AUBURN - Bette Rogers' quilts can be enjoyed on two levels. They are works of art by themselves, but they also depict separate works.

Rogers' quits are inspired by Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. On Sunday, Rogers discussed both quilt-making and Ikebana at the fourth of five trunk shows to be held at Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn.

The shows have been organized to run concurrently with the art center's 26th annual quilt exhibition, “Quilts = Art = Quilts.” The quilt show boasts 89 quilts from 80 artists, and lasts until Jan. 6.

For the trunk shows, a new quilt-maker shows their work and speaks in the art center at 2 p.m. each Sunday.

Some of the guests have pieces in the current quilt show, including Rogers.

Rogers moved to Japan in 1991, living there for 11 years. While she was abroad, she took classes to learn Ikebana. Around the same time, she was becoming serious about quilting. It was only natural to bring her passions together.

“I was doing Ikebana so much, I thought that I really needed to combine it with my quilting,” said Rogers, who currently lives in Honeoye Falls and teaches quilting classes at Rochester Institute of Technology.

During her talk, Rogers said that depicting her flower arrangements on a quilt allows the works of art to live on after the flowers have wilted. At an Ikebana show, the arrangements are usually taken down the same day they are put together, Rogers said.

Through Ikebana, Rogers was also able to learn a lot about Japanese culture, she said.

“You learn the history of the art form, which teaches you a history of the people,” Rogers said. “And I learned about how people relate to nature in Japan, which is very different than here.”

But while Ikebana is an art that takes a lifetime to master, Rogers said that it is even more challenging to depict an arrangement on fabric.

“When I work, I can hear my (Ikebana) teacher's voice saying things like ‘You know that flower should be lower than the vase,'” she said. “For me, the challenge is doing something she would approve of on a quilt.”

The Trunk Shows are meant to introduce the public to the work of area quilt-makers, according to Schweinfurth assistant director Stephanie Schuster, who organizes the events.

While “Quilts = Art = Quilts” includes quilt artists from all over the county, only quilt makers from the region are invited to speak at the trunk shows.

“The talks add another dimension to the quilt show,” said, Schuster, who added that attendance has been good for all the shows.

“People have really loved them.”

Next Sunday, the trunk show will feature various works from the Tompkins County Quilter's Guild.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.