Catherine VanWert (left), 9, looks through a kaleidoscope-like sheet last week at a quilt display (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        HAMILTON — Mystical, amusing, inspiring — quilts aren't just for warmth and comfort.

        Many of the pieces in the annual Summer Quilt Show at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts expand the definition of quilts, pulling the viewer into a world beyond traditional pattern and color.

        “What I love about this exhibit is that it gives you the feeling that anything's possible,” said Cathy Mayhugh, the Fitton's director of exhibitions.

IF YOU GO

What: “Cloth and Clay” exhibition     When: Daily through Aug. 5; gallery hours vary     Where: Fitton Center, 101 S. Monument Ave., Hamilton     Admission: Free     Information: 863-8873.

        Using a variety of techniques and materials, the show's 26 regional quilt artists tell stories, express feelings and evoke moods. Some pieces, like Anne Huber's “poster” quilts, resemble realistic paintings. Others, such as Larry Nolan's “Coffin Quilt,” use images symbolically.

        A group of youngsters ages 8 to 11 toured the “Cloth and Clay” exhibit last week following their art camp sessions, also held at the Fitton Center.

        “This one is cool because if you need a mirror, you can just look into it,” said Adrian Pettigrew, who was intrigued by the tiny mirrors Peg Bird sewed onto her work, titled “Vroom!”

        Choosing colorful scraps from a plastic tub, gallery visitors can design their own quilt squares, arranging them on a felt board to make unlimited combinations of color and pattern.

        Sharing gallery space with the quilts is an exhibition of clay constructions by former architect Don Williams of Kettering.

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