The Fabric of Connection: A Chat With SAQA’s Martha Sielman

The Grouper Gazette recently chatted with Martha Sielman, Executive Director of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), to explore her journey with the organization and her passion for quilting as an art form. With over 20 years at the helm, Martha shared insights into how SAQA has evolved, its mission to promote quilting as fine art, and the crucial role technology has played in connecting SAQA’s 4,300 members across the globe. From organizing exhibitions to fostering a vibrant creative community, Martha offers a look into the dynamic world of SAQA and how quilting – with its long and storied history in the United States – continues to thrive in the art world today.

Martha, what is your role with Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA)?

I have been the Executive Director for slightly over 20 years. It’s been so much fun and the 20 years seems like no time at all, and yet it also feels like forever. I’m lucky to be surrounded by great people and beautiful pieces of art.

Where do you live? 

I live in Hebron, CT. Hebron is in the center of the state. I grew up on Long Island. 

Where is SAQA based? 

We’re a virtual organization. Our assistant Executive Director is based in Ohio, and we have staff members all over the country, including Michigan and Arizona. We have four full time staff, two part time, and a sub-contractor group with two full-time people. 

We are spread out physically so we use Zoom constantly. Zoom saved us during the pandemic and it provides us with a way to stay connected and stay aligned on planning. During the pandemic, local groups couldn’t get together. This pushed us into Zoom. Zoom is also a great way for our members to connect and share their art.

Quilting with friends is good for your health!

Grouper has partnered with SAQA. It only takes a few moments to check your eligibility for the activity benefit here.

Over Zoom, is that how you share your art?

Yes. SAQA has an extensive website with thousands of pieces of art, all created with fabric and stitch, and many of our members share their art over Zoom. It works! We use Zoom extensively, because we are so spread out. And our members are comfortable with it. 

Advances in technology have helped us so much because the internet has allowed us to connect with a lot more people in a lot more areas of the world. Before the internet, you had to really be dedicated if you wanted to join SAQA. The internet and technology have been a huge game-changer for us and continue to be.

How is SAQA structured? How many members do you have?

SAQA was founded in 1989 by about 50 artists who wanted to start a professional organization.

We have about 4,300 members, and we are growing. When I took over in May 2004, we had 800 members. 

We have 40 regions, and the regions are run by volunteers. The regions generally follow state lines, but some regions cover multiple states. And we are an international organization. All of Europe, plus Israel, is one region. 

The regional structure really works for our members because it allows people to interact with others they normally wouldn’t interact with. And it works for programming on the organization’s part because we are all one organization, not divided into subgroups.

But I talked about our membership growing, and a big part of that is because technology has really helped us. We have been able to expand because of advances in technology, like Zoom. 

How did you get involved with SAQA?

My backstory – I have five kids who are now grown. When they were little, I wanted to make them baby quilts, as well as for me, my friends, and my sisters. But I got bored with traditional designs and wanted to do something more interesting. 

Around 2000 or 2001, I saw an ad in Quilters Magazine and I joined SAQA. When SAQA was looking for a volunteer for Connecticut, I got involved and I organized an exhibition for a Connecticut quilt show. When I opened it up to the whole east coast, not just Connecticut, we had 50 pieces of art at the show! Then I formed an exhibiting group called Fiber Revolution, and we organized about 10 exhibits a year. 

Through all of this, I discovered I’m more of an organizer than an artist. In the end what drives me is helping people. 

Eventually, SAQA had an opening for Executive Director, and I was hired in 2004. 

Can you tell us about SAQA and its mission?

The formal mission of SAQA is to promote quilting as a fine art medium, or a form of fine art. And part of that mission is to exhibit the work of our members. 

Some of these pieces of art are exhibit-quality quilts. And you know how we came into a relationship with Grouper (Grouper’s Louisa Neumann noticed a quilting exhibit at the Minneapolis airport, and subsequently reached out to Martha about a partnership) – Louisa discovered the artwork at the Minneapolis airport. We had an exhibit of art quilts in the terminal. What a great way to promote our art, and it has an impact. Through exhibits such as the one at the Minneapolis airport, our motivation is to bring visibility to SAQA.

Do you have to be an expert to be a SAQA member? 

No! Most of our members are not into showing their work globally. They want to learn new techniques and maybe show their work locally. That’s wonderful. We want everyone to feel welcome, based on their love of quilting.

To be a member of SAQA, you just have to be interested in quilts and quilting. It’s that simple. At its most basic, this is art made of fabric and stitch. 

Why would someone join SAQA? 

People join because they are very excited about creating in this way and they want to connect with other people who understand what they are talking about. Yes, we are creating art but it’s doing it in a very different way than, say, painting. The stitch adds a subtle, three dimensional quality to it. Some of our members actually create sculpture in a way which aligns with quilting. The stitch indents the surface so you get a three dimensional sculpting quality. 

SAQA’s biggest claim to fame is that we produce huge numbers of traveling exhibitions of art. 

Our 2024 traveling exhibitions will be seen by over a quarter of a million people, and we also have many regional exhibitions. 

We do it with a tiny staff, but a lot of passion. People want to share what they create and we offer them that opportunity.

What other offerings does SAQA have?

I started a program called Textile Talks with three other organizations, and it has continued – free to everyone on YouTube. Textile Talks features weekly presentations and panel discussions and rotates between SAQA, the International Quilt Museum (in Lincoln, Nebraska), Quilt Alliance, and Surface Design Association. 

We have many different kinds of programs, the common denominator is they are all about some kind of fiber or textile art. 

(Textile Talks occur every Wednesday at 2:00 Eastern. Search YouTube for “Textile Talks” to see a full playlist of 200+ recordings free to the public.)

What are the parameters to join SAQA?

As of this month (September 2024), dues are $110 per year. Our members receive a gorgeous quarterly magazine, and they have an opportunity to be part of regional groups. We also have an annual conference (SAQA’s next annual conference is April 2025 in Florida).

What are some examples of current or upcoming exhibitions?

Fur, Fangs, Feathers and Fins at the Detroit Zoo is created by SAQA and is phenomenally popular. It features the work of 43 esteemed female artists from six countries. Each piece utilizes quilting techniques and fabrics to depict wildlife in their natural habitats.

Bearing Witness began recently and was created in conjunction with the Raritan Valley Community College Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Branchburg, New Jersey. They wanted to work with us to create an art exhibition to serve as a catalyst for conversation. 

Somehow, you have found time to be an author! Tell us about that. 

I’ve written many books about quilts. I just finished my 10th – Stitched Journeys With Birds. People love quilting and birds, too! It came out in 2023.

How do you see SAQA aligning with Grouper, which promotes social connection through shared activities?

While we do have members who are younger, in general what I’ve found over my 20 years is that members tend to be people who have already had their careers and had their families. Now they have the energy and resources to spend time on their own creative journey. I have heard over and over from people who wanted to be an artist, but they were dissuaded early on. Now that they are past the steep career climb, they can express themselves creatively in ways they were not able to. 

As long as people keep getting older we will have a steady stream of new members. People who are 65 and older and looking at their options, they have the Grouper option, it’s such a nice fit. 

What are the benefits of social connection for your members?

I hear all the time from our members, “I’m so glad I found SAQA, I needed to find my people. This helps me so much.” Working as an artist can be so isolating. They truly need that balance of social connection, and that’s where SAQA comes in.