Renowned quilter to be featured at Milagros in August

ALAMOSA— Bea Mansanarez of Monte Vista will be the featured artist of the month for August at Milagros Coffee Shop. Come enjoy a cup of coffee and enjoy Bea’s quilts.
Mary Beatrice “Bea” Valdez Mansanarez was born to Benjamin Valdez and Rosa Lucia Martinez Valdez. She is a native of Los Valdez’s, Colorado, otherwise known as 7-Mile Plaza. Her story must include her great grandfather, Juan Pio Valdez. He was granted a homestead around 1870 that consisted of 160 acres west of the Plaza bridge in Los Valdez’s. He donated part of his land to be used for a church, a cemetery and a school. The school was named St. Francis of Assisi. The church and cemetery, which are in active use today, were registered as a Colorado historical site on March 15, 2002.
Bea married her childhood sweetheart Camilo S. Mansanarez on Nov. 6, 1950. The couple had three children, Rosalyn Mansanarez Velasquez, a former special needs teacher, Linda Mansanarez Cherry, a food and drug inspector for the federal government, and David Kelly Mansanarez who was manager of Safeway food store in Monte Vista.
As far back as Bea can remember, she had a love for quilts and handmade items. Her mother adorned their modest home with hand sewn and hand crocheted items in addition to making their clothing. So perhaps that is where Bea’s appreciation and love for handmade items was born.
Bea began sewing her children’s clothing as well as her own and knitting and crocheting garments for all of the family members. Soon she had acquired a heap of fabric scraps. This began her attempt at cutting those scraps into shapes and sewing them together, and there she created a world of art.
Quilts … for the next 27 years Bea taught herself how to quilt. “It’s much more strategic than one would think,” she said. “Sometimes my pieces were upside down, didn’t fit and often got tossed to the corner. But my love for quilting and my drive to create a masterpiece built perfection.”
In 1980 Bea began teaching quilt making through the Monte Vista Community School and at her studio in her home.
“I have been called ‘the mother of quilts’ for the San Luis Valley as I taught many, many ladies how to quilt,” she said.
She is also one of the founders of the San Luis Valley Quilt Guild.
Bea has won numerous quilting awards and has been featured in the following international quilt magazines: Quilter’s Newsletter; McCall’s Quilting; American Patchwork and Quilting; Love of Quilting; and Keepsake Quilting.
Bea’s original Sunflower quilt won “Best Of Show” at Quilt Colorado 2005. The quilt was featured on the cover of Quilters Newsletter Magazine. Her Sunflower quilt pattern was published and patterns were sold in the United States and abroad. Bea was named “Master Quilter” for this accomplishment. Her award winning quilts can be seen throughout the San Luis Valley. They are displayed in the local hospitals and Rio Grande Savings & Loan in Alamosa.
“My love for this art now includes landscapes and birds, specializing in Sand Hill cranes,” she said. Her artwork has been for sale at the annual Crane Festival in Monte Vista and will be again this next spring. Her work has also been for sale at the Valley Co-op in Alamosa. Currently they are for sale at Wild Rose Store in Alamosa.