CAZENOVIA — This winter, Cazenovia Artisans will recognize the retirement of its last remaining founding member, Sue Ellen Romanowski, with a retrospective send-off exhibition of her quilted artwork from Jan. 13 through Feb. 16 at the gallery at 39 Albany St. Romanowski, an accomplished East Syracuse-based fiber artist, and a handful of other area artists established the gallery in 2002. “There were 14 of us who opened a shop in November on Sullivan Street next to Dave’s Dinner,” she said. “The owner of the building, Bob Hood, gifted us with a membership to the Cazenovia Chamber of Commerce and a cash register. The following year, Bob Hood renovated an alleyway where our location is now.” Romanowski recalled that although she and the other founders were initially nervous about launching their new venture, they were excited to present and provide their artwork to the community. “Bob Hood’s support, vision, and encouragement were key to our ability to create and organize a small business that has succeeded for 22-plus years,” she said. “The thrill of an art gallery was overshadowed by the complexity of learning and implementing all the business needs. For example, our first transactions were cash only [with three copies of] a handwritten receipt — [one] for the treasurer, the artist, and the bank.” Romanowski acknowledged Dick English, Faith Dickenson, and Peggy Van Arnam as key figures in the beginning. She also recognized SCORE, a volunteer group of retired financial advisors, for providing the accounting foundation and helping to produce an operating agreement for the co-op. A press release announcing her retirement describes Romanowski as a vital member of the organization, noting that she helped the gallery/shop to grow and evolve into what it is today, “a consistent source of high caliber [arts and crafts] created by artists and crafts folk living amongst us here in Central New York.” According to Romanowski, Cazenovia Artisans has had 100 artist members since its founding, some of whom have been members for many years. She highlighted Van Arnam, who resigned in 2016 and has since consigned with Cazenovia Artisans, and Marilyn Fegan and Dee VonHunke, who joined in 2003 and are current members. “Over the years, there has been a wide range of creative art and items in the store,” Romanowski said. “We started with candles, fabric, jewelry, dried flower wreaths, pencil drawings, furniture, paintings, clothing, weaving, and [we] have enjoyed bow ties, clocks, wooden toys, porcelain dolls, etc.” Romanowski’s send-off exhibition, “Pieces of My Life,” will feature roughly 12 art quilts representing different styles, approaches, and techniques she has developed over the past 29 years. A reception for Romanowski is scheduled for Jan. 18, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the gallery. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Romanowski’s artistic journey began on a farm in central Illinois, where her mother taught her to sew at a young age. “My love for color and design originates in the farming community of [Paris, Illinois],” she said. “Being the middle of seven children, both parents with horticultural degrees, I developed a sense of texture and color, as well as a love for plants. Fast forward to 1985, and I operated an appointment-only perennial plant business for 10 years in Sauquoit, NY.” In 1996, she discovered her passion for quilting and launched her career in fabric art. Romanowski credits her friend Bobbie Chamberlain for introducing her to quilting through a book of “watercolor quilts.” “I just thought they were beautiful and wanted to try making one,” she said. “Up to that time, I had sewn clothing, home décor items, stuffed animals, and such. Since then, I have made over a thousand quilts, including art pieces and home decoration items [such as] table runners and pillow covers.” According to the artist, over 25 percent of her quilts have been donated to charities such as Project Linus, Ronald McDonald House, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Romanowski has studied with numerous local, national, and international fiber artists. Her work, which is largely abstract and improvisational, is often inspired by nature, particularly flowers, trees, and leaves. “I love nature and celebrate it with my work,” she wrote in the biography on her website. Her quilting technique involves hand-guided free motion on a domestic sewing machine, facilitating the creation of unique, intricate, and dynamic patterns. Outside of her achievements in fabric art, Romanowski is a master gardener with Cornell and a National Council of Federated Garden Clubs Accredited Life Flower Show Judge. She has designed many gardens and flower arrangements that have won numerous awards. Developed through years of gardening, her love of color and pattern is reflected strongly in her fabric art. “I find color very exciting, and with the fabric, [I] use it to create motion and feeling,” she explained in her artist biography. For more information about Romanowski and her work, visit her website at sueellenfiberart.com or her profile and online shop at cazenoviaartisans.com. Cazenovia Artisans is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To learn more about its history and artist members, visit cazenoviaartisans.com or call 315-655-2225.