Our fall show in the Stonewall Gallery is Counterpanes and Other Fabrications by Maine artist and poet Jeri Theriault. Stop in soon to take a close look at her richly layered and beautifully composed collages, consisting of bits of junk mail, discarded magazines, tissue paper, and old coffee cups. For this show, Theriault took inspiration from her grandmother’s quilts, thinking about the ways in which a grid structure can open up new opportunities to consider color and pattern. She likens this process of piecing scraps together to the work of creating poetry. Of her pieces for this show, Theriault writes:
I call these collages “counterpanes” to honor the practicality of traditional women’s work. A counterpane is essentially a colorful bed covering, usually handmade, often a quilt. I like the suggestion of opposition in “counter,” and of windows in “pane.”…These pieces both resemble and feature windowpanes, a way of seeing beyond the domestic—the window as a source of illumination, and, quite possibly, a means of escape.
Learn more about Jeri Theriault and her work on her website: https://www.jeritheriault.com/
Counterpanes and Other Fabrications will be on view at the Yarmouth History Center, 118 East Elm Street in Yarmouth, Maine, through November 2, 2024. Our hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00-4:00.
