8
AMERICANA
I stumbled onto using these butterflies in my artwork in an unintentional manner; I had just created
my Americana series, which combined traditional quilting practices with modern art and sculpture.
The finished installation was 30 feet wide by 8 feet tall, comprised of thousands of embroidered pieces
that fit together like a giant puzzle. When the entire installation was finished, I still felt it needed a
finishing touch. The piece was meant to be displayed in the lobby of Lincoln Center in Charlotte,
among other performing arts centers, so I chose to incorporate a few embroidered butterflies onto the
final installation. I wanted it to look as if they flew in through the front door and landed directly on
the artwork. During the opening night, the butterflies ended up being the element that garnered the
most attention. A breakthrough had been made in my art practice.