During the 2022 AQS QuiltWeek event, Cherrywood Fabrics had a pop-up exhibit in Char's studio to showcase some of their quilts and fabrics.
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She remarks that artists who have moved to Paducah, also known as Quilt City USA, ".is perfect because this area was ripe for different kinds of art - the combination of two kinds of art, both very ancient: painting and quilting."Ĭhar is usually busy at her Pinecone Art Studio working on projects, and she displays some of her artwork and hosts shows for other artists and sponsors in the gallery area. Since relocating to Paducah, Char has been able to elevate her artistic skills by combining different art media. A self-proclaimed lifetime artist, Char came to Paducah through the artist relocation program 18 years ago and has seemingly never regretted her decision. One of the local artists who has been featured in exhibitions at the Yeiser Arts Center is Char Downs. Learn more about the Yeiser Arts Center with Lexie Millikan: This year marks the Center's 65th anniversary, as well as the 35th time fiber artists have been able to showcase their creations in the Fantastic Fibers exhibition. The Yeiser Arts Center holds rotating exhibitions each year, with Fantastic Fibers as the current one. These goals have definitely been exceeded and continued. Mary Yeiser wanted to share her passion for and teach others about the arts. Lexie shared that the Yeiser Arts Center was formed in 1957 by Mary Yeiser, an artist, educator, lover of the arts, and world traveler. Due to this lucky coincidence, The Hotel Metropolitan was even featured on the show.įor more details about the Hotel Metropolitan’s history, check out this blog post from the City of Paducah’s website.Īfter their wonderful history lesson with Betty Dobson at the Hotel Metropolitan, Pam and Joe stopped at the Yeiser Arts Center to talk to the Center's Director, Lexie Millikan. The Gee's Bend Quilters visit the hotel as guest speakers during Quilt Shows, and the niece of Danielle Colby, the Shop Manager on the History Channel's American Pickers, has come to stay. Today, the Hotel Metropolitan continues to accommodate guests, including some more well-known individuals.
#ELECTRIC QUILT STASH FULL#
Watch Betty’s Full Interview to Hear the Full Story: The women were hesitant at first due to the building's deterioration, but the man insisted that saving the hotel would preserve its deep connection to African-American celebrities and part of the town's history. One day, Betty was approached by another Paducahan and he suggested that Betty and Shirl look into buying and restoring the Hotel Metropolitan. They wanted to create a safer and closer place for the town's younger generation to frequent, which eventually led Betty and Shirl to the Hotel Metropolitan. Since the grocery stores were far away, the pair sold, among other things, candy to Paducahan children to prevent them from going into the local liquor store. However, during this time, Betty was operating a small business with one of her friends, Shirl. Unfortunately, the Hotel Metropolitan was condemned in 1999 since, as Betty stated, "the roof was about to fall in" and the original "aluminum siding was popping off because of the foundation giving way." The hotel was open until 1996, and Betty illustrates how it saw its fair share of celebrated African Americans, including Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey, and B.B. Steed, a 24-year-old African American widow who had a vision of creating a safe place for African Americans to stay while in Paducah.
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To learn about some of the famous individuals who have visited Paducah, Pam and Joe went to the Hotel Metropolitan to meet with the current owner, Betty Dobson.Īccording to Betty, the Hotel Metropolitan was founded in 1908 by Maggie M.
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While part of this might be because of their artist relocation program, it could be that this quaint town in Kentucky has always had artists of varying media passing through or staying, but always sharing their love of the arts with others. The AccuQuilt team had so much fun at the 2022 AQS QuiltWeek event that we wanted to share even more about this exciting experience!ĪccuQuilt Cutting Expert, Pam Heller, happily interviewed four residents of Paducah, and AccuQuilt’s Event Producer and Live Events Director, Joe Nickolite, captured it all.īased on all of these conversations, it is evident that the town of Paducah has a rich history and a love for the arts.