Meet Your Board
Martha Wolfe
I was born in Connecticut, and currently make my home in Northern California. Like so many, I was taught to sew by my mother, whom I vividly remember teaching me to thread the machine and fill the bobbin. When I started my artist’s journey in the 70’s, I was a printmaker and a maker of “soft sculpture” – as my earliest art quilts were called – but along the way, I was waylaid by the fascinating world of science. Always attuned to nature and the ocean, being a Marine Toxicologist fit easily into my dreams, providing the opportunity to observe our environment, work to protect it, and share these values with others.
In retrospect, being a scientist helped make me a better artist, and throughout my years in academia I maintained a relationship with art. When the opportunity afforded itself in 2010, I made the commitment to pursue art quilting full time. Around that time I became an enthusiastic supporter of SAQA, and have grown immensely through my interactions with fellow artists within the organization. It has given me a venue to share my work throughout the world via exhibitions and publications and been an ongoing source of inspiration and support.
It is a fair leap from academic science to the world of art quilting, but my love of learning bridges the chasm. I have a passion for the creative and new, in science or art. With a strong commitment to education and years of experience in mentoring and outreach, I have a personal goal to see student involvement in SAQA grow and prosper. To that end, I have been part of the SAQA Education Committee for several years and involved in this year’s first Student Conference Scholarships. As a Board member I am looking forward to creating new ways to bring our members closer through educational opportunities.