Lorraine Woodruff Long - Quilter

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area. 

In this episode Emily features Lorraine Woodruff-Long, a textile artist from San Francisco who turned to quilting after losing her job during the pandemic. Lorraine's work, rich in cultural heritage and social commentary, gained recognition when her piece was featured in the deYoung Open. She discusses her inspiration, including the iconic 'Quilts of Gee's Bend,' her use of text in quilts, and her focus on issues like gun violence and climate change. Lorraine's journey to becoming a quilter and her passion for teaching are also highlighted.  Lorraine also shares her thoughts on being an artist, influential works, and her favorite creative spot in San Francisco.

About Artist Lorraine Woodruff-Long:

Lorraine Woodruff-Long is a self-taught San Francisco quilter with a primary focus on color, improvisation, and recycled/repurposed fabrics. 

Raised in Houston, and educated at University of Texas/Austin, Lorraine served in Peace Corps Kenya and afterwards moved to California as a “bucket list” dream to temporarily experience living in a progressive urban city.  She fell in love with San Francisco and never left.  After a career in marketing and advertising, Lorraine later worked in the nonprofit sector while raising two city kids with her architect husband before spring boarding into a fiber art practice prompted by the pandemic.

Lorraine’s work has been juried into art exhibitions at the de Young Museum/San Francisco, the California Heritage Museum/Santa Monica, the Sanchez Art Center/Pacifica, Muzeo Museum & Cultural Center/Anaheim, TAG Gallery/Los Angeles the Drawing Room/San Francisco, and the San Francisco Women Artists Network Gallery.  She has received numerous awards for her quilts at local, national and international quilt shows. Quilt exhibitions include the International Quilt Festival/Houston, QuiltCon, the Pacific International Quilt Festival, Visions in Cloth, and Quilt San Francisco among others. 

Lorraine is a member of the Modern Quilt Guild, San Francisco Quilt Guild, Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), East Bay Heritage Quilters, ArtSpanSF, Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art, and a volunteer with the Social Justice Sewing Academy Remembrance Project. Her work is included in the 2021 book, “Stitching Stolen Lives: The Social Justice Sewing Academy Remembrance Project.”

She currently teaches quilting at City College of San Francisco Extension and SCRAP-SF and teaches quilting workshops online and to guilds around the country.

Visit Lorraine's  Website:  QuiltingInTheFog.com

Follow Lorraine on Instagram:  @QuiltingInTheFog

And for more on Lorraine's Exhibit at St Joseph's Arts Society, CLICK HERE. 

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About Podcast Host Emily Wilson:

Emily a writer in San Francisco, with work in outlets including Hyperallergic, Artforum, 48 Hills, the Daily Beast, California Magazine, Latino USA, and Women’s Media Center. She often writes about the arts. For years, she taught adults getting their high school diplomas at City College of San Francisco.

Follow Emily on Instagram: @PureEWil

Follow Art Is Awesome on Instagram: @ArtIsAwesome_Podcast

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CREDITS:

Art Is Awesome is Hosted, Created & Executive Produced by Emily Wilson. 

Theme Music "Loopster" Courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

The Podcast is Co-Produced, Developed & Edited by Charlene Goto of @GoToProductions. 

For more info, visit Go-ToProductions.com