Cheri is a teacher and quilter. A quality quilt not only provides comfort and warmth, it is a work of art that tells a story about the maker and their environment. Quilts are a visible, touchable representation of the world around us, and change the dynamics of a room and the conversations that take place in it. During her residency, Cheri will be looking to capture the changing of the seasons at Cedar Creek and the science of those seasonal changes through the color, texture and contrast of fabric.
Cheri is a lifelong Minnesotan. She first heard of Cedar Creek while studying ecology at the University of Wisconsin River Falls. Currently, she lives with her family as a neighbor to the science reserve. Besides teaching middle school science, Cheri enjoys the outdoors. In addition to making her own quilts, she volunteers with Anoka County 4H Sewing Committee, where she teaches sewing to interested youth.
Cheri's bed quilts capture some of the long-term research taking place onsite, reinterpreted with traditional fabrics and patterns. Click the photos to learn more about story of each quilt. Click here to watch a presentation Cheri gave about her work in February 2021.
Cheri additionally sewed a set of monthly blocks inspired by her experiences at the reserve: lectures, public programs, events and outings with researchers.
March block - climate science
April block - astronomy
May block - prescribed burning
June block - BioCON experiment
July block - tamaracks and dragonflies
August block - red-headed woodpeckers
September block - Cedar Bog Lake
October block - fall colors
November block - lichen
December block - books on a shelf
January block - animal tracking
February block - cycles
You can watch a zoom presentation Cheri gave about some of her residency work by clicking here.