The need to create is an integral part of the human condition, manifesting itself differently from individual to individual, but necessary for a fully realized existence. 
We wish to produce something where before there was nothing.  Creativity is not product but action, the exploration of “making” as a search for beauty and perfection.  Creativity is also spirituality, a search for meaning and insight into ourselves and our place in the universe.  And not least, creativity is problem solving, an exercise of the intellect to find new solutions and new ways of seeing.

The instinctive drive to create may be related to the evolutionary success of humans as toolmakers.  In ancient and modern times people have sought to bring beauty into everyday life.  Creativity through the crafting of objects with functional reference has a place in social pattern.  Craft objects reflect the common experiences of many.  They link us to our past and express new ideas.
Photograph by Marcia Wright-Reynolds, Fort Walton Beach, FL
Quilting is grounded in American history, family, community and common experience.  Art quilts are a living document of cultural history expressing artistic, emotional and spiritual values, particularly those of women.  I use quilts to transpose function and symbol, art and craft, and to express ideals about creativity and community.
ELEANOR A. McCAIN
Shalimar, FL

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2008 - National Quilt Museum, Paducah, KY
2008 - San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, "Variations Squared", San Jose, CA
2005 - Winthrop University College of Visual and Performing Arts, “Eleanor McCain: Contemporary Quilts”, Rock Hill, SC
2002 - Thirteen Moons Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
1999 - Arts and Design Society of Ft. Walton Beach, “Women’s Work, Quilts by Eleanor McCain”, Fort Walton Beach, FL
1998 - Gallery of Art, Panama City, FL

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2008

Art Quilt Network Suitcase Show, “Reflections – Above & Below/Past & Present”,

  •    Blair Audubon Center, Naples, FL (Feb and Oct 2008)
  •    Audubon Center, Greenwich, CT (TBD)
  •    Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, NM ( April and May 08)
  •    Tiburon Audubon Center, Richardson Bay, San Francisco, CA (TBD)
  •    Aulwood Audubon Center, Dayton, OH (Jan and Feb 2009)

Carnegie Center for Art & History, “2008 Form, not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie”, New Albany, IN.
Wayne Art Center , “Art Quilt Elements 2008” , Wayne , PA. Jurors :B.J. Adams, Mi-Kyoung Lee, & Robert Shaw
Crooked Tree Arts Center , “Transformations ’07: Reverberations”, Petoskey , MI .
Visions Gallery, “Transformations ’07: Reverberations”, San Diego , CA .
Cornell Museum , “Transformations ’07: Reverberations”, Delray , FL.
Columbus Art Museum, "Quilt Surface Design Symposium" Columbus, OH.

2007

Wayne Art Center , “CraftForms 2007”, Wayne , PA. Juror: Mark Richard Leach.
Florida Craftsmen Gallery, “CraftArt Festival: Florida Green Quilt”, St. Petersburg , FL.
Quilt Indulgence Festival, “Transformations ’07: Reverberations “, New South Wales , Australia .
International Quilt Festival and Market, SAQA: “Creative Force 2007”, Houston , TX . Juror:Rebecca Stevens.
The Galleries at OWC, “Tactile Traces”, Niceville , FL.
Kathryn K. Allen, Eleanor A. McCain, Barbara W. Watler, Invitational.
Fitton Center for the Creative Arts, “Tactile Traces”, Hamilton OH .
Kathryn K. Allen, Eleanor A. McCain, Barbara W. Watler, Invitational
SAQA's Bridging the Gap Convergence, "Art Gallery in a Box III", Athens, OH.
The Brush Art Gallery, "Art Quilts Lowell 2007", Lowell, MA.
Polk Community College, "Tactile Traces", Winter Haven, FL . Kathryn K. Allen, Eleanor A. McCain, Barbara W. Watler, Invitational.
The Lux Center for the Arts, "Tactile Traces", Lincoln, NE. Kathryn K. Allen, Eleanor A. McCain, Barbara W. Watler, Invitational.
Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, "Quilt National 2007", Athens, OH, Jurors:Tim Harding, Paula Nadelstern, Robin Treen.
Florida Craftsmen Members Gallery, "Tallahassee 18", St. Petersburg, FL. Invitational
SAQA's Transformations '07, "Reverberations", Birmingham, England. Juror: Sandra Sider
Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, "Pieced Together", Lancaster, OH.
Greater Denton Arts Council, "Materials Hard & Soft 2007", Denton, TX.
"Fiber Arts International 2007", Pittsburgh,  PA.

2006

Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, "The American Landscape", Winston-Salem, NC, Juror: John William Coffey II.
Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, "Quilts=Art-Quilts 2006", Auburn, NY, Jurors: Ann Clarke, M. Joan Lintault, & Robert Shaw.
Upstairs (artspace), "Artist of the Cloth: Trends in Comtemporary Textile Art", Tryon, NC.
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, "Crafts National 40", State College, PA, Juror: Mark Richard Leach.
Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, "Dimensions 2006", Winston-Salem, NC, Juror: Brooke Anderson.
National Exhibition Center, "Transformations: artists working with fibers", Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, England, Juror: Jane Sauer
Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft, "Spotlight 2006", Louisville, KY, Juror: Bruce Pepich
Gallery of Contemporary Art, "On the Wall", Colorado Springs, Colorado, Juror: Dr. Alice Zrebiec
Textile Center, " Traditions Transformed: Contemporary Quilts", Minneapolis, MN, Juror: Jan Myers-Newbury
Quirk Gallery, "Take Cover", Richmond, VA; Invitational

2005

Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, "Quilts=Art=Quilts", Auburn, NY; Jurors: Paula Nadelstern and Jeannette Denicolis Meyer, Best of Show for "Moss"
51st Florida Craftsmen Exhibition, Davie, FL; Juror: Lewis Wexler
Art Center of Estes Park, 9th Annual "Lines into Shapes", Estes Park, CO; Jurors: Jennifer Cook and Jennie Kiessling Michler
A.I.R. Gallery, “6th A.I.R. Gallery Biennial”, New York, NY; Juror: Maura Reilly
Arts and Design Society, “Quilts!! Colorful and Contemporary”, Fort Walton Beach, FL; Curator: Lynn Roberts
Greater Denton Arts Council, “Materials: Hard & Soft”, Denton, TX; Juror: Michael Monroe
Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, “Quilt National 2005”, Athens, OH; Jurors: M. Joan Lintault, Miriam Nathan-Robert, and Mark Richard Leach
The Delaplaine Visual Arts Center, "Bead and Fiber Exhibit", Frederick, MD; Jurors: Jane Sauer and Joyce Scott

2004

University Museum, “ArtQuilt Art International Invitational Exhibition”, Indiana, PA; Curator: Ned Wert
2004 German Invitational, “Textilkunst und Quilts”, Konstanz, Germany; Curator: Nancy Crow (USA) and Ginie Curtze (Hoeri Museum, Germany)

2003

Lancaster Museum of Art, “Crafts National 2003”, Lancaster, PA; Juror: Holly Hotchner
Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, “Girardot National Juried Exhibition”, Cape Girardeau, MO; Juror: Barbara Thompson
Greater Denton Arts Council, “Materials Hard and Soft”, Denton, TX; Juror: Alan DuBois
Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, “Quilt National 2003”, Athens, OH; Jurors: Liz Axford, Wendy Huhn, Robert Shaw

2002

Fairfield City Museum and Gallery Invitational, “Quiltessence”, Fairfield, Australia; Jurors: Grace Cochrance, Senior Curator, Australian Decorative Arts & Design Powerhouse Museum
Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts, “Combined Talents: The Florida National 2002”; Jurors: Three faculty members from the Florida State University School of Visual Arts and Dance
Columbus Museum of Art, “The Quilted Surface”, Columbus, OH; Jurors: Michael James, Libby Lehman, Charles Kliebacher
Oceanside Museum of Art/Quilt San Diego/ Quilt Visions, “Quilt Visions 2002”, San Diego, CA; Jurors: Inez Brooks-Meyers, Rebecca A. Stevens, Lynn Lewis Young
Gross McCleaf Gallery, “8th Annual Contemporary Quilt Exhibition”, Philadelphia, PA
Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, ”The Miami Art Exchange Juried Exhibition”, Miami, FL; Juror: Bernice Steinbaum
Gayle Willson Gallery, “Florida Artists”, Southampton, NY; Jurors: Benja Morgenstern
Museum of American Folk Art, “Quilted Constructions, The Spirit of Design”, New York, NY; Jurors: Brooke Davis Anderson, Stacy C. Hollander, Paula Nadelstern, Elizabeth Warren

2001

Viridian Artists, “12th Annual Juried Exhibition”, New York, NY; Jurors: Ann Lampe - Assistant Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art
Society for Contemporary Craft and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, “FiberArt International 2001”, Pittsburgh, PA; Jurors: Ann Bachelder, John Garrett, Kenneth Trapp
Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, “Quilt National 2001”, Athens, OH; Jurors: Arturo Alonzo Sandoval, Jane A. Sassaman and Melissa Leventon
The Wichita Center for the Arts, “Fiber Directions 2001”, Wichita, KS; Juror: Jason Pollen

2000

47th Florida Craftsmen Exhibition-Best in Show Award, St. Petersburg, FL; Juror: Mark Richard Leach
Lowe Art Museum, “Beyond the Fringe: Florida Fiber Art 2000”, Miami, FL; Juror: Ken Uyemura
Chico Art Center, “2000 Defining Vessels:All Media National Juried Exhibition”, Chico, CA; Juror: David Middlebrook
Museum of Fine Arts Florida State University, “Combined Talents 2000”; Tallahassee, FL National Competition, Tallahassee, FL; Jurors: Jala Chen, Michael Oliveri and Nick Potter
Aullwood Audubon Center, “The Good Earth”; 8th Annual Art Quilt Exhibit, Dayton, OH; Award: “Best in Show”, Juror: Susan Shie
Greater Denton Arts Council, “Materials Hard & Soft”, Denton, TX; Award: “Honorable Mention”, Juror: Mark Richard Leach

1999

Quilt National, Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center, Athens, OH; Jurors: Nancy Crow, Caryl Bryer Fallert, Bruce Pepich
Silvermine Guild Arts Center, “USA Craft Today ;1999 Third Juried Biennial”, New Canaan, CT; Juror: Dr. Jeremy Adamson, Senior Curator, Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art - Smithsonian Institution
Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts, “Combined Talents”; Florida National 1999, Tallahassee, FL; Jurors: Kabuya Bowens, Davina Grunstein, and Hugh Popcock
Zoller Gallery, Crafts National 33, University Park, PA; Juror: Sandra Blain

1998

Textile Arts Center, “Fiber 98”, Chicago, IL; Juror: Gillian Moss
Nordic Heritage Museum, “Muse of the Millennium”, Seattle, WA; Juror: Lloyd Herman
Gallery of Art, “Solo Exhibition”; Panama City, FL
Arts Iowa City Art Center and Gallery, ”Paper Fiber XXI”, Iowa City, IA; Juror: Mary Anne Jordan. Honorable Mention
Museum of American Folk Art, ”Edge to Edge”; Selections from Studio Art Quilt Associates, New York City; Curator: Stacy C. Hollander

LECTURES AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

2005 - Artist’s Lecture, “Contemporary Quilts” Show Opening, Rutledge Gallery, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
2003 - Guest Speaker. Mint Museum, Visiting Artist Series
2002/04 - Florida Craftsmen Board of Directors
2003 - Guest Speaker. Pensacola Museum of Art
2003 - Guest Speaker: “Century Art Quilt 2000”, The Phipps Center for the Arts
2002 - Guest Speaker: “Textile Arts Alliance”, Santa Fe, NM
2001 - Co-curator, “Ground Cover: Contemporary Quilts”, Okaloosa-Walton Community College, Art Center Galleries

PUBLICATIONS

2005 THE HERALD, Rock Hill, SC: February 11, 2005, p 1D
2004 DIVERSION MAGAZINE, December 2004, pp 43-44
FIBERARTS DESIGN BOOK SEVEN, Lark Books, Asheville, NC
2002 AMERICAN QUILTER MAGAZINE, Winter 2002, Volume XVIII, Number 3
2002 AMERICAN QUILTER MAGAZINE, Spring 2002, Volume XVIII, Number 1
1999 AMERICAN CRAFT, October/November 1999 Cover, Volume 59, Number 5, New York, NY
FIBERARTS DESIGN BOOK SIX, Lark Books, Asheville, NC

COLLECTIONS

The Mint Museum (2000-2005)
The Children’s Advocacy Center, Ft. Walton Beach, FL (2001)
2006 Arcus Humanitarian Award in Medicine, L.S.U. Internal Medicine Residency, Baton Rouge, LA
Various private collections (since 1994)

REPRESENTATION

Gayle Willson Gallery, Southampton, NY
Thirteen Moons Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Quirk Gallery, Richmond, VA

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS OR ORGANIZATIONS

Studio Art Quilt Associates
Surface Design Association
Florida Craftsmen
Friends of Fiber Art