Artist Statement: "This piece is called "Fret", and it's based on a yearling polar bear I photographed last year with its mum. The quilt was made by applying thickened dye to white cotton using paint brushes, and then machine quilting with trilobal polyester thread. The finished size is 60" wide x 50" high.
I shamelessly rely on this bear’s poignant puppy-dog gaze to highlight its species’ struggle in our warming world. In Churchill, Manitoba, this population’s greatest challenge isn’t starvation but a declining birth rate. Shorter winter hunting seasons mean fewer mothers can build the fat reserves needed to give birth to triplets—or even twins—once common here.
For now, this lone cub, unaware of the challenges ahead, was simply lamenting a broken section of ice it didn’t know how to cross."
The Festival of Quilts - Birmingham 2026 Artist Statement: "Photographed in Churchill, MB, this yearling polar bear was lamenting a broken section of ice it didn't know how to cross. But its poignant puppy-dog gaze also recalls its species' struggle in our warming world."
Houston International Quilt Festival 2025 Artist Statement: "This yearling polar bear's poignant puppy-dog gaze highlights its species' struggle in our warming world. In Churchill, Manitoba, this population's greatest challenge isn't starvation but a declining birth rate. Shorter winter hunting seasons mean fewer mothers can build the fat reserves needed to give birth to triplets - or even twins - once common here. For now, this lone cub was simply lamenting a broken section of ice it didn't know how to cross."
Techniques and Materials Used: White Cotton Muslin. Image painted with thickened Procion MX dyes. Wool & Silk Batting. Heavily quilted with polyester threads on a frameless machine
Maker: Sue Sherman
Quilter: Sue Sherman
Design Basis: Original Design - Based on a photo taken by the artist
Size: 50" x 60" Inches
Year Made: 2025
Shows & Museums: The Festival of Quilts, Birmingham 2026; Houston International Quilt Festival 2025
