Exhibitions
KELLY SPELL: FULL CIRCLE
AVA: Association for Visual Arts / 30 Frazier Ave. September 12 - October 17th (Reception: September 12 6:00pm - 9:00pm)
Kelly Spell
Kelly Spell was the recipient of the "Best in Show" award for the 2024 AVA Member Juried Exhibition. This solo exhibition is the culmination of that award.
"This collection of work is a visual representation of my journey as an artist and quilter. I see it as a mid-career retrospective, an opportunity to observe themes that only become apparent with time and reflection.
I started quilting in 2014. Working with cloth unlocked a confidence and an enthusiasm that was never present when I dabbled in other mediums like painting and photography. Suddenly, I felt capable of breathing life into the ideas that floated around the edges of my consciousness.
Many of my early quilts were made improvisationally using techniques I cobbled together from free online tutorials and blog posts. Over time, my technical prowess grew and my workflow became more planned and precise. But one thing remained constant: my love of circular compositions. Circles represent balance and harmony, movement and flow. Swooping curves create a shape that is elementary, but its construction with fabric can be quite challenging. That interplay of complexity and simplicity excites me, so I return to circles again and again.
A guild mate once observed that, 'Cotton was alive, it has personality and an opinion.' Each of the quilts in this exhibition gave me something I needed at the time I made it—a learning opportunity, a place to exert control amidst chaos, a refuge. I’m grateful for the ongoing conversations I have with the cloth and for the connections I’ve formed through this body of work." - Kelly Spell, 2025
