From Photo to Quilt, Painting Effects with Annette Kennedy

Annette Kennedy is bringing her process to the Old Bakery and Emporium on Saturday, September 12, for a lecture and live quilt-painting demonstration. Kennedy is a local artist, and the session is built around her step-by-step approach to creating pictorial quilts. She'll walk through how she turns photographs into patterns, how she constructs the quilts using raw-edge fusing, and how she applies fabric paint to add visual depth and detail. If you've ever looked at a fabric painting and wondered how it actually comes together, this is the chance to see the mechanics of it in person.

The venue itself is a bit of a downtown landmark. The Old Bakery and Emporium was built in 1876 by immigrants, and the first bakery on the site marked the start of the city's business district. It's survived multiple attempts to destroy it over the years, and today it houses a consignment store and a fine arts gallery for artists over 50. The building also preserves Austin's immigrant history through the Lundberg-Maerki Historical Collection. Outside, the Pat Crow Memorial Plaza is available for public rental, and the site features a mural titled Generational Ties by local artist Ruben Esquivel, who was voted Austin Chronicle's Best Muralist in 2024.

The demonstration runs from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, and supplies are provided, so you can follow along rather than just watching. It's free to attend. The Old Bakery and Emporium is at 1006 Congress Avenue, right in downtown Austin.