Fran Skiles (b. Cincinnati) lives in West Virginia and Florida, with studios in each. Her multi-media art practice began with fabric and art quilting, evolving into mixed media paintings and collages on paper. She describes her work as being influenced by nature; it’s light, texture, shapes and rhythm. “I don’t have any idea about the outcome when I start. The painting reveals itself as we get to know one another.”
In the 1990’s, before making collage paintings, Fran made art quilts and exhibited them Nationally and Internationally. The venues included Quilt National, best of show 97’, Visions, Quilt San Diego, British Craft Council’s “American Art Quilt Exhibition, Fiber Arts International and Art Quilts; America of the Millennium in Strasburg, France.
Solo Exhibitions
Bridge Gallery, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, 2018 2021
Adkins Arboretum, Caroline County, Maryland August-September, 2014
AHA Fire Hall Gallery, Charles Town, WV, 2013
West Liberty University, Nutting Gallery, Wheeling, WV, 2011
Thirteen Moons Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, 2007, 2005
Montgomery Gallery, Lake Worth, FL, 2003
Boston Musica Viva, Newton, MA, 2001
Selected Two and Three Person Exhibitions
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, San Jose, CA, 2007
Visions Art Quilt Gallery, San Diego, CA, 2007
Lake Wales Museum of Art, Lake Wales, FL, 2005
Selected Invitational Exhibitions
Washington County Museum of Art, Hagerstown MD. 2018
Bridge Gallery, Abstractions Exhibit, Shepherdstown, WV. 2013, 2012
Broward Community College, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 2007
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum Invitational, Golden, CO, 2005
The Nature Conservancy, Hobe Sound, FL, 2004
The Gayle Wilson Gallery, Southampton, NY, 2001
Art Quilts: America at the Millennium, Strasbourg, France, 2000
Lowe Art Museum, Miami, FL, 2000
Quilt National, Athens, Ohio, 1999, 1997, 1995, 1993, 1991, first place 1995
Fiberart International, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, PA, 1997
Visions: Quilt San Diego, Museum of San Diego History, CA, 1996
Contemporary Quilts, British Crafts Council, London England, 1993
Collections
Ardis and Robert James Collection, Chappaque, NY
Hollywood Art and Culture Center, Hollywood, FL
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Golden, CO
Publications
Fluent Magazine, June, 2012
Fiberarts Magazine, Summer, 2005
Design! by Steven Aimone, Lark Books
French Patchwork, featured article, France’s National Quilters Magazine, June 03
The Art Quilt, Hugh Lauter, Levin & Assoc. 1997
Quilt National, Lark Books, 1999, 1997, 1995, 1993, 1991
Quilts: A Living tradition, Hugh Lauter, Levin and Assoc. 1995
Contemporary American Quilts, British Crafts Council, London, England, 1993
The New Quilt I, II Taunton Press, 1993 - 91
“A Common thread”, PBS, ( A Visit with Textile Artist, Fran Skiles) 1993
Teaching - workshops Quilt Surface Design Symposium, Columbus, OH, 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2004
Hudson River Valley Art Workshops, Greenville, NY, 2013, 2011
Quilting By The Lake, Syracuse, NY, 2012, 2010, 2008
Crow Timber Frame Barn, Baltimore, Ohio, 2009, 2008, 2006
East Bay Heritage Quilters, Oakland CA, 2006
Front Range Quilters, Boulder, CO, 2003
Alegre Retreat, Santa Fe, NM, 2004, 2001