The Manitoulin Expositor covers Judy Martin's interview with Sophie Anne Edwards in Sudbury

SUDBURY—From June 17 until August 30, an exhibit of Judy Martin’s work hangs in the Art Gallery of Sudbury and on Saturday, August 23, two Manitoulin artists sat together in conversation, for it was more conversation than interview. However one would describe it, it was a treat for those fortunate enough to sit and listen in on the conversation between environmental artist Sophie Anne Edwards and textile artist Judy Martin.

Ally Carlos, manager of collections at the Art Gallery of Sudbury, was on the job “for approximately one more week,” she said in her introduction, and laughter followed, as because Ms. Carlos was undeniably large with child. She began the program with the land acknowledgement, followed by the introductions for both the moderator and the artist.

“I do have a bunch of questions, I doubt we’ll get to all of them,” Sophie Edwards began. Her first question had to do with Ms. Martin’s journaling, explaining that Judy has a dedicated journal practice. Ms. Edwards wanted to know how Ms. Martin’s journal practice works in regard to the objects she creates.

“I’d almost say that they are more important to me than the textiles,” Ms. Martin began. “I don’t go a day without my journal.” She held up a large, thick black book that contained the writing of just two weeks. The journal was from several years ago and she read aloud, “‘Neither of the commercial galleries that I speak about in my resume appreciate my work. They do not support me.’ whoops, I won’t go on,” she said, and shut the book quickly to much laughter from the audience. She sketches in her journals, but in ball point pen, she will lay out how her next show will look. If she has a good idea from a previous journal, she’ll add it to her new journal so her good ideas are not forgotten. “That’s how they’re so nourishing for me.”

“Perhaps you can talk a bit about text and textiles, sometimes they’re hidden, sometimes they’re fully there. I wonder if you can talk about your relationship to the written word in your quilting practice,” Ms. Edwards said.

“I like to read poems, but I don’t always put a whole poem in my journal, often just a couple of words. And using journal text has occurred in a couple of my pieces,” Ms. Martin said, and she showed some slide examples of written text on the back of a couple of her quilts.

Ms. Edwards observed the artist is so conscientious about the materials and the work – the slow process. “Why do you work the way you do? So slowly. Why is it important to you?”

“I think I really love having these friends for years. It takes me years to make each piece. But I don’t just go working on one piece for two years, I work on about eight or 10 pieces. I put them aside. Those pieces actually change, to reflect my life and what I’m actually thinking. So, I’ll fold them up and put them away. And I’ll get excited about another one, then I’ll come back to this one and I’ll do something different that I didn’t know I was going to do. I really like to be able to keep on changing.” She gave an example of a piece she was working on when her father died, and how she ended up incorporating a piece of the hospital gown that her father had worn into the piece, and how it changed it. “I think all my work responds to the material that way.”

In conversation they touched on ‘urgency,’ the urgent need to create. Is it a selfish thing to do? In this world of turmoil, is it not more important to take concrete measures to improve the world? Ms. Martin quoted Patti Smith: “Even amidst all the stupidity and the terror, I need to live, and I need to do my work,” She also spoke of Henri Matisse and a quote of his from 1908, where he said he wanted to give people serenity through his art, to be like an armchair for them to get away from the world. When she was young, this statement of Matisse’s made her angry, she felt he was copping out. “But now,” she said, “I get it completely.” And later, “We have to believe that what we’re doing is important. My quilts are not going to save the world, but they’re going to make some kind of impact. I know they are.”

Ms. Edwards responded, “I think they remind us in the day to day, the care and compassion we need to have for each other. There’s not enough of it in the world.”

The importance of mentorship was addressed, especially Ms. Martin’s mentorship with her daughter April. “Well, I have had a long mentorship with April, her whole life. But she mentors me as well. I appreciate her take on my work and it changes my take on my work.” 

“Can you talk a bit about how you navigate the world as an artist?” Ms. Edwards said, pointing out most of Ms. Martin’s work is large, too large for many galleries, too untraditional.

Ms. Martin held up an article from the Manitoulin Expositor from 1999 and read the title of the piece. ‘Quilter seeks respect for art form.’ “So, it’s been going on for all of my career and now I just don’t care.” She said to audience laughter and applause.

the day, the night, and then the day again, 2025 hand stitched quilt by Judy Martin

The audience was invited to ask questions. Does your state of being change as you work your long hours of stitching? Ms. Martin replied that she does go into a meditative state. “It’s like an act of self-love for me.”

When do you decide that a piece is finally done? “If someone buys it, then it’s done. Otherwise, it never seems done in my mind and sometimes I change it completely.”

Two things said during the conversation so beautifully depict the art and soul of Judy Martin: Quilts wrap us up in a dream-like state and, “It’s important to dream because new ideas come from dreams and that’s how quilts and dreams can change the world.” She also remarked, “It used to be more important to me that my audience go into this dream world, now it’s more important to me that my audience feels cared for, that they know that love is in the pieces.”

Wrap yourself in dreams by catching these last few days The Sky: New Quilts by Judy Martin, at the Art Gallery of Sudbury on Elgin Street, until August 30., located 174 Elgin Street in Sudbury’s downtown.

by Margery Frisch

link to the article in the Manitoulin Expositor is here

The talk was recorded and it will be shared on this blog when it is available. 

The Manitoulin Expositor writes about Judy Martin's exhibit in England

Michael Erskine, associate editor of the local weekly newspaper, the Manitoulin Expositor, phoned Judy and asked her some questions about her experience in Birmingham.  Here is his article, published August 21, 2024.  

………………..                    …………………………..

Fibre artist Judy Martin is no stranger to international quilt exhibitions and awards, having been invited to participate in many over the years where she has garnered quite a harvest of accolades for the glory wall.  The artist has just returned from a solo exhibition in Birmingham, England where, not only did her innovative artistic fibre creations go on display, but Ms. Martin was also one of an international group of artists asked to speak and teach at the Festival of Quilts. 

Launched in 2003 in partnership with England's The Quilters' Guild as a hub for people from all over the world to come together and share their passion for quilting, The Festival of Quilts is now the biggest quilting show in Europe, with over 22,000 quilting fanatics from around the globe attending this year.  The festival is also home to the largest open quilt competition in the world, has the largest program of workshops and talks offered anywhere in Europe and hosts some of the leading quilt artists from around the globe.

Underfoot the Earth Divine by Judy Martin

"For nearly forty years, Judith E Martin's earthy, understated textiles have been exhibited and loved in solo and group exhibitions.  Her hand stitched quilt, Underfoot the Earth Divine, (pictured above) won honourable mention in the Fine Art Textile Award, Shortlist exhibition in the 2022 festival and Judy returns in 2024 with a solo exhibition of naturally dyed, two-sided quilts.  A self-taught quilter and proponent of the aesthetics of care and poetry in the practice of quilting, Martin holds two fine art BA degrees (Lakehead 1993 and Middlesex 2012)  Her long-lasting and popular blog, Judy's Journal gives this artist from Manitoulin Island, Canada, an international voice" reads her speaker's bio for the festival.

I had 14 pieces on display" noted Ms. Martin.  She had originally been approached by the festival for 2023, but felt she needed time to put together enough new work for the show.  "I could have entered my old work" admited Ms. Martin, but she decided to approach the show with new works.  So it ws she set about creating the collection that would come to be known as "Softer and Dreamier".

Ms. Martin said she was delighted with the way her work was displayed at the show.  My work is two-sided, she said.  The curation designer built walls with hollow centres that allowed viewers to see both sides.  Usually, quilts are hung against the wall, she said, but he created four pieces that acted as walls but where you could look through and see both sides.  They were practically floating.  My work has never been so well displayed."  

Ms. Martin said that while some fibre artists who work with quilts tend toward something more akin to a painting, she wants her work to evoke the practical origins of quilting.  'Originally, quilts were made to keep you warm at night".  That is what led her to the title of her show.  Softer and Dreamier.  The exhibition took place in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, affectionally called the NEC. 

Judy speaks with Jo Hall, director of artist galleries for festival of quilts.

The Birmingham show is now behind her, but Ms. Martin has no chance to rest.  She recently won a prestigious award that includes a one-year exhibition at the Gladstone Hotel galleries in Toronto and a modest cash prize.  She is currently showing in a group exhibition in Kitchener, and she also has a show coming up in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.

Ms. Martin is fast becoming one of those overnight sensations that has been laboring in the trenches for nigh onto 50 years.  Ms. Martin says that we have great reason to be proud of the Canadian art scene.  One of the great things about Canadian galleries is that most provide an artist fee, she said.  Maybe that helps to pay for the road trips.  

Photo credit:  Ned Martin.

juried into Quilt National 23

 Sheguiandah quilter Judy Martin has had her newest work selected for an international show.

Under Drifting Stars iron water on cotton, hand stitched, detail  

"My newest quilt, "Under Drifting Stars" has been juried into Quilt National 23.  This is my fourth Quilt National and the thrill is just as strong as it was the first time," stated Judy Martin. 

"One reason that I called my newest work Under Drifting Stars was to describe the feeling you get when you pull the blankets over you at night.  This quilt references that private space where you feel safe and begin to dream." Ms. Martin explained.

A total of 81 quilts were chosen this year for Quilt National.  There were 647 entries, most from the USA, but 20 of the successful entries are from other countries.  

Quilt National is based in Athens, Ohio in what is literally a renovated dairy barn.  "The show opens in May 2023, running to early September, at the Dairy Barn in Athens Ohio.  After that, the show travels for two years," explained Ms Martin.  "Usually, they divide the show into two or three different parts to be displayed in various museums and galleries,' said Ms Martin who pointed out that Quilt National is a biennial exhibition and has been mounted every second year since 1979. 

Under Drifting Stars, detail of the horizon line, the dots above the horizon are outlined with black or brown quilting thread, the dots below the horizon line are embroidered over with cotton floss. This embroidery acts as quilting stitch in that it shows up on the back of the quilt as well.  

"What makes this show different is that the submitted quilts reflect contemporary life today much like how a poet - artist would" said Ms Martin. 

"In my case, I sent a large drawing that I painted onto cotton cloth with iron water (it has rust particles in it) and the cloth reacted to make dotted marks of inky black.  I then stitched over or around the dots with cotton thread."  The full quilt is a child-like image of sky and water with a horizon line dividing the two.  The lower (water) section dots have been embroidered and in the sky section, the dots are all outlined.  The quilt is 91 inches high and 86 inches wide.

Under Drifting Stars  91" x 86"  cotton painted with iron water then hand stitched with cotton and silk threads, 2022 by Judith E Martin

"It is very difficult to get into Quilt National," said Ms Martin.  "It was always something I wanted to do, and I've been fortunate to have my work selected"

Ms Martin was also accepted into the Quilt National 2017.  Her quilt entitled "Soft Summer Gone" won two awards for surface design (it was dyed with goldenrod flowers, and embroidered with wool and silk threads) that year.  "It was purchased by the International Quilt Museum in Nebraska (which is a huge honour) because the museum is in the process of creating a Quilt National collection.  I know how much care they take with the quilts..  It is a very beautiful museum."  She pointed out that the top three prize winners of the 2023 Quilt National show will be added to this museum's collection with purchase prizes.  

Ms Martin also has another piece showing in England at the moment.  The title of that quilt is "Underfoot the Earth Divine" and the exhibition is entitled Fine Art Textile Award (the short list).  There are 14 other pieces of art in this exhibition and her quilt was singled out as 'highly commended'.

This article by Tom Sasvari was published in the Manitoulin Expositor October 19, 2022.  It has been slightly edited by the artist.

For a list of all 81 of the accepted artists for Quilt National 23 please click here.

Also please note that the full image of Judith E Martin's quilt Under Drifting Stars was not published in the local paper because of Quilt National rules.  Social media publication is approved.  Also please note that the photo of the artist is an old one that the paper had on hand from a previous article about Judy. (She's much younger and more beautiful now) lol