Cats

Block Number: 25

Drs. John and Jennifer Owens, owners of Animal Hospital of Marion, made a conscious decision to move here from Montgomery, Alabama, operate a business, and make it their home. Jennifer says, “We love it and would never want to be anywhere else. We love the mountains and we are happy to be here and be a part of the county.” They report following the progress McDowell Quilt Trail has made over the past eight months, and love the idea that McDowell County has its own trail and want to be a part of it.

John and Jennifer Owens say they have been seeing the blocks go up in Marion and thought it would be a really cool thing to do. But when Jennifer found out that it was a good thing for the community and was actually an art project through the McDowell Arts Council Association, she called MACA to inquire about an application. She says, “I hope the whole county gets covered up with them. I think that would be a great thing.”

The Owens’ chose earth tones and wanted to incorporate animals in some way into their block. They worked with Mike and Jill Lucas to design a special block with a cat theme, because “Cats are very angular and I felt that would work well in a quilt block,” Jennifer says. They call their block “Cats,” but if you look closely, you might get the impression of a group of cats sitting back to back with their tails tied together, as if making up a nosegay. John says he left the decision-making for this block to Jennifer, but reserved the right to put up one on their boathouse that has brilliant colors and is of his own choosing. “Cats”, block No. 25, installed on February 27, 2010, can be found on the south-facing side of the Animal Hospital of Marion at 1086 US 70 West in Marion.