801 Gallery Talk: Where Care and Community Come Together
The drive from North Loop opened into quieter roads and wider skies—a gentle shift in pace that gave perspective inside this year’s quilting convention, where I was invited “behind the scenes” to meet the TOGS Quilt Artists, a group of quilters who currently have 55 quilts on display at 801 Gallery. It’s best described as a “Beehive”—an inner-working space humming with creativity, focus-driven hands, and shared purpose.
The TOGS Quilt Artists currently have 55 quilts on display at 801 Gallery in North Loop.
The Gallery’s walls are filled with fabric of every color, while finished works reveal the beauty of what those small, careful moments become. Bold geometric patterns created from one-inch squares, layered designs— hand-sewn for the complexity no machine could duplicate- shaped by hand, intuition, and time. Where, quilting is more than craft—it’s connection.
Quilt Exhibit Extended Through May 16
This connection between artists and community is supported through the work of Jan D. Elftmann, an artist and community arts leader here in North Loop, helping create space for these relationships to grow through the current exhibit of 55 quilts at the 801 Gallery.
The current exhibit of quilts at 801 Gallery. Quilts on the first floor are for sale.
While conventions offer a glimpse into the work, the heart of it lives closer to home. In the North Loop, quilters gather regularly; join in easy conversation, laughter and over time, something lasting is built along with the quilts themselves. “These quilts are made with our love for quilting and will reach people we may never meet,” explained Mary Brady, one of the TOGS Quilt Artists.
That spirit of connection is just as present within the group. As TOGS Quilt Artist Susan Eaton shared, “We came together to join a community of quilters and a long-standing friendship was the gift we received in return.”
Avivo Donation
Did you know twelve of these quilts are created with a purpose to be given away? Yes, to Avivo, which helps our neighbors who are newly housed or moving forward after periods of instability. A gesture of care in the North Loop, these quilts take on a life of their own. They bring warmth, but also something less visible—comfort, dignity, and a quiet sense of belonging. As Megan Kocer, Major Gifts Officer of Avivo, reflected, “What stands out most isn’t always the first reaction—it’s what happens over time… a quilt carefully folded at the end of a bed or chosen as one of the few belongings someone carries forward.”
An Open Invitation: April 19 Artist Talk
The TOGS Quilters will come together for an Artist Talk on April 19 from 2 to 4pm. Representatives from Avivo will also be available to answer questions about their services. 801 Gallery is located at 801 Washington Ave. N. Meet the artists. Hear the stories. See the impact these quilts are making in our community.
— By Gwendolene D. Hollins, NLNA Board Member + Volunteer Feature Writer