General News
24 June, 2025
Quilts on display in national competition
In fabric, in silk, in many colours and textures the world has been captured and displayed in the upcoming quilt exhibition returning to Maryborough this weekend.
In keeping with the Central Goldfields’ textile history, the shire will once again champion textile-based art in the nationally recognised 2025 Golden Textures Contemporary Art Quilt Award.
Starting this Saturday until October 12, the Central Goldfields Art Gallery will host the works of 19 artists from around Australia whose work portrays everything from the natural world, challenges social issues, and explores our own perceptions.
From its beginnings in 2011 the award has been held every two years since.
As the eighth award approaches, Central Goldfields Shire mayor Grace La Vella hasn’t always appreciated the meaning behind the works – but that confusion has now been replaced with excitement.
“They can create a story out of little pieces of cloth stitched together,” she said.
“It’s like a painting. You look at the painting and the more you look you see a story. That’s the same with quilting.”
While makers Jackie Gorring, Greg Somerville, and Paula Martin wouldn’t describe themselves as quilters their works as part of the exhibition explore upcycling, art, and the natural world.
Ms Martin, who has a diverse background in fine art to sculpture and theatre work, shows creativity knows no bounds in her work.
“I don’t want to be limited by one medium. It’s a bigger palette for expression,” she said.
The fluid finish of her work, A Quiet Creek (Forest Creek), captures the personality of water as it cuts its way through the landscape.
“Creeks are very varying in their qualities,” she said.
“Over reeds they’re very silent and others over rocks are very noisy and bubbling.”
Alongside her this weekend will be Mr Somerville’s geometric work that conveys an almost classical quality.
Centre is one in a series of mandala-like constructions which embodies contradiction. In this work the mandala’s structure is a counterpoint to the flowing dynamic imagery used in its making.
“The actual design goes back to when I first started drawing. I was really interested in islamic mosaics and mandala design but that was in my very early 20s. It was one of the reasons I started quilt making, patch working, to get these designs large,” he said.
Although Mr Somerville is multi-disciplined, having sewn as long as he can remember, quilting adds texture to his work.
“Quilting to me is like adding an extra dimension to a piece,” he said.
“There’s a sculptural element.”
Taking raw materials and breathing new life into them is a passion of Ms Gorring.
“I hate throwing stuff out. I hate discarding. So I push the [material] to its limits,” she said.
Her work Bunny quilt is made from a barrel of white socks, hundreds of them, which she hopes will not only bring joy but education.
“You can make art out of absolutely anything and have a great time,” she said.
“I just want people to stop looking at their screens and look up. Look around. Look at everything.”
So, when locals look at Ms Martin’s work, she encourages them to bring their own meaning to it – the work is open to interpretation.
“It’s like an offering. Hopefully people receive it and find something themselves,” she said.
“It’s great. People see new things. It’s something different to someone else.”
The award will be judged by president of Ozquilt Network Inc. Linda Steele and Central Goldfields Art Gallery coordinator Helen Kaptein.
There is a $3,000 Acquisitive Award, $5000 Highly Commended Award, and $100 for People’s Choice.
A couple of months from now, on August 20, there will also be a panel discussion that explores the textile history of the region and the contemporary art quilts on display.