had my yard guy plant caladium bulbs around May 1, so they will be my reward when the ground gets warm enough.

Creeping Jenny (common name)

Gerbera Daisies

Hydrangeas, side yard

Hydrangea, back yard

Gerbera Daisies

Butterfly bush

Music, Music, Music, and the Best of the Beatles

 March was alive with Music! The Meistersingers presented their spring concert March 2, "The Best of the Beatles." My granddaughters get a chuckle thinking about me learning and singing Beatles songs!

The Best of the Beatles concert

Then the March USM Symphony program featured some outstanding students, winners of the annual William T. Gower Competition. See Daniel Petrocelli, guitarist, after the flower pictures. 

Nick Ciraldo and the Guitar Studio at USM held a Screamin' Eagles Guitarfest with lots of impressive talent on display. Many performers enjoy activities and Wednesday night potluck suppers at University Baptist Church, and these talented students presented a Thank You concert in Back Door Coffeehouse fashion. 

Several students held recitals this month in fulfillment of requirements for degrees. I attend as many of these as I can, and am so grateful for the privilege. 

USM Symphony

The Thank You Concert Team
with David W Walker and Linda Ginn

L-R Joao Vitor Gonzaga, Sofia Araujo, Renata Andrade,
Gabriel Barros, Marcus Silva

L-R Joao Vitor Gonzaga, Sofia Araujo, Renata Andrade,
Gabriel Barros, Marcus Silva

The azaleas are blooming, making any driving in town pure pleasure. My front porch is a great place to read or eat breakfast. We have had a couple of rain days, which beats down the blossoms, but more come to take up the show. 

Daniel Petrocelli (one of the William T. Gower winners) 
at the Thank You Concert at University Baptist

Festival South is in full swing

Every day brings more reasons to be glad I live in Hattiesburg. Many people are going to see my FestivalSouth FestivalFibers exhibit, which will be at the Downey Gallery at University Baptist Church through June 24. It is a special thrill to see my quilt Prelude on the cover of Signature Magazine's June issue.  

June Issue 

Rehearsals for the Meistersingers concert of James Mulholland's Missa Romantica and three other pieces he arranged were enjoyable. Mulholland is a Laurel native and came from his home in Indianapolis to our dress rehearsal and concert. It was a special pleasure to perform works for a composer and have him be pleased with what he heard. Dr. Joel Dunlap directed, Dr. Susan Ruggiero was the soloist, accompanied by Kathy Vail.

Joel Dunlap, Artistic Director

James Mulholland 

The Program

One of the numbers we performed was "Keramos" (the potter's clay), which is based on a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem. I constantly hear these words in my head, and love to embrace their meaning: "All that inhabit this great earth are kindred and allied by birth."

I had a great time teaching children something about quilting at one of the FestivalSouth Youth events, lined up by Jennifer Timidaiski. The kids tried their hands at a fabric collage using fusible fabrics and  scissors and a background. Each child's piece showed an amazing artistic eye! We put each piece in a white mat and plastic sleeve so they could take home their art.

He interpreted the Biloxi lighthouse

An American Landscape was presented at the historic Train Depot featuring Dr Jay Dean directing  many talented musicians. Seating was in a semi-circle, with a delightful up-close view of the orchestra.  

One of the Coffee concerts was "Celtic in Your Cup," at the OLLI building. This family trio brought us a lively time, reminiscent of Irish music.

And this is only week two, with many events still to come. Full details and schedule are at FestivalSouth.

My Website is Online

After much planning and help from the amazing Holly Knott, my website is ready to view. I have enjoyed writing my blog since 2007, partly to help me remember events and partly to share my love of art, nature, and my cats with friends and others who are interested. The blog will become part of the website, under the Blog tab. But it is good to gather my story and many pictures in one place. I have categorized the artwork and added some informtion about techniques and inspiration behind some of the pieces. Find the site here or www.marthaginn.com. 

FestivalSouth 2023 kicks off next week with performances of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, five nights in a row, with packed houses each night.

My FestivalFibers exhibit will open June 3 with a reception from 10-noon at the Downey Gallery at University Baptist Church, 3200 Arlington Loop in Hattiesburg. 

Rehearsals are well underway for The Meistersingers performance of James Mulholland's Missa Romantica on Sunday, June 11 at 3:00 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church. 

This burlap-looking linen was interesting fabric for this new stitched wall quilt.

Burlap Linen Flower, 21 x 18

For a little nature, here is my front porch with a cane begonia sporting its first and only bloom during its lifetime with me of about five years. Linda gave me this sassy metal rooster for the porch, and the cats have welcomed him to the family.

 

June is Bustin' Out All Over

 So much is going on that I can't keep up with posting on my blog. I'll try to hit the high spots.

The SAQA Prism Play exhibit (containing two of my quilts) opened in California May 21, 2022. I received the beautiful catalog showing all 62 quilts in the exhibit, which will travel through 2026. 

The exhibit catalog (my Violet quilt is in the R corner)

Cara Gulati, curator, at opening at Peninsula Museum of Art, San Bruno, CA
(my Chartreuse quilt on far Left)

Hattiesburg is treated with Festival South every June, a three-week celebration of music for all ages. Singing the Brahms' Requiem with The Meistersingers was a moving experience (after months of pleasurable rehearsals). It was an honor to have three of my quilts used as backdrop during an afternoon of chamber music by women composers. There are more concerts this week to enjoy. Thanks to the Hattiesburg Concert Association, the parent organization for Festival South. I LOVE Hattiesburg.

Rachel Ciraldo

My local quilt guild, Pine Belt Quilters, held a very successful Pine Belt Quilters 2022 Exhibit: Living and Giving, co-hosted by the Hattiesburg Arts Council at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center on June 14. We displayed member quilts, presented exhibits showing who we are and what we do, gave away beautiful door prizes donated by Martha Williams, and drew for our Home Tweet Home quilt, surprising Rosalie Schoell as the winner. The quilt was originally made for our 2020 judged quilt show, which had been postponed because of the pandemic. 

Home Tweet Home, 84" x 84"

Alehandro Wooten, executive director Hattiesburg Arts Council

Quilts by Missy Lee, Martha Ginn, Jackie Watkins

Quilts to be given to children on upper rail

Ashley from Forrest General Hospital NICU receiving isolette covers

Councilman Jeffrey George with Linda Ginn and door prize
stitched by Martha Williams

And June still has another week for picking blueberries and enjoying music by Festival South.

I might finish this puzzle if I can get Elizabeth to sleep elsewhere.

Music and Live Concerts

If you love music as much as I do, you have surely missed getting to hear it performed live. My church (University Baptist Church, Hattiesburg) has been having in-person services on the front sidewalk/lawn during nice weather, with piano and sometimes strings, and singing.

Sundays at 10:00 a.m. on front lawn

Services are also recorded for YouTube
Alejandro Junco and Patricia Rezende Vanuci

Easter Sunday

The first live concert I attended since the March 2020 shutdown was April 1, 2021, at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center with Klasinc&Loncar Guitar Duo (a husband and wife duo originally from Croatia and Austria), and Trio Bolero (featuring Miroslav and Klasinc Lonar and cellist Rebekah Stark Johnson). The audience was limited to 75 people and the evening was an exciting return to hearing live music.

Trio Bolero (Miroslav Loncar, Rebekah Stark Johnson, and Klasinc Loncar)

After a year-long absence, our Back Door Coffeehouse returned on April 8 with Tom Kimmel joined by Alejandro Junco. Tom is a singer/songwriter/poet who now lives in Hattiesburg and Alejandro Junco is a talented Cuban violinist studying at USM.  What a treat for us all!

Adding to the joy of my music news, The Meistersingers have resumed rehearsals and will be preparing the breath of life by Dan Forrest for a June concert, with the composer present and at the piano. 

How wonderful it is to get to sing again! We are observing strict Covid precautions and are very aware that this is how we can begin to be together safely.