The Purple Reign

Art is often inspired by the unexpected: a sight, a sound, or an image that the artist translates into something new and meaningful. Inspiration is exactly what the Cherrywood Challenge quilting competition has achieved for the past four years, using unique themes, a small-quilt format, and a limited color palette to push fabric artists beyond the ordinary into uncharted territory.

In 2014 the owner of Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics, Karla Overland, launched her first competition, choosing the theme “Wicked,” based on the Broadway play. To make things interesting, quilts were limited to a size of 20” by 20” with a primary palette of four Cherrywood fabrics: three shades of green and one black.

The first Cherrywood Challenge drew more than 100 entrants from around the world, far exceeding expectations. The following year, Overland used another theatrical theme: “Lion King on Broadway,” with four warm yellows and golds. Last year’s competition was based on the art and life of master painter Vincent van Gogh in rich tones of moody blue. Since the first year, the juried competition has nearly quadrupled in size, becoming an annual affair that attracts fabric artists from around the world.

In 2018, the Cherrywood Challenge paid homage to musician and entertainer Prince with deep, dark purples, in a nod to his award-winning song “Purple Rain.” Overland chose Prince for the impact he had on the music world and his gifts as a dancer, an actor, and a filmmaker.

“I realize that Prince’s art may not be up everybody’s alley,” Overland said, “but when I am deciding on the theme for my challenges, I am looking for a strong color with a strong association to a strong figure. Prince definitely fit the bill.”

There’s also a personal connection for the Cherrywood staff. The company sits just outside of Minneapolis, not far from Prince’s home and studio at Paisley Park. While Prince was famous worldwide, in Minnesota his memory is especially dear.

The 165 quilts selected as finalists celebrate the man and his music in portraits of Prince, images of his guitars and keyboards, and tributes to his music, including the haunting song “When Doves Cry.”

The Prince Challenge quilts are a compelling visual treat, with designs as dramatic and diverse as the performer himself. Quilts tour the United States and Canada for 18 months. They’ll also be commemorated in a full-color book, with photos of each work and short biographies of the fabric artists. Plus there’s a poster that captures the full range of the artwork.

Due to the large number of quilts, the exhibits are divided into three tours—the Tribute Tour, the Live Tour, and the Home Tour. The Live Tour, which features 75 winning quilts, and the Home Tour, with 15 quilts, will both be exhibited at the Sisters Fire Station on quilt show day.

“We used the Mississippi River as a dividing line,” said Cherrywood’s show coordinator, Donna Anderson.

The Live Tour includes the work of finalists from west of the Mississippi River, and the Tribute Tour features finalists from east of the river. The Home Tour will travel to smaller guild shows and venues where Cherrywood is a vendor.

Anderson handles all of the requests, contracts, approvals, insurance, logistics, and scheduling of the exhibits. It’s no small feat, and because of the overlap between the 2017 van Gogh tour and the 2018 Prince tour, at one point Anderson was tracking 374 traveling quilts.

Quilts return home to their owners after the tours, so to purchase a quilt, you’d need to contact the designer directly.

“Cherrywood can only connect prospective buyers with the artists,” Anderson said. “We do not own them, so we do not sell them.”

There isn’t a permanent collection of challenge quilts, but Overland isn’t giving up on the idea of a special exhibit at Paisley Park, which has been converted into a museum in honor of Prince. Her requests have been denied so far, but she remains hopeful.

“If there is one thing I have learned from organizing this challenge, it’s tenacity,” Overland said. “I drove to Paisley Park with some of the quilts and asked for permission to photograph them in the parking lot. They happened to be closed that day, so I walked down the bike path (used by Prince!), laid the quilts in the grass, and snapped some pictures. So close, and yet so far away.”

Here in Sisters, Jeff Omodt, the SOQS board chairman, has been planning and coordinating the display of the Live Tour and Home Tour locally for the past year. He’s enthusiastic about both the theme of the challenge and the exhibit itself.

“The Cherrywood Challenge is a wonderful example of the creativity and artistry that is everywhere in the quilt world,” Omodt said. “A single theme, a great fabric with amazing color intensity, and yet every one is totally different from the next, a hundred times over.”

While the prizes aren’t huge (top winners receive ribbons and Cherrywood gift cards ranging from $700 to $100 in value), there’s a sense of accomplishment, recognition, and a chance to exchange ideas and friendship with quilters worldwide.

“This contest provides a chance for quilters to make crossover connections with the rest of the world,” Overland said. “We are definitely seeing quilters pushing themselves as far as design and technique. They are building confidence and skills while being part of a large community of Cherrywood challengers. People want to be part of this phenomenon.”

For more, visit cherrywoodfabrics.com. •