The Land of Rainbow Quilt Festival Celebrates Red Ladies & Cowboys, Aug. 16 - 19

What do Red Ladies, cowboys and quilts have in common? The 16th annual Land of the Rainbow Quilt Festival, “Red Ladies & Cowboys,” hosted by the Gunnison Arts Center (GAC), will explore this unique trio on Aug. 16–19.



Why the Theme?

Gunnison, nearby Crested Butte, and several other communities in Gunnison County were founded as mining towns in the late 1800s.
While the area salutes it rich mining history, it also works hard to protect its natural resources and stunning landscapes. The 30-year effort to save Crested Butte’s “Red Lady” Mountain (officially known as Mt. Emmons) from mining is commemorated annually with wonderfully-costumed “Red Ladies” appearing at the Red Lady Ball and local parades.
Ranching also became a way of life for the area, giving Gunnison County acre-upon-acre of open space lining the roadways. The hard-working cowboys of the true West are celebrated in Gunnison during the 107th annual Cattleman’s Days celebration, various cowboy poetry reading events and more.
Mixed into this local heritage of mining, mountains and ranching is a love of quilts, resulting in a 16-year tradition of honoring this art form.


Festival Events

For quilters interested in participating in the Land of the Rainbow Quilt Festival Contest, entries should try to incorporate the theme “Red Ladies & Cowboys” into their design, with a maximum perimeter size of no more than 150 inches (no minimum). The entry fee is $5, and quilts must be delivered to GAC from July 26 – 28.
Quilts also are being accepted for an exhibition that will be displayed in GAC’s galleries, Aug. 1 – 26. Entries must be delivered from July 26 – 28. Call GAC for fees and criteria.
The festival will kick off at GAC on Aug. 16 with an opening reception and award-winning quilter Jean Roesler, who will present her trunk show “Ida Jane and the White Apron Story” at 4:30 p.m. The trunk show highlights traditional quilts from Roesler’s collection and her grandmother’s collection and includes stories about their patterns and histories. The Grand Junction resident also has a collection of more than 75 quilts with cowboy motifs; several of these quilts will be on display during the festival.
On Aug. 17, Roesler will teach a full-day Folk Art Appliqué Workshop. Each student will create his or her own design to commemorate a special event or to make a pleasing arrangement based on the individual’s choice of subject matter. Appliqué techniques, embellishment and border treatments will be discussed and demonstrated. The workshop will be limited to the first 20 registrants and participants will be able to purchase a kit of all of the supplies needed for this class directly from Roesler prior to the workshop. There is a fee for the workshop, and lunch is included.
On Aug. 18, participants can learn more about Gunnison Valley’s colorful heritage with tours to both the Pioneer Museum in Gunnison and the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum, with special emphasis on textile collections (transportation will be provided).
The festival will conclude on Aug. 19 with a brunch at the Ol’ Miner’s Steakhouse in downtown Gunnison with entertainment by Yvonne Hollenbeck, an award-winning cowboy poet, musician, author and quilter. Hollenbeck will present her heartwarming performance entitled “Weave of the West” featuring humorous poetry, endearing stories and five generations of quilts. At the conclusion of the brunch, a “Viewer’s Choice Award” will be presented for the favorite quilt on display during the festival. Ballots will be available at GAC beginning Aug. 1.
Each day of the festival, Aug. 16 – 19, the Gunnison Arts Center Theatre will present the live musical performance of “Quilters,” directed by Claudia Stein. The musical also will be performed again August 23 – 26.


Registration for the festival events will begin June 5 on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those who pre-register for the complete festival package will receive a 10 percent discount. For complete details about the contest, exhibition and festival, call the Gunnison Arts Center at (970) 641-4029. Also visit www.gunnisonartscenter.org. The festival is organized in partnership with Gunnison Quilters and the local quilt guild.



Gunnison Arts Center

The Land of Rainbow Quilt Festival’s inaugural year was 1991, with the festival growing in size to occupy and enjoy the exhibit space at Gunnison Arts Center quilts. The historic stone building sits on a prominent corner in downtown and hosts numerous theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions and classes year round. The Gunnison Arts Center can be reached at (970) 641-4029.