Artist Statement

Once a traditional flat quilter, my work has left the surface to become sculptures that taunt the viewer to reach out and touch. My garden as it changes from season to season is the inspiration for my work. I start with botanical forms of leaves, flowers, or weeds, reducing the designs to more abstract forms, and finding the essence of the structure. I create art to show aspects of the natural world few stop to observe and serve as a start for conversations about saving our flora and fauna.

I use all textiles, new and vintage conventional quilting fabrics, repurposed quilts I made or collected, reclaimed tablecloths, curtains, and clothing from family and friends, salvaged upholstery textiles, and decorator samples diverted from landfills. Viewing my wall of collected fabric, fabrics will catch my eye bringing color, texture, or pattern to my art. Each piece is a unique collection of hand-cut fabrics, stitched together with liberal use of thread by dense machine quilting and top-stitching through multiple layers of fabric and batting, and occasionally stuffed or wired. The fabrics form the stiffness needed to defy gravity to create the desired shape.

In my work I am saving memories, the environment and creating art that is accessible to everyone. Art that makes you smile in a world that can be so bleak. I am creating a whimsical garden of flowers and vessels with ties to my family and community.

‍

Artist Biography

Andrea Finch creates sculptural quilts of botanical subjects, realistic to abstract, exploring textile textures. Her botanical obsession began with 2 decades of photographing and creating an arboretum in her yard while working at a local garden center. She has come to quilt-making from a different angle, allowing the fabric to speak through texture, color, and design.

Andrea grew up on a hobby farm in Eastern Pennsylvania and earned a BA in Fine Arts from Kutztown University. She started quilting during her last class at university which changed the direction of her art. Her art career was interrupted for 18 years while she raised her children and lived a different creative life. When she returned to quilting, she tossed out many of the quilting rules. Her work, never truly conventional, has taken on sculptural forms.

Now living in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, she is involved in many arts organizations throughout the region. She is a Juried Artist member of SAQA (Studio Art Quilts Associates), sits on the board and exhibitions committee of the Virginia Quilt Museum in Dayton, Virginia, is the manager of the Foundry Art Market c-op.

Her work travels around the country and world in numerous national & regional juried shows, including four SAQA Global Exhibitions and can be found at various galleries, museums, public and private collections.

‍

Education

1985
BA in Fine Arts from Kutztown University, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

1983
AA Fine Arts Montgomery County Community College, Bluebell, Pennsylvania

‍

Professional Experience

Juried Artist Member SAQA

2016 - present
Co-op Manager, The Foundry Art Market, Chambersburg, PA

2021 - 2025
Gallery Coordinator at the Council for the Arts, Chambersburg, PA

1996 - present
Independent Textile Artist, Chambersburg, PA

1994 - 1996
Independent Textile Artist, Southampton, PA

Photographer & Social Media

2005 - 2024
Snavely's Garden Corner, Chambersburg, PA

2020 - 2021
Downtown Business Council, Chambersburg, PA

2018 - 2019
Artful Dimensions Co-op, Fredericksburg, VA

‍

Media/Publications

2025
Journal: Exhibition in Print – December issue - Studio Art Quilt Associates

2024
Journal: Exhibition in Print – December issue - Studio Art Quilt Associates

Embrace: Expect the Unexpected 2024 – Exhibition in Print October issue –

Surface Design Association

Art Quilting Studio Summer issue

2019
SAQA Art Quilt Quarterly Issue no. 14

‍

Permanent Public Collection

WellSpan Health Campus: Patrick O'Donnell Pavilion - Chambersburg PA

Cross Keys Village: Art Walk - Gettysburg, PA

‍

Professional Affiliations

Artist Coordinator at the Foundry Art Market

Juried Artist Member - Studio Art Quilt Associates

Virginia Quilt Museum – Board & Exhibitions Committee

FiberArts Guild of Pittsburgh, Franklin County Art Alliance, Art Association of

Harrisburg, Carlisle Arts (CALC), Potomac Fiber Guild

Exhibitions and Invitationals

2026
Solo Show, GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA

Art Quilt Elements, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA

Nature's Canvas, SAQA Global (2026-2029), Windgate Museum of Art Arkansas, Conway, AR

AI: Artistic Interpretations, SAQA Global (2026-2029), Louisiana State University, Museum of Art Baton Rouge, LA

By Hand 2026 Craft Nouveau, Blue Line Arts, Sacramento, CA

Color in Context: Blue, SAQA Global Exhibition (2025-2028), Brno Patchwork Meeting, Brno, Czech Republic

Color in Context: Red, SAQA Global Exhibition (2023-2026), South Dakota Art Museum, Brookings, SD

2025
Breaking Boundaries, SAQA Virtual Gallery

Cumberland Valley Artist Exhibition, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, MD

Wills Creek Exhibition, Frostburg State, MD

UNcommon Threads, Surface Design Assoc., Stuart, FL

Celebrating American Craft, Sarratt Gallery at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Unraveled: Exploring the Many Forms of Fiber Art, Carlisle Learning Arts, Carlisle, PA

New Appalachia 2025, Stifel Fine Arts Center, Wheeling, WV

Create That Tune, Modern Fossils Gallery, Frenchtown, NJ

Villains, Misfits & Anti-Heroes, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA

Regional Biennial Juried Sculpture Exhibition, Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, Saginaw, MI

Color in Context: Blue, SAQA Global Exhibition (2025-2028), Carrefour, The European Quilt Show, Alsace, France

Stitched & Woven, Bashore-Finch-Troyer, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA

International Fiber Show XII, Sebastopol Arts, Sebastopol, CA

Adams County Arts Council Annual Juried Show, Gettysburg, PA
‍5th place

Vault of Visions, Frederick, MD

Sacred Threads Exhibition, Indianapolis, IN

Interpretations, Visions Textile Museum, San Diego, CA

Botanica & Artists & Collectors Dinner, Cape Cod Cultural Center, Yarmouth, MA

97th Annual Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
1st place other materials

17th Annual Juried Exhibition, GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA
Solo Exhibition Award

Fantastic Fibers, Yeiser Art, Paducah, KY

Timeless Textiles EIP, Peters Valley School of Craft, Layton, NJ

Regional Juried Spring Open, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
3rd place

Amethyst: Member Show, Carlisle Learning Arts, Carlisle, PA
1st place 3D

Joy Overcoming, Carlisle Learning Arts, Carlisle, PA
Juried Exhibition

2024
215/610 Contemporary: Juried Regional, Delaware CCC, Media, PA

The Art of Craftsmanship Exhibition, Peters Valley School of Craft, Layton, NJ

In the Company of Trees, The Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD

Art in Bloom, Laurel Arts Center, Somerset, PA
Best in Show

Fiber Options, Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, MD

Off the Wall, Maryland Federation of Art, Maryland Hall, Annapolis, MD

Tactile Expressions, Frederick Arts Council, Frederick, MD

MORE! Embracing Excess, Annmarie Art Center, Solomons, MDJudges’ Choice

96th Annual International Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA

Adams County Arts Council Annual Juried Show, Gettysburg, PA
Best of Show

Shapeshifters, The Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington, DE

POP! Art with Mass Appeal, Annmarie Art Center, Solomons, MD

Cumberland Valley Artist Exhibition, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, MD

National Juried Exhibition, Delaplaine Arts, Frederick, MD

Dreams, District Arts, Frederick, MD

Feeling Blue, Abington Art Center, Abington, PA

Fiber Arts Guild of Pittsburg, Erie Art Museum Customs House, Erie, PA
Juried Exhibition

Sew to Speak, SAQA Regional, Black Rock Arts, Gaithersburg, MD

Art + Arch, BELL Architects, District of Columbia
Invitational Exhibition

Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ
Solo Exhibition

Strathmore's 32nd Annual Juried Exhibition: Prism Connections in Color Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD

Looking in, Reaching Out, Carlisle Learning Arts, Carlisle, PA
Juried Exhibition

2023 - 2026
Color in Context: Red, SAQA Global Exhibition

International Quilt Festival, Houston TX, Australia, VA, PA, KY

Art of the State, Pennsylvania State Museum, Harrisburg, PA

Botanicals in Bloom 2023, Two women show with Roberta Iula, Carlisle Arts & Learning Center, Carlisle, PA

Roots, Textile Study Group of New York, El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, New York, NY

Interpretations, Visions Museum of Textile Art, San Diego, CA

For The Love of Art, Tri County Philadelphia Artists Equity, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
Third Place

Old Fashion: a collection of contemporary brooches, Carlisle Arts & Learning Center, Carlisle, PA

Adams County Arts Council Annual Juried Show, Schmucker Art Gallery, Gettysburg, PA

Soft Associations, Ned Smith Environmental Center, Millersville, PA
Invitational Exhibition

100 Miles: The 2023 Regional Juried Exhibition, Penn College, Williamsport, PA

Textiles Unleashed, (SAQA PA Regional), Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Lorton, PA

No Boundaries, Virginia Quilt Museum, Harrisonburg, VA
National Juried Fiber Exhibition

Cumberland Valley Artists Exhibition, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, MD

95th Annual International Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
1st place other materials

Fall Membership Show, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA

Franklin County Art Alliance, Chambersburg, PA
Innovative Use of Materials Award

2022
Going for the Gold, Carlisle Arts & Learning Center, Carlisle, PA

Form, Not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie, New Albany, IN

Adams County Arts Council Annual Juried Show, Schmucker Art Gallery, Gettysburg, PA

Art in the Time of Corona, DAB Art Co Los Angeles, CA
Online Exhibition

Future Places, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA

Purpose Repurpose, Strathmore Mansion, Bethesda, MD

Fiber Options, Maryland Federation of Art Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD

Sisterhood: Fine Crafts, Gaithersburg Arts Barn, Gaithersburg, MD

Hand Crafted, BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, MD

Material, d’ Arts Center, Norfolk, VA

Women's Work, Carlisle Arts & Learning Center, Carlisle, PA

What the Bees See, Wayne Theater, Waynesboro, VA

Silver Screen, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA

Franklin County Art Alliance, Chambersburg, PA
Innovative Use of Materials Award

2021
Art of the State, Pennsylvania State Museum, Harrisburg, PA

I RED it Somewhere, Carlisle Arts & Learning Center, Carlisle, PA

Earth Matters, Surface Design Association, Watermark Art Center, Bemidji, MN

Adams’s County Arts Council Annual Juried Show, Schmucker Art Gallery, Gettysburg, PA

No Boundaries, Virginia Quilt Museum, Harrisonburg, VA
National Juried Fiber Exhibition

What the Bees See, Virginia Quilt Museum, Harrisonburg, VA
National Juried Fiber Exhibition

Simple Lines, SAQA regional, McLean Textile Gallery, McLean, VA

Textiles in Translation, SAQA Regional, Gallery at Penn College, Williamsport PA

I am Art 2021, Council for the Arts Chambersburg, PA

Wearables 2021, Council for the Arts, Chambersburg, PA

2020
On Thin Ice, Juried Exhibition Carlisle Arts & Learning Center, Carlisle, PA

Fiber National, the Workhouse, Lorton, VASurface Design Association Award of Excellence

No Limits, Studio Art Quilt Associates
Virtual Gallery

Working with the Muse, SAQA Regional, Strathmore Mansion, Bethesda, MD

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Solomons, MD

Cumberland Valley Artists Exhibition, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, MD

2019
Adams County Arts Council Annual Juried Show, Schmucker Art Gallery, Gettysburg, PA

Botanical Interests, Artful Dimensions, Fredericksburg, VA
National Juried Fiber Exhibition

Edith J. Carrier Arboretum, Harrisonburg, VA
Solo Exhibition

Into the Woods, The Barns of Rose Hill, Berryville, VA

35th Annual Juried Miniature Exhibition, Council for the Arts, Chambersburg, PA
Best of Show

Franklin County Art Alliance, Chambersburg, PA
Best of Show, First & Third Place Sculpture

2018
Adams County Arts Council Annual Juried Show, Schmucker Art Gallery, Gettysburg, PA

Dimensional Expressions Botanical Interests, Artful Dimensions, Fredericksburg, VA
Second Place & Viewer's Choice

Not Your Grandmother's Art Show, SHAPE Gallery, Shippensburg, PA
Solo Exhibition

34th Annual Juried Miniature Exhibition, Council for the Arts, Chambersburg, PA

2017
42 West Gallery, Waynesboro, PA
Solo Exhibition

Painting with Fabric, Council for the Arts, Chambersburg, PA
Solo Exhibition

Franklin County Art Alliance, Chambersburg, PA
Skip Shull Memorial Award

2016
Franklin County Art Alliance, Chambersburg, PA
First Place Florals

Honorable Mention

Franklin County Art Alliance, Chambersburg, PA
Second Place Florals

2017
42 West Gallery, Waynesboro, PA
Solo Exhibition

Painting with Fabric, Council for the Arts, Chambersburg, PA
Solo Exhibition

Franklin County Art Alliance, Chambersburg, PA
Skip Shull Memorial Award

2016
Franklin County Art Alliance, Chambersburg, PA
First Place Florals