MaineBusiness.com

“Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece,” the 52-quilt exhibit about Alzheimer’s disease, will be on display July 23-26 at Maine Quilts at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, ME. This extraordinary exhibit will be hosted by Pine Tree Quilters Guild, Inc. at their 32nd annual quilt show.

The work of 54 quilt artists from 30 states, plus one artist from New Zealand is represented in the exhibit. The artists, many internationally renowned, offer poignant interpretations of the Alzheimer’s experience in fiber. Themes include imaginings of an existence stripped of memory and learning; gritty illustrations of the anger, frustration and stress of care-giving; beautiful tributes to loved ones taken by Alzheimer’s; and the anticipation of a future cure. They are quilts of heartbreak and hope. Each artist statement is paired with a fact about Alzheimer’s. This incredibly moving exhibit has been seen by more than 200,000 people across the country. Don't miss this opportunity.

Maine Quilts opens Thursday evening, July 23 with a Champagne Preview from 7-9 p.m.; admission is $10. Show hours: Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Daily admission is $8; children 12 and under are free with paying adult.

In addition to “Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece,” there will be more than 500 quilts on exhibit; these include antique, contemporary and judged quilts ranging from 12” wall hangings to king-sized bed quilts. There will be daily lectures, free demonstrations, quilt appraisals, workshops and a silent auction of quilted items. All proceeds from the silent auction will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter.

“Quilts have always been metaphors for memories of a life pieced together—scraps of fabric reused, working together in friendship, the gift of a quilt at a life passage such as a wedding, the comfort of the finished product and an heirloom for the next generation,” observed Joy Heptner, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter. “With Alzheimer’s disease some of the most important aspects of a person’s life become inaccessible and cannot be pieced back together. The comfort of memory is gone. We are honored to be the beneficiary of this year’s silent auction and humbled by the love and work that went into the Alzheimer’s Art Quilts.”

At the Gala on Friday, July 30, Ami Simms, curator of “Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece,” will present the lecture “Quilting and Caring: The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative.” Ami’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2001. Ami will share how and why she created a national grassroots charity which has raised more than $200,000 for Alzheimer’s research, and how quilters throughout the United States are making a difference — one quilt at a time. Although Ami tells her personal story of caregiving and advocacy through her quilts, her message of compassion and hope is universal.

More information, including a full schedule of events, workshop descriptions and silent auction photos, is available on our web site, www.mainequilts.org/Quilt_Show/