Staff Reports
Daren Pitts Redman, a textile artist from Nashville, was selected to create the 2015 Indiana Governor’s Arts Awards.
The 2015 Indiana Governor’s Arts Awards, the 42nd such recognition of outstanding contributions in the arts, will have a special emphasis on the historical significance of the arts in Indiana. The awards program, planned for April, will be among the signature events endorsed by the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, and they will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Indiana Arts Commission.
“It is an extraordinary honor, both exciting and daunting, to be chosen to create the Governor’s Art Awards,” Redman said in a news release. “I will design quilted wall art that includes my hand-dyed cottons and wood from the Indiana Constitution Elm tree. It will be a square-in-a-square composition inspired by the Indiana Amish quilt-makers and will incorporate the radiant seasonal colors found in Indiana.”
More than a dozen Hoosier visual artists submitted proposals through the open call for qualifications. Artists were asked to create awards that somehow incorporated a piece of wood from Indiana’s Constitution Elm, which the Indiana Arts Commission acquired through Indiana State Museum and State Historic Sites.
“The planning and selection committee agreed Daren’s proposal offered a strong connection with Indiana’s quilt-making tradition. It is interesting to note that this is also the first time a quilted wall art piece has been chosen for the awards,” said Lewis C. Ricci, IAC executive director.
Redman began dyeing cottons and silks in 2007 after attending an art workshop where she was inspired by the idea of making her own fabrics rather than buying those designed by someone else. She has previously been commissioned as the award artist by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and the Bloomington Area Arts Council. She is also a designated Indiana Artisan.
Redman is an artist with Quilt National ’15, and recently finished her artist-in-residency at the Grand Canyon National Park. She is also a member of Studio Art Quilts Associates Inc.
