Threading Motion Project: Thoughts Unfolding

Since posting my "digital sketches" online of my quilt vignettes for Luminarium's upcoming Threading Motion Project, I have received such a wonderful and enthusiastic response from the local artistic community! In sharing my thoughts with a curious fellow choreographer, I thought it might be beneficial to my own followers to share a bit of the backstory behind the project, while also sharing the first real image taken from my vignette "Gingko."

I’m so touched that you’re excited by the Quilt collaboration, or as I’ve been calling it, the "Threading Motion Project." I’ve been a long-time quilt admirer for years, and have spent a lot of time in Lowell at various contemporary quilt shows. A few years ago, I found myself so moved by one particular exhibit (“No Holds Barred” at the New England Quilt Museum) that I reached out to the guest curator (Ms. Valerie Poitier), and asked if she would consider helping me apply for a grant to collaborate between choreographer and curator. She was wonderful and enthusiastic, but unfortunately, the grant didn’t come through and Luminarium wasn’t in a place to fund a project of that magnitude at that early point in our founding. (You can read my blog post on this project’s original inspiration here: http://merliguerra.blogspot.com/2011/04/yesterday-i-visited-new-england-quilt.html) 

This past October I decided to tone down the project, and presented it to the director of the New England Quilt Museum, who was also very enthusiastic and recommended we collaborate with their 2013 exhibit "Silk!" -- an exhibit dedicated to the art of silk quilting, with works ranging from traditional to contemporary, and antique to modern. A very nice blend. This time, I was able to secure a grant through the Lowell Cultural Council, and now Kim is equally excited to be presenting a live performance component in the space, exploring the theme of threading with movement.

So! Now, I am creating six film vignettes that use projected images of six silk quilts across my dancers. You can find entries about these vignettes (and my “digital sketches”) on Luminarium’s blog, here: http://luminariumdance.blogspot.com/

Tonight, these digital sketches began to take real, physical shape in the studio, and I am excited to present my first real image, featuring my tree-frog-like duet overlayed with Sonya Lee Barrington's Gingko quilt:

t. to b. - Luminarium Company Members Melenie Diarbekirian and Amy Mastrangelo, overlayed with Sonya Lee Barrington's Gingko quilt. Part of Guerra's Quilt Vignettes for Luminarium's Threading Motion Project. 

Performance Info:

Saturday April 20: Opening of Silk!

Luminarium will perform a 15-minute piece within the space at 2pm and 3pm.

(Visitors only have to pay the regular museum admission fees: Adults - $7; Seniors & Students with ID - $5; Children under 6 - free; Museum Members - free)

Saturday April 27: Silk! Symposium

Luminarium will perform its 15-minute piece to end the symposium day, at 4pm.

(The Symposium is $70-$85, but if guests wish to see just the performance, they can pay the regular museum admission fee at 3:30 to attend.)

(Quilt Vignettes will be played on loop during the entirety of the exhibit: April 18-July 7)