Urban Piecework

Patti Harrell Hoech, Designer with Helen Atkins, Artist/Installer

Urban Piecework is a project to celebrate the unique characteristics of the Nexus Blue Smokehouse. Patti Harrell Hoech began to tell the “story” through a creative, artistic narrative by adopting the image of the historic little log smokehouse, in North Carolina, as the new Blue barbeque logo. The woodblock interpretation is derived from photos on-site at the historic property. It embodies all that is special about gathering with family, friends, and good food. It was designed to be an emblem of all that is correlated here.

She furthered this artistic narrative with familiar images, of patchwork (piecework) quilts and rural living through the ages, which are fondly and sentimentally regarded. The thrifty, creative, practice of piecework became an artform all its own. Textile art and craft is a collage of color, texture, fiber, and eclecticism. Mosaic is similarly executed with, in this case, random pieces of tile, stone, and glass pieced together to form an abstract, geometric design motif. Here, as signature, permanent, art installations, Patti planned the idea of these mosaics create a recurring design theme on behalf of all the history, tradition, color, and texture represented by Nexus Blue Smokehouse. Her unique concept of eclectic, artistic elements, to further present imagery for the brand, is Urban Piecework.

Combining ceramic mosaic techniques with the geometry of cut fabric used to piece patchwork clothing and home goods, these towering vertical wall installations at Nexus Blue bring the history and traditions into a colorful, modern, urban interpretation. Urban Piecework – the artistry of tile “piece-work” mosaic – is now an iconic architectural design element both inside and out of this building’s – Nexus Blue Smokehouse – brand. The design intent further identifies Nexus and solidifies, enhances, and commemorates this building’s significant role in and contribution to the community’s history.