The need to create is an integral part of the human condition, manifesting itself differently from individual to individual, but necessary for a fully realized existence.  We wish to produce something where before there was nothing.  Creativity is not product but action, the exploration of “making” as a search for beauty and perfection.  Creativity is also spirituality, a search for meaning and insight into ourselves and our place in the universe.  And not least, creativity is problem solving, an exercise of the intellect to find new solutions and new ways of seeing.

The instinctive drive to create may be related to the evolutionary success of humans as toolmakers.  In ancient and modern times people have sought to bring beauty into everyday life.  Creativity through the crafting of objects with functional reference has a place in social pattern.  Craft objects reflect the common experiences of many.  They link us to our past and express new ideas.

Quilting is grounded in American history, family, community and common experience.  Art quilts are a living document of cultural history expressing artistic, emotional and spiritual values, particularly those of women.  I use quilts to transpose function and symbol, art and craft, and to express ideals about creativity and community.		 Eleanor McCain
Credit photo: Cortland Richards
 

Full resume on request

Eleanor A. McCain
Shalimar, FL

Solo Exhibitions

2014 - Ruth Funk Center for Textile Art, “Oil Stains”, Melbourne, FL.
2013 - Delta State University, Wright Gallery, “Oil Stains”, Cleveland, MS.
2009 - Museum of Florida Art. "Eye of the Needle", Deland, FL.
2008 - National Quilt Museum, "On a Grand Scale", Paducah, KY.
2008 - San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, "Variations Squared", San Jose, CA.
2005 - Winthrop University College of Visual and Performing Arts, “Eleanor McCain: Contemporary Quilts”, Rock Hill, SC.
2002 - Thirteen Moons Gallery, Santa Fe, NM.
1999 - Arts and Design Society of Ft. Walton Beach, “Women’s Work, Quilts by Eleanor McCain”, Fort Walton Beach, FL.
1998 - Gallery of Art, Panama City, FL.

Selected Exhibitions

2015
McKissick Museum, “Southern Rhythms at McKissick: 2015 Gala”, Columbia, SC.
Stremmel Gallery, “3 Textures“, Reno, Nevada.
Ruth Funk Center for Textile Art, “Southern Accents”, Melbourne, FL.

2014
Ross Art Museum, “Art Quilts: Celebrating 25 Years of QSDS”, Delaware, OH.
SAQA,  “Masters 2”, Phoeniz, AZ, Lancaster, PA, Paducah, KY, Charlotte, NC, Grand Rapids, MI, Chattanooga, TN, Des Moines, IA.
Museum of Geometric & MADI Art, “Quilts: the New Geometry, Dallas, TX.
Zanesville Museum of Art, “Without A Word”, Zanesville, OH.
Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, “(R)Evolution” Art Quilt Retrospective 1979 - 2014”, Athens, OH.
Visions Art Museum, “Quilt Visions 2014: The Sky’s The Limit”,  With Kevin Womack, San Diego, CA.

2013
McKissick Museum, “If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus”, Columbia, SC.
Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, "Quilt National 2013", Athens, OH.

2012
Destin Library, “Fotos and Fabric – 3 artists”, Destin, FL.
Florida Museum for Women Artists, “Fiber Arts Exhibit” Tallahassee, FL.
Mobilia Gallery, “Contemporary Visions of Surface Design: Textile as Painting/Painting as Textile” Cambridge, MA.
McKissick Museum, “18th Annual Invitational Gala”, Columbia, SC.
Shanghai Museum of Textile and Costume, “The Sum of Many Parts”, Donghau University, Shanghai, China.

2011
Quilt National 2011, “Jurors Exhibit”, Athens, OH, Long Beach, CA, Lowell, MA.
Masters 2 - Traveling Exhibition.

• October, 2011 - International Quilt Festival, Houston, TX.
• April 13 – 15, 2012 - International Quilt Festival, Cincinnati, OH.
• July 27 – 29, 2012 - International Quilt Festival, Long Beach, CA.
• August, 2012 - Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK.
• January 15 – April 15, 2013 - New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, MA.

2010
Osilas Gallery, “Sew New; Contemporary Art Quilts”, Bronxville, NY.
Gross McCleaf Gallery, “Invitational Quilt Exhibition 2010”, Philadelphia, PA.
Ross Art Museum, “The Quilted Surface VI”, Delaware, OH.

2009
Museum of Florida Art, “Eye of the Needle”, Deland, FL, Eleanor McCain, Barbara W. Watler, and Katherine Allen.
Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum, Pushing the Surface 2009, Coshocton, OH. Invitational.

2008
Southeast Center for Contemporary Art, “Structure Surface and Expression”, Winston-Salem, NC.
Carnegie Center for Art & History, “2008 Form, not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie”, New Albany, IN.
Cornell Museum , “Transformations ’07: Reverberations”, Delray , FL.
Columbus Art Museum, "Quilt Surface Design Symposium" Columbus, OH.

2007
Wayne Art Center , “CraftForms 2007”, Wayne , PA. Juror: Mark Richard Leach.
Florida Craftsmen Gallery, “CraftArt Festival: Florida Green Quilt”, St. Petersburg , FL.
The Galleries at OWC, “Tactile Traces”, Niceville , FL.
Kathryn K. Allen, Eleanor A. McCain, Barbara W. Watler, Invitational.
Fitton Center for the Creative Arts, “Tactile Traces”, Hamilton OH .
Kathryn K. Allen, Eleanor A. McCain, Barbara W. Watler, Invitational.
The Brush Art Gallery, "Art Quilts Lowell 2007", Lowell, MA.
Polk Community College, "Tactile Traces", Winter Haven, FL . Kathryn K. Allen, Eleanor A. McCain, Barbara W. Watler, Invitational.
The Lux Center for the Arts, "Tactile Traces", Lincoln, NE. Kathryn K. Allen, Eleanor A. McCain, Barbara W. Watler, Invitational.
Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, "Quilt National 2007", Athens, OH, Jurors:Tim Harding, Paula Nadelstern, Robin Treen.
Florida Craftsmen Members Gallery, "Tallahassee 18", St. Petersburg, FL. Invitational.
Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, "Pieced Together", Lancaster, OH.
Greater Denton Arts Council, "Materials Hard & Soft 2007", Denton, TX.
"Fiber Arts International 2007", Pittsburgh, PA.

2006
Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, "The American Landscape", Winston-Salem, NC, Juror: John William Coffey II.
Upstairs (artspace), "Artist of the Cloth: Trends in Comtemporary Textile Art", Tryon, NC.
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, "Crafts National 40", State College, PA, Juror: Mark Richard Leach.
Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, "Dimensions 2006", Winston-Salem, NC, Juror: Brooke Anderson.
Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft, "Spotlight 2006", Louisville, KY, Juror: Bruce Pepich.
Gallery of Contemporary Art, "On the Wall", Colorado Springs, Colorado, Juror: Dr. Alice Zrebiec.
Quirk Gallery, "Take Cover", Richmond, VA; Invitational.

2005
51st Florida Craftsmen Exhibition, Davie, FL; Juror: Lewis Wexler.
Art Center of Estes Park, 9th Annual "Lines into Shapes", Estes Park, CO; Jurors: Jennifer Cook and Jennie Kiessling Michler.
A.I.R. Gallery, “6th A.I.R. Gallery Biennial”, New York, NY; Juror: Maura Reilly.
Greater Denton Arts Council, “Materials: Hard & Soft”, Denton, TX; Juror: Michael Monroe.
Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, “Quilt National 2005”, Athens, OH; Jurors: M. Joan Lintault, Miriam Nathan-Robert, and Mark Richard Leach.

2004
University Museum, “ArtQuilt Art International Invitational Exhibition”, Indiana, PA; Curator: Ned Wert.
2004 German Invitational, “Textilkunst und Quilts”, Konstanz, Germany; Curator: Nancy Crow (USA) and Ginie Curtze (Hoeri Museum, Germany).

2003
Lancaster Museum of Art, “Crafts National 2003”, Lancaster, PA; Juror: Holly Hotchner.
Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, “Girardot National Juried Exhibition”, Cape Girardeau, MO; Juror: Barbara Thompson.
Greater Denton Arts Council, “Materials Hard and Soft”, Denton, TX; Juror: Alan DuBois.
Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, “Quilt National 2003”, Athens, OH; Jurors: Liz Axford, Wendy Huhn, Robert Shaw.

2002
Curator, Australian Decorative Arts & Design Powerhouse Museum.
Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts, “Combined Talents: The Florida National 2002”; Jurors: Three faculty members from the Florida. State University School of Visual Arts and Dance.
Columbus Museum of Art, “The Quilted Surface”, Columbus, OH; Jurors: Michael James, Libby Lehman, Charles Kliebacher.
Oceanside Museum of Art/Quilt San Diego/ Quilt Visions, “Quilt Visions 2002”, San Diego, CA; Jurors: Inez Brooks-Meyers, Rebecca A. Stevens, Lynn Lewis Young.
Gross McCleaf Gallery, “8th Annual Contemporary Quilt Exhibition”, Philadelphia, PA.
Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, ”The Miami Art Exchange Juried Exhibition”, Miami, FL; Juror: Bernice Steinbaum.
Gayle Willson Gallery, “Florida Artists”, Southampton, NY; Jurors: Benja Morgenstern.
Museum of American Folk Art, “Quilted Constructions, The Spirit of Design”, New York, NY; Jurors: Brooke Davis Anderson, Stacy C. Hollander, Paula Nadelstern, Elizabeth Warren.

2001
Viridian Artists, “12th Annual Juried Exhibition”, New York, NY; Jurors: Ann Lampe - Assistant Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art
Society for Contemporary Craft and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, “FiberArt International 2001”, Pittsburgh, PA; Jurors: Ann Bachelder, John Garrett, Kenneth Trapp.
Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, “Quilt National 2001”, Athens, OH; Jurors: Arturo Alonzo Sandoval, Jane A. Sassaman and Melissa Leventon.
The Wichita Center for the Arts, “Fiber Directions 2001”, Wichita, KS; Juror: Jason Pollen.

2000
47th Florida Craftsmen Exhibition-Best in Show Award, St. Petersburg, FL; Juror: Mark Richard Leach.
Lowe Art Museum, “Beyond the Fringe: Florida Fiber Art 2000”, Miami, FL; Juror: Ken Uyemura.
Chico Art Center, “2000 Defining Vessels:All Media National Juried Exhibition”, Chico, CA; Juror: David Middlebrook.
Museum of Fine Arts Florida State University, “Combined Talents 2000”; Tallahassee, FL National Competition, Tallahassee, FL; Jurors: Jala Chen, Michael Oliveri and Nick Potter.
Greater Denton Arts Council, “Materials Hard & Soft”, Denton, TX; Award: “Honorable Mention”, Juror: Mark Richard Leach.

1999
Quilt National, Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center, Athens, OH; Jurors: Nancy Crow, Caryl Bryer Fallert, Bruce Pepich.
Silvermine Guild Arts Center, “USA Craft Today ;1999 Third Juried Biennial”, New Canaan, CT; Juror: Dr. Jeremy Adamson, Senior Curator, Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art - Smithsonian Institution.
Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts, “Combined Talents”; Florida National 1999, Tallahassee, FL; Jurors: Kabuya Bowens, Davina Grunstein, and Hugh Popcock.
Zoller Gallery, Crafts National 33, University Park, PA; Juror: Sandra Blain.

1998
Textile Arts Center, “Fiber 98”, Chicago, IL; Juror: Gillian Moss.
Nordic Heritage Museum, “Muse of the Millennium”, Seattle, WA; Juror: Lloyd Herman.
Gallery of Art, “Solo Exhibition”; Panama City, FL.
Arts Iowa City Art Center and Gallery, ”Paper Fiber XXI”, Iowa City, IA; Juror: Mary Anne Jordan. Honorable Mention.
Museum of American Folk Art, ”Edge to Edge”; Selections from Studio Art Quilt Associates, New York City; Curator: Stacy C. Hollander.

Lectures and Other Professional Activities

2104 - Museum of Geometric & MADI Art, “Patterns and Process”, “Quilts: the New   Geometry” Show opening, Dallas, TX.
2010 - Juror, “Quilt National 2011”.
2008 - Artists Lecture, “Variations Squared”, Show Opening, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, San Jose, CA.
2007 - Participating Artist, Florida Craftsmen, “Passionate About Craft” Collectors’ Series, Volume I.
2007 - Artist’s Lecture, “Pattern and Process”, Show Opening, The Galleries at OWC, Niceville, FL.
2007 - Panel Participant, “Tradition & Trajectories: Education and the Quilt Maker”, International Quilt Study Center, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE.
2005 - Artist’s Lecture, “Contemporary Quilts” Show Opening, Rutledge Gallery, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC.
2003 - Guest Speaker. Mint Museum, Visiting Artist Series.
2002/04 - Florida Craftsmen Board of Directors.
2003 - Guest Speaker. Pensacola Museum of Art.
2003 - Guest Speaker: “Century Art Quilt 2000”, The Phipps Center for the Arts.
2002 - Guest Speaker: “Textile Arts Alliance”, Santa Fe, NM.
2001 - Co-curator, “Ground Cover: Contemporary Quilts”, Okaloosa-Walton Community College, Art Center Galleries.

Publications

2011 - Masters: Art Quilts Volume 2, August 2011, Lark Books, Ashville, NC.
2010 - 500 Art Quilts, Lark Books, Ashville, NC.
2009 - American Style, FEBRUARY 2009, Volume 15, Number 3, Baltimore, MD, p 67.
2008 - Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, FALL 2008, Volume 39, Number 4, Issue 156,Suawnee, GA, p 26.
2008 - American Craft, DECEMBER/JANUARY 2009, Volume 68, Number 6, New York, NY, p 40.
2008 - Discover, Silicon Valley, NOVEMBER 2008, Volume 34, Number 11, San Jose, CA, p 12.
2008 - Southern Living Magazine, January 2008.
2007 - Quilt National 2007, Lark Books, Ashville, NC.
2005 - The Herald, Rock Hill, SC: February 11, 2005, p 1D.
2004 - Diversion Magazine, December 2004, pp 43-44.
2004 - Fiberarts Design Book Seven, Lark Books, Asheville, NC.
2002 - American Quilter Magazine, Winter 2002, Volume XVIII, Number 3.
2002 - American Quilter Magazine, Spring 2002, Volume XVIII, Number 1.
1999 - American Craft, October/November 1999 Cover, Volume 59, Number 5, New York, NY.
1999 - Fiberarts Design Book Six, Lark Books, Asheville, NC.

Collections

2012 - Bain Consulting
2011 - Okaloosa County Courthouse.
2000-2005 - The Mint Museum.
2001 - The Children’s Advocacy Center, Ft. Walton Beach, FL.
2006 Arcus Humanitarian Award in Medicine, L.S.U. Internal Medicine Residency, Baton Rouge, LA.
Since 1994 - Various private collections.

Representation

Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA.
Robert Shaw “The Art of the Quilt”.
Michele Tuegel Contemporary.
Stremmel Gallery