As a storyteller, Patricia Kennedy-Zafred creates thought provoking narratives using fabric, dyes, silkscreens, and ink to develop a visual dialogue with the viewer.  The interpretation of each piece is conceived through the lens of individual experiences, memories, or perspectives.  Her quilts marry a lifelong fascination with photography, history, and stitch, often reflecting faces of pride and dignity, sometimes under challenging circumstances.  The intent is that the technical and physical demand creating them is lost on the audience, as they focus entirely on the nuance or intrigue of the story, transported to another time or place.  Educated in journalism and photography, the making of art has been a prolonged exercise in trial and error, self-teaching and study.  The stories expressed, whether historical or personal, reflect upon our diverse American fabric, possibly reminding the viewer of someone or something they may have forgotten, compelling them to linger, just a moment longer.

Patricia Kennedy-Zafred has been telling stories through the medium of textiles and art quilts for over twenty years.  Her prize winning work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and has been published in books and magazines throughout her career, most recently Artistry in Fiber (Schiffer Publishing, 2017).

Kennedy-Zafred’s work has been accepted into such major juried exhibitions, as Quilt National, Visions, Fiberart International, Artist as Quiltmaker, Fantastic Fibers, Quilts=Art=Quilts, CraftForms, The New Collective, Fiber Options, New Legacies, National Fiber Directions, and SAQA juried exhibitions.  Her work has won top prizes at both International Quilt Festival and American Quilt Society competitions, and most recently received the Purchase Award from the State Museum of Pennsylvania for Art of the State 2016.

See more of Patty's work here.