By Joyce Suppes
Balance, style, and the use of color in this geometric design captures Bill and Karen Potter’s vision for their quilt block installed at their facility, Crossroads Recovery Center, located on East Court Street on the 29th of July, 2010. Bright blue shapes, meant to represent a “drunkard’s staggering walk,” set against a white background provide a sense of harmony while anchoring this work of art.
Drunkard’s Path was one of several quilt pattern used by the Temperance Movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries, which encouraged moderation in the consumption of intoxicating liquors. During that time, women used this pattern to raise money to promote temperance. It was also used to express their feelings on the social and community issues of their time.
Crossroads Recovery Center is a privately owned DWI and substance abuse assessment and treatment facility. According to Bill Potter, Counselor, “Drunkard’s Path seemed to be the right choice for our quilt block pattern, because the name fits in with our line of work.” Crossroads’ goal is to provide counseling for those in need in the community.
Historically, red and white or blue and white were the colors used for this pattern. Crossroads’ choice was blue, since “it matches the blue trim on the building,” Bill Potter advised.
When asked why they were inspired to host a block, Karen Potter, Office Manager, explained, “It ties into local businesses and into the community at large.”
The Quilt Trail, which has become a growing expression of public art, originated in Ohio with one woman who put a quilt block on her barn as a tribute to her mother. From this small beginning, the project has grown, and it now includes over 30 states with more than 2,000 quilt blocks.
The McDowell Quilt trail, part of the McDowell Arts Council Association, is a non-profit group staffed by a committee of volunteers. The committee’s main goal, since its inception in 2009, has been to emphasize the rich quilting heritage of the Appalachian Mountains and its use of traditional folk art quilt patterns. Each quilt block is produced to specifications and carries the committee’s logo on the side of the frame, which certifies that the McDowell Quilt Trail group produces it. Once it has been installed at the owner’s designated location, a member of the McDowell Quilt Trail committee presents the owner with a certificate of authenticity.
Information on the McDowell Quilt Trail can be obtained through its website at www.mcdowellquilttrail.org or from MACA located at 50 South Main Street in Marion. Also, Quilt Trail merchandise is available for purchase at MACA. For more information on MACA, visit their website at www.mcdowellarts.org, or they can be reached by phone at 828-652-8610.
The McDowell Quilt Trail is affiliated with the Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina and can be found on the web at www.quiltrailswnc.org.
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