Artist Statement
Growing up I enjoyed looking at photographs in my favorite magazine—National Geographic which visually opened the world to me. I saw worldwide shots of people in their natural habitats and magnificent maps. I was attracted to the color and design.
In college, partly because of my visual grounding from National Geographic, I was drawn to courses in sociology and anthropology. By the time I enrolled in graduate school my focus was anthropology. Of all the graduate school learning activities I experienced, studying classic anthropological films was my favorite. I needed to see what I was studying.
After retiring from working as a professor, I decided to actively engage in some form of visual arts. I began taking community-based art classes—drawing, photography, quilt making, printing, and collage. I kept returning to quilt classes and the art of quilt making has become my passion.
My current work is influenced by my training as an anthropologist. Years of teaching, researching, and publishing about different cultures underpin my creations. I hope my quilts encourage viewers to move beyond art that is merely pleasing to the eye and seek a deeper meaning.
Pat Guthrie Resume
Exhibitions
March 16–September 22, 2024
Color Improvisation 3
Tuch + Technik, Textilmuseum (Neumünster, Germany)
March 23–March 24, 2024
Voices in Cloth, Exraodinary Quilts by the Bay (Oakland, California)
February, 2018–Present
Contemporary Quilt Installation
Acme Fresh Market (Green, Ohio)
Select Past Exhibitions
December 15, 2018–March 10, 2019
Circular Abstractions: Bull’s Eye Quilts
Westmoreland Museum of American Art (Greensburg Pennsylvania)
September 23, 2017–January 21, 2018
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
June 3–August 20, 2017
Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center (Auburn, New York)
August 25–November 6, 2016
Muskegon Museum of Art (Muskegon, Michigan)
June–August, 2017
Member Exhibition
Richmond Art Center (Richmond, California)
October 30–February 22, 2017
Alameda County Arts Commission
Alameda County Administration Building (Oakland, California)
October 6–8, 2016
National Modern Quilt Competition
Mid-Century Modern Quiltfest Oasis (Palms Springs, California)
California, October 13–16, 2016
Pacific International Quilt Festival (Santa Clara)
June 23–25, 2016
Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), Regional Exhibit
Sew Original Quilt and Creative Expo (Reno, Nevada)
June 12–August 20, 2016
Member Exhibition, Richmond Art Center (Richmond, California)
Awards
October, 2016
Best in Show, National Modern Quilt Competition
Mid-Century Modern Quiltfest Oasis (Palm Springs, California)
Presentations
April 12, 2018
Improvisational Strip-Piecing
East Bay Heritage Quilters Meet-Up Group, (Albany, California)
Art Affiliations
Richmond Art Center, Richmond, California
Board President, 2019–2022
Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA)
Surface Design Association (SDA)
Eastbay Heritage Quilting Guild (EHQG)
Education
Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Rochester
M.S., Education, State University of New York at Buffalo
M.S., On-Line Teaching and Learning,
California State University, East Bay
B.S., Sociology, Springfield College
