Lectures

My lectures explore design, composition, and improvisation within contemporary quilt practice. Through visual examples and candid discussion of process, I focus on how structure, cohesion, and disciplined decision-making shape meaningful work.

THE IMPROV PARADOX
Design Through Constraint

  • Improvisation as structured decision-making

  • Turning fragments into cohesive visual systems

  • Working with available materials as design principle

  • Intuition as disciplined practice

OPEN MIND, WANDERING IMAGINATION
Principles of Abstract Composition

  • Core principles of abstract design

  • Figure/ground relationships

  • Movement, rhythm, and spatial balance

  • Contemporary quilt examples

BUILDING AS METHOD
Play, Structure, and Risk in Design

  • Spatial tension and visual weight

  • Translating 3D exploration into 2D composition

  • Risk as a catalyst for dynamic work

  • Recognizing compositional resolution

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER
Developing a Cohesive Body of Work

  • Defining a cohesive series

  • Repetition vs. development

  • Recognizing formal through-lines

  • Knowing when a series is complete

A POCKET GUIDE TO EXHIBITING
Professional Practices for Contemporary Quilters

  • Selecting appropriate venues

  • Preparing focused submissions

  • Writing design-centered artist statements

  • Understanding juror perspective

  • Presenting work professionally

SOLO & INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
From Body of Work to Curated Presentation

  • Building a unified exhibition narrative

  • Selecting and sequencing work

  • Spatial and installation considerations

  • Working with institutions and curators

MENTORING MAGIC
Structured Growth in Artistic Practice

  • Identifying growth plateaus

  • Productive critique structures

  • Accountability and momentum

  • Long-term artistic direction

INSIDE THE STUDIO
Process, Discipline, and Design Decisions

  • Studio systems and workflow

  • Design wall as laboratory

  • Editing and refinement

  • Knowing when a composition is complete

Click here for a pdf of my lectures

Booking Information:
Duration: 60 minutes (45 presentation + 15 Q&A)
Live via Zoom
Fee: $500 per lecture
In-person within Washington, DC metro area (travel additional)

Contact Info:
susan@susanjlapham.com | 703-599-9511 | www.susanjlapham.net