Each year there are a number of international shows throughout the United States--Paducah, Houston, and Pacific International. And Road to California has taken its rightful place alongside these shows in terms of available classes, quality of vendors, and most importantly, the quality of the show itself. Carolyn Reese has done a truly admirable job of organizing the show and taking care of the minute details to make it a wonderful experience for everyone involved.

There is something for everyone at the show. Whether you favor antique quilts, miniatures, art quilts, or traditional, you will find a group of quilts to your liking. The aisles are wide and the vendor's booths are all presented in the most attractive manner, often with new quilt designs that are truly wonderful in themselves. The array of colors and textures, and the kind mannerisms and patience in dealing with hundreds of people in just a few moments is overwhelming, but it is always done with the utmost attention.

As we enter the quilt show, really it is difficult to know where to start. Color and beauty reaches out from every wall, every corner, and makes it difficult to choose. As appraisers at the show, we have the advantage of being able to go in early to do our floor appraisals before the crowd arrives, so we often are able to see certain things better than we might have if we were not there so early.

Every year I am amazed at how so many people from so many different cultural and religious backgrounds come together to make these shows happen, and all the people attending the show are respectful and peaceful with each other. The world could definitely learn a lesson from these shows. Each day, I witnessed numerous random acts of kindness from one individual to another or to a group of others. Everyone is at his/her best and everyone seems to have a sense of hope. These shows are truly the haven of peace and hope in these difficult times. We are so fortunate to be able to witness the best of mankind all in one place. The vendors are all friends and amenable to each other. It is the best of the free market as well. It makes me feel very honored to be even a small part of the overall event each year.

One thing that is really amazing is the increasing number of truly excellent male quilters joining the ranks every year. Some of the most delightful pieces were made by these gentlemen, among them, J. Phil Beaver, with his "Secret of the Daylilies" which won Excellence in Innovative Design and his "Memories of Home," which won First Place, Innovative Wall Other.

I think the award winners are also very representative of the overall variety in the show. I was really pleased to see that some first-time entrants won awards such as "The Wild Garden - Sundown" by Rita Steffenson, which won 1st place, innovative applique, and also "Southern California" by Grace Errea for Best First Time Entrant. The winning quilts can be seen at: www.road2ca.com/2003winners.html. What a terrific thing that today, even if you cannot go in person, you can still view the work from the comfort of your own home, and without any crowds.

It would not be fair to say that there is nothing that needs improvement, for it is the nature of all major shows to have their individual challenges with lighting, space, parking, nearby places to stay, etc. One of the drawbacks of this hall is the lighting, which could be brighter. It is often somewhat difficult to see the quilts. Another drawback is the order in which the quilts are hung, for although they are beautifully and well selected to hang next to each other, the show catalog is not coordinated with the locations of the quilts, and many people reported having difficulty in locating some of the quilts. I know this was true for us as appraisers as well. We spent a lot of time trying to just find the quilts so that we could appraise them. The final thing is the cost of parking. $5 a day, but still not too bad considering that this is becoming the wave of the future to pay for all the parking. Parking is decent, and it is close to the building basically, so that is a benefit. Also, I do believe some people staying at the nearby hotels parked there and walked over to the show.

Overall, though, these are all things that will be taken care of over time. We were very pleased to see how strong the security was and what an honorable job they were doing. They did not want to let us in to do our appraisals until we told them to call Carolyn herself, but once they made sure we were ok, they were very kind to us. I enjoyed helping one of the young guards who had held me back to understand some of the exhibits, and I could tell by the wonder in his eyes as I spoke about some of the specific exhibits within the show that it was an event he would not soon forget.

I think for those of us who attended the show, it is not a show that any of us will soon forget, and we will all be back again next year to see what new things the quilt world has to show us. I hope that everyone checks the Road to California web site and learns more about the show. Even if you are shy about entering a quilt, give it a try. I practically had to twist the arms of some quilters to enter, and I guess now that they have won an award, they will not be hesitant again. Even if you never win an award, you are a winner for just trying! Our many thanks to Carolyn Reese for doing an outstanding job. If I were to be able to give out a local Woman of the Community Award, I would definitely nominate Carolyn!

©2003 Anne Copeland
www.artquiltconsultant.com
www.fiberartsconnsocal.org