Blog

Yes, my quilts go to school in North Clackamas, Oregon!

About a year ago, in the fall of 2018, Cindy Detchon, Executive Director, Community Relations of the North Clackamas School district contacted me about using my art in a new public school. She asked if I would be interested in having images of some of my forest themed quilts turned into vinyl panels to be installed on the walls of a new elementary school they were building in Happy Valley, North Clackamas.

This school is named after Beatrice Morrow Cannady, the first one in North Clackamas to be named after a woman or a person of color. She was a renowned civil rights advocate in early 20th-century Oregon with nearly 25 years of fighting as a leading activist.

Of course I was very excited about this project. Even though I was a little bit concerned about the resolution requirements for these large panels, I was ready to work with the team!

So, early this year, in January 2019, we set a meeting at my studio with Cindy and Brett Lundmark, Project Designer with BRIC Architecture, Inc. They showed me drawings of the school and the potential walls where the images would be installed. We reviewed images of my quilts, dimensions, colors and resolutions and came up with a few quilt candidates.

Over the next few months we continued back and forth emailing of images and renderings. Some images looked great on paper and on the screen, but unfortunately I did not have the resolution required and taking new photos was out of the question as these quilts had been sold and where out of my reach. Here are some examples of quilts that did not make it:

So I continued working with Brett and we finally settled on “Snow and Ash” and “Afternoon Glow”, a winter scene and a fall scene. I was delighted!

The next few months were busy as everyone was working hard to meet deadlines. Then, in July, I received the notice that the school was ready and the opening had been scheduled for late August.

I wasn’t able to attend the grand opening but Cindy kindly offered to give me a personal tour of the school. I was captivated by the beautiful setting, the natural surroundings and the open design, providing so much natural light to the classrooms, halls and common areas.

You can visit the school’s website for info, photos and a video of the opening ceremony here

Two stairways lead to the upper floor of the school and that is where images of my quilts decorate the walls, Snow and Ash on one side of the school and Afternoon Glow on the other side.

It was a pleasure to work with Cindy and Brett and I feel so honored to have my work on the walls of the Beatrice Morrow Cannady Elementary School. I can see how they integrate the school with its natural surroundings, adding to the peaceful setting, and providing a splash of color.

Both of our kids attended public schools and I am very happy to be able to make a small contribution to the system.