Meet The New Quilt Artists: Beth and Trevor Reid

Name of artwork: Corundum

Beth and Trevor have lived in Canberra for the past thirty eight years, but both grew up in Melbourne and surrounds. They have always had an interest in textiles, both having sewn and collected fabrics when young.

They made their first quilt together in 1972, but it was not until 1988 that patchwork and quilting came back into their frame of reference.

Beth and Trevor joined Canberra Quilters, made a sampler quilt and then began to experiment with different techniques, from there they went on to make quilts that were a little bit different, sometimes together, sometimes individually. Beth and Trevor began to collaborate seriously in 1998 for a Canberra exhibition ‘Classy Clobber’, where a number of diverse textile artists including felters and weavers were asked to produce a version of an Australian stockman’s coat in their particular medium. They still enjoy the process. They design together workshopping ideas, with Trevor taking the lead on painting, drawing and cutting and Beth with assembly, stitch embellishment and quilting.

They have exhibited nationally and internationally and are represented in international and Australian private collections. Work in public collections includes the ACT Hospice, Parliament House Art Collection, the ACT Government Library Service and the ACT Heritage Library. Beth and Trevor won Best of Show at the Canberra Quilters Exhibition in 2009 and again in 2018. 

Their interest in recycled denim came about because of their son. He had a love of wearing baggy fashionable jeans as a teenager and was reluctant to dispose of his favourite pairs as he outgrew them, thinking perhaps there would be a quilt in his future. With their wide fashionable legs, there was so much useful material and the colour was so varied, their feel so soft and velvety, that they were stored in a basket tucked away awaiting the right opportunity.

Beth and Trevor continue to enjoy working collaboratively gathering inspiration from many different areas, including the natural environment. It is a collaboration of 30 plus years and still counting.

Beth and Trevor Reid online: Instagram  

The New Quilt, on exhibition at Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Windsor, NSW from 5 February – 11 April 2021. 

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