P. Buckley Moss e-newsletter

Dear Friends:

Our Collectors’ Convention was such fun! It was great to be back in Iowa with all my friends, who are more like an extended family.

Our weekend festivities kicked off with a wonderful tour of Kalona’s Historical Village and Quilt & Textile Museum on Friday. The Museum’s co-founder Marilyn Woodin gave a wonderful talk, and it was a joy to see Steve Reif’s amazing collection of spool cabinets again. Over thirty people joined me for the tour and luncheon. I was in heaven when I had both custard raisin pie and fresh peach pie at the luncheon, two of my favorites! I am promising myself that I will go back on my diet soon—maybe.

Kalona has so much to offer, including a fascinating foundry, and I was delighted to be given a tour of it. I noticed the Foundry when we were on our walking Quilt Block Tour; and, Doris Greiner, owner of The Village Shoppe in Kalona, asked if I would like to go in and see it. Doris’ husband had a veterinary office next door to Max Cast Sculpture and Foundry, and she knows the founders Steve Maxon and Doris Park well. Doris Greiner, Moss Country Friends Chapter President Nancy Brenneman (who was most enthusiastic about my seeing it), and I had a great time there.

L. to R.: Steve Maxon, owner; me; Art T. Poeppe; Ray Poeppe, artist; Paul Algueseva, artist; and Doris Park, owner.

Max Cast founders Steve Maxon and Doris Park are award winning sculptors, who have been commissioned for a variety of work, ranging in scale from small plaques to monumental statues. Metal casting is a long process with many steps. There are various methods of creating molds into which molten metal can be poured, allowing the artists’ work to be transferred to the permanence of bronze, aluminum, or iron.

Steve had just poured another big one! This statue is a sculpture of Rueben G. Soderstron, who was head of the Illinois AFL-CIO.

Doris Greiner is the perfect hostess. She and her staff really know how to treat people well and make them feel good. She and the Moss Country Friends Chapter of the P. Buckley Moss Society really were the key to the success of our Convention. They coordinated and organized the Friday tour and luncheon; helped us set up and staff the Convention, as well as take it all back down; and coordinated and organized our very successful Saturday night Dinner Dance and Auction to benefit the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education. Other Society chapters also supported the Convention by volunteering to help and donating items for the auction.

As many of you know, this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the formation of the P. Buckley Moss Society, and our Saturday night Dinner Dance and Auction had a birthday party theme. The evening was very successful, with the live auction bringing in $7,020. The beautiful, big horse quilt that was designed and stitched by Debbie Frizzell and April West for the Foundation went home with none other than Debbie! Her husband came to the Dinner Dance especially to buy back that quilt for her, and he did. Congratulations! I’m happy for them, but I really wanted that quilt, too! Our other beautiful quilt, designed and stitched by Moss Country Friends member Pearl Yoder, was also a big hit and went home with Judy Roe. Another disappointment for me, but a big win for the Foundation!

Readying the horse quilt for display, clockwise from left: volunteer Nate Fick; Nancy Brenneman, President of the Moss Country Friends Chapter; me; Troy Reineke of the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort; Marion Roark, Treasurer of the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education; my daughter Patty Moss; and Patty’s friend Mary Morgan.

The precious quilt made by Pearl Yoder—I believe this is the fourth one she’s made for us!

An additional $1,445 was raised for the Foundation from the “sale” of matted black and white attendee prints. Each convention attendee received a complimentary black and white print, Where the Faithful Meet, but for a donation, they could receive one that was already matted. The mats were previously donated by the Moss in the New River Valley Chapter, and Jeff Batterson of J. B. Frame & Design in Washington, Iowa, cut the mats to fit the prints. The total raised for the Foundation was $8,465.

Enjoying the Dinner Dance & Auction.

Our Framing Competition winners were First Place, White’s Gallery of Osceola, Iowa, for their Shades of Pink; Second Place, M & J Art & Frame Gallery of Ottumwa, Iowa, for their A Time to Harvest; Third Place, Canada Goose Gallery of Waynesville, Ohio, for their combination of Magic in the Air I & II with an embroidered image of a haunted house in the middle. Canada Goose also won the popular choice vote.

Our judges chose Shades of Pink, framed by White’s Gallery of Osceola, IA, to be the winner of our Framing Competition. Pictured with me above are members of the White’s Gallery family.

Canada Goose Gallery’s combination of Magic in the Air I & II, with an embroidered image of a haunted house in the middle, won the popular choice vote for the Framing Competition. Pictured above are Jake Henderson of P. Buckley Moss Galleries, Ltd., (left) and Laura DeRamus, co-owner of Canada Goose Gallery (right).

Our counted Cross Stitch Competition winner, by popular choice, was Sandra Sheldon’s Together in the Park.

Sandra Sheldon, right, won first place for her counted cross stitch of Together in the Park.

The staff at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort are absolutely the most congenial, helpful, and friendly people—but that’s Iowa—always a smile on every face!

We were all stunned to hear the sad news of the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

Iowa and Virginia are both pretty hot this time of year, and I’m off to a much cooler climate—Alaska!

Love,
Pat

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