Susan Adler Davis collection

Susan Adler Davis is a 4th generation Baltimore, Maryland native. She trained in weaving at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) where she earned a BFA in Crafts with a minor in Art History. She also has an MAT in Art Education from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Davis taught art at several Maryland institutions including the Notre Dame University Renaissance Institute, Millbrook Elementary School, and the Gilman School. She studied locally at the Zoll Studio of Fine Arts under Bennett Vadnais as well as with David Lawton, Michael Baer and Rob Seifert, Duane Lutsko, Kathleen Dunphy and David Lussier.

Davis’ works in painting, quilting, beading, and textile arts have been shown at the Howard County Center for the Arts, The Night Owl, Tish Fine Art Plus, Y Gallery, Women’s Industrial Exchange, Baltimore Bead Society, and the MICA Holiday Mart.

William Donald Schaefer (1921 - 2011) served four terms as Mayor of Baltimore (1971 - 1986) before being elected as the 58th Governor of Maryland in 1987. Schaefer was a lifelong patron of the arts, especially crafts that paid homage to Baltimore heritage and communities. Schaefer joined the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) government agency to demonstrate how arts advocacy can benefit the city. In 1981, Schaefer received the U. S. Conference of Mayors' City Livability Award for Support of Urban Arts Efforts.

Baltimore is known for its tradition of album quilts made of 16 to 18 inch squares sewn of printed cotton, velvet or silk. Baltimore often hosts craft shows because of location, dynamic and progressive city administration, and the city’s reflection of contemporary and heritage impact. Mayor Schaefer hosted the “Baltimore Quilts, A Cover Story” exhibit with The Art Commission of Baltimore City in 1981 to demonstrate the culture and artistry of Baltimore citizens.