We were lucky to catch up with Kristin Beck recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kristin , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
When I began to quilt, I came to the craft with a background in abstract painting, graphic design, and bookbinding. All these disciplines informed the quilt making process—specifically making modern quilts. Abstract painting embraces saturated colors and non-specific forms, graphic design loves its use of white space, and bookbinding is sewing together pieces that were once large that have been cut smaller and reimagined.
Learning to use a sewing machine was one of the first steps on the quilting path. My aunt, a traditional quilter, taught me how to sew together a nine-patch block on a Singer that my mom gave me. A very common way to learn, from generations before, on a very common block.
The next step was joining a modern quilt guild, which I had discovered in a local parks and recreation brochure that listed all the meetings and whatnot. I figured I could learn something along the way and joined.
After about two small quilts were completed, I was hooked on the process. And the people. Sewists are very generous people with their knowledge and time.
The story-telling aspect found in quilt making feeds my soul as a writer. Every quilt has a story whether it is about the maker, quilt, or materials used.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Currently, I am most proud of curating an exhibit featuring modern quilts from local and national artists. The exhibit is called Modern Quilt and opens April 1, 2022, at the Bailey Contemporary Arts Center in Pompano Beach, Florida.
It is one of the first of its kind in the area to concentrate on placing modern quilts in a gallery setting. It is a fine art exhibit. The crossover from craft to art is not a big one. There are similarities in technique, execution, and composition. The main difference is the perception of what is made and by whom.
The exhibit runs through June 16, 2022. You can visit PompanoBeachArts.org to learn more.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is having my son see me make things. He also accompanies me to galleries and museums regularly. It’s important for kids to be exposed to these settings and view art to learn different perspectives and understand how things are made. When you make something yourself with your hands, your appreciation grows. You understand the value of something (art, music, food, etc.) and how to honor the craft. As a society, we are prone to dispose of things too quickly.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My main mission in my creative journey is to try as many disciplines as I can. For quilting, this means learning techniques, some traditional in nature, that I can then transform into something new. With bookmaking, it’s exploring different ways to use materials as book covers or defining what a book can be. For both, it’s also about using what is on hand or upcycling something that others would toss and reimagining its use.
One of my goals is to inject humor into my work. It’s not necessarily found in quilts or books, but other pieces I make like zines and public art pieces are about humor and writing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artbuzzstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinmbeck/
Image Credits
All images Kristin Beck