This is a series of murals at Lakeview Elementary School in Madison, WI painted by the students. The murals were funded by the Wisconsin Arts Board.
Category: Art
“Fabrications – A Celebration of Madison’s 150 Years – in Cloth” is a project in which fabric and related items – such as hats, belts, shirts and other clothing – were collected from more than 130 individuals, families and groups and then sewn into 9 large quilt-like panels at community “sewing bees.” “I believe that all members of a community matter. I tried to collect items from the not so famous, as well as the famous. The history of our town is the history of the window washers, the waitresses, the educators, as well as the politicians and the Olympians.” Sharon Kilfoy
Click here for FabricationArtistStatement.
Click here for the entire text from the FabricationsBooklet.
View the oral histories that accompany this project under videos
“I believe that a human essence ‘lingers’ on the clothing and objects that we wear, especially those we treasure.”
Sharon Kilfoy
Click here for artist’s statement – 2007 Arts Board Lobby solo exhibit “FABRICATIONS –Torments and Treasures from the Metaphysical & Material Worlds of Sharon Kilfoy”
Click here for artist’s statement – 2005 Overture Center group exhibit “Layered Intentions”
This mural, at Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center in Madison, WI, commemorates Wil-Mar’s 30th anniversary. It was painted by community members, summer camp participants and after school children. It was funded by the Wisconsih Arts Board and the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.
This is a series of murals at Lowell Elementary School in Madison, WI. They were painted by the students with parent volunteers, and funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.
This mural, at the Madison Ice Arena in Madison, WI, covers all 4 walls of the studio rink. It was painted by a combination of Work Experience Youth and figure skaters. It was funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission and Madison Citiarts.
“Sharon’s dedication to this project has provided the city of Madison with a historical perspective of local skaters in an ice arena setting. The final product has been extremely well received by everyone who has seen it, and many are genuinely awe-struck. It is simply that good.” Fritz Kronke, Recreational Service Supervisor
These murals are at Marquette Elementary School in Madison, WI. They were painted by 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. The murals were funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.
These murals were painted at the Willy Bear Restaurant in Madison, WI. They were funded by the owners of the restaurant.
“Kilfoy’s quilts are dazzling displays of colors, patterns and textures, which reflect her ability to integrate fabrics collected from a wide variety of sources.”
“In addition to the cotton calico that is a favorite of many quilters, Kilfoy includes satin, velvet, brocade, tie-dyed and batik fabric in her work. Materials from fabric stores, antique stores, Indian and Pakistani sari shops, and second-hand clothing all go into the mix to become transformed into powerful visual statements.”
“Coming from a fine arts background, Kilfoy approaches quilting with an artist’s sensibility which is most apparent in her strength as a colorist. Her ability to compare and contrast groups of colors results in compositions of shimmering beauty.” Richard Moninski, Green Lantern Studios, Mineral Point, WI