Exhibiting Artist

Mark and Teri are a creative duo who market themselves as Pops and Momma Rose Art. Teri, an accomplished quilter and garment maker of 45 years was nicknamed “Momma Rose” by her grandchildren. Mark, a retired businessman, went back to school at 65 where he acquired his nickname of “Pops” as the oldest art student at UNCG. Mark and Teri met six years ago and discovered their mutual love of art and being creative.  Mark is an accomplished sculptor and painter who fell in love with fiber arts when his new wife introduced him to quilting. When they discovered the Gees Bend Quilters of Alabama in 2017, this creative duo launched their passion for wonky, improv and whimsical quilting. Their improv art quilts are meant for hanging as art and most often smaller pieces are matted and framed as fine art. Their work is best described as abstract painting with fabric. Pops and Momma Rose take the art and craft of quilting “beyond the bed”.

Hello friends, I’m Pops and here is our story. I met Momma Rose in 2016 through an online seniors dating site and we fell in love, married, and discovered we both thrived on being creative and making art. I was a retired businessman and had wanted to be an artist since high school. After 45 years of chasing money as a retailer and consultant I retired, enrolled in art school, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with magna cum laude honors. My much younger fellow students affectionately nicknamed me “Pops” and I embraced my new moniker as my artist name. Bronze and iron sculpture, charcoal drawings, collage and artist sketchbook journals were my go to mediums in my first artistic endeavors. Momma Rose, my beautiful wife, is a quilter, needle artist, jewelry maker, and floral arranger and is called “Momma Rose” by her kids and grandkids. Our art quilting journey together began one day in 2017. when I wanted to learn to quilt something funky for a sketchbook cover. I asked Momma Rose to show me how to quilt. I’m a “hands on” learner so naturally I loved having Momma Rose reach around me while I was sitting at the sewing machine.  Momma Rose had to show Pops how to do it…and, oh boy did she ever! From that day on, I was hooked. As the years have progressed Pops and Momma Rose have made the most beautiful art quilts together! That’s our story and we’re sticking to it…