The Alliance for American Quilts Presents
Quilters’ S.O.S. - Save Our Stories: The Barack Obama Quilt Project Interviews with quiltmakers who have made quilts inspired by President Barack Obama
Throughout the presidential campaign, I kept reading stories and seeing more and more images of quilts inspired by Barack Obama. Wanting to capture this moment in our history, I began interviewing those quiltmakers for Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories, an oral history project of the Alliance for American Quilts. More than 50 interviews have been added to the more than 900 interviews in the project. All the quilts and the stories behind them are a unique expression of the maker’s impression of the “Obama phenomenon.” Now that Obama is President, these quilts have become even more significant. I did not have any real plan other than satisfying my curiosity when I began the interviews. The quiltmakers represent a board spectrum of political views, you will find avid Obama supporters, Hilary supporters and stanch Republicans. Their skills range from beginner to professional. Participants include those from two exhibits, “Quilts for Obama: An Exhibit Celebration of our 44th President” and “President Obama: A Celebration in Art Quilts,” in the greater Washington, D.C. area around the inauguration and beyond. Many of the quiltmakers drew upon the iconography of the campaign. Others took the literal image of Obama a step further and used elements of culture and Pop Art in their quilts, while others simply did a literal interpretation. The themes of family, patriotism, Africa, and hope were also popular. I want to thank all the quiltmakers who shared so openly their thoughts and experiences in the interviews. This “feminine medium” continues to take ordinary materials to create something of great meaning and to provide us with an important glimpse of our history. Karen Musgrave Volunteer and Co-Chair Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories The Alliance for American Quilts The quilts in this publication are listed in order of the date of their maker’s Quilters’ S.O.S. -Save Our Stories interview.
Interviewee: Susan Walen Title of quilt: “Dear Mr. Obama…” Location: Bethesda, Maryland Date: 2008-12-09 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Diana Bracy Title of quilt: “Living the Dream” Location: Las Vagas, Nevada Date: 2008-12-09 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Susan Shie Title of Quilt: “The Potluck/ World: Card #21 in The Kitchen Tarot” Location: Wooster, Ohio Date: 2008-12-15 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Bonnie Smith Title of quilt: “Obama in Blue” Location: San Jose, California Date: 2008-12-15 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Jeanette Thompson Title of quilt: “Obama Equals Hope” Location: Chicago, Illinois Date: 2008-12-16 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Theresa Shellcroft Title of quilt: “It is Written in the Stars, We the People...” Location: Victorville, California Date: 2008-12-29 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Debra Gabel Title of quilt: “Obama: It’s a NEW Day” Location: Clarksville, Maryland Date: 2009-01-09 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Edna Patterson-Petty Title of quilt: “Road to Redemption” Location: East St. Louis, Illinois Date: 2009-01-11 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Sherry Shine Title of quilt: “The 44th” Location: East Orange, New Jersey Date: 2009-01-12 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Wen Redmond Title of quilt: “Yes! We Can” Location: Strafford, New Hampshire Date: 2009-01-13 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Shawn Dubin Title of quilt: “Obama: Red and Blue States Merging into Glorious Purple” Location: Berkeley, California Date: 2009-01-13 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Connie Condrell Title of quilt: “Light at the End of the Tunnel” Location: Round Hill, Virginia Date: 2009-01-16 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Carole Lyles Shaw Title of quilt: “War and Freedom: African Americans Veterans Hail the Commander-in-Chief, #2” Location: Columbia, Maryland Date: 2009-01-18 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Valerie White Title of quilt: “Great Expectations” Location: Louisville, Kentucky Date: 2009-01-19 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Lisa Shepard Stewart Title of quilt: “Fiber Artists for Obama: Fist Bump” Location: Rahway, New Jersey Date: 2009-01-20 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Jackie Campbell Title of quilt: “Whatever You Want To Be” Location: Washington, D.C. Date: 2009-01-21 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Sherry Boram Title of quilt: “DAWN” Location: Pendleton, Indiana Date: 2009-01-23 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Eileen Doughty Title of quilt: “Freedom’s Box” Location: Vienna, Virginia Date: 2009-01-23 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Catherine Lamkin Title of quilt: “Change” Location: Charleston, South Carolina Date: 2009-01-23 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Cookie Washington Title of quilt: “The Hope of the New Day Begun” Location: Charleston, South Carolina Date: 2009-01-26 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Deb Cashatt Title of quilt: “The Picture is Only Half the Story” Location: Cameron Park, California Date: 2009-01-26 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Kris Sazaki Title of quilt: “The Picture is Only Half the Story” Detail view shown Location: Cameron Park, California Date: 2009-01-26 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Betty Colburn Title of quilt: “Obama Drafted for NBA” Location: Portland, Oregon Date: 2009-01-26 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Carolyn Crump Title of quilt: “From Vision to Victory” Location: Houston, Texas Date: 2009-01-27 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Stephanie Grissom Title of quilt: “American Renaissance� Location: Markeville, Indiana Date: 2009-01-28 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Sheila Kramer Title of quilt: “44 - A Happy Number” Location: Rockville, Maryland Date: 2009-01-29 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Jayne Gaskins Title of quilt: “The Intersection of Main Street and Wall Street” Location: Fernandina Beach, Florida Date: 2009-01-30 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Jeanne Marklin Title of quilt: “Lift Every Voice and Sing for Obama” Location: Williamstown, Massachusetts Date: 2009-02-03 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Carol Krueger Title of quilt: “That Won” Location: Louisville, Colorado Date: 2009-02-04 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Asake Denise Foye Jones Title of quilt: “The Sunshine of My Life” Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Date: 2009-02-04 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Elizabeth Warner Title of quilt: “Together We Can Bridge the Divide” Location: Simsbury, Connecticut Date: 2009-02-06 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Joy-Lily Title of quilt: “Help, Hope and Hallelujah” Location: San Francisco, California Date: 2009-02-06 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Sandra Hankins Title of quilt: “Everybody’s All American” Location: Temecula, California Date: 2009-02-11 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Suanne Reed Title of quilt: “A Place For Him Too” Location: Naperville, Illinois Date: 2009-02-11 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Michelle Flamer Title of quilt: “Next” Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Date: 2009-02-11 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Peg Keeney Title of quilt: “We the People Together We Can” Location: Tucson, Arizona Date: 2009-02-12 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Charlene Hughes Title of quilt: “KAPA APANA” Location: Honolulu, Hawaii Date: 2009-02-12 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Maria Shell Title of quilt: “Colors Unfurled AKA If Betsy Ross Had My Stash” Location: Anchorage, Alaska Date: 2009-02-18 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Vivian Milholen Title of quilt: “44 Equals Change” Location: South Riding, Virginia Date: 2009-02-19 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Carol Beck Title of quilt: “A Dream Realized” Location: Durham, North Carolina Date: 2009-02-20 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Adriene Cruz Title of quilt: “Warrior of Light Shield for Obama” Location: Portland, Oregon Date: 2009-02-23 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Sauda Zahra Title of quilt: “Keepers of Your Destiny” Location: Durham, North Carolina Date: 2009-02-25 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Ann Anastastio Title of quilt: “New Mexico Support Obama” Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico Date: 2009-02-26 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Marjorie Diggs Freeman Title of quilt: “Yes We Can and In My Lifetime” Location: Durham, North Carolina Date: 2009-03-04 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Marlene O’Bryant-Seabrook Title of quilt: “They Paved the Way” Location: Charleston, South Carolina Date: 2009-03-06 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Chris Gilman Title of quilt: “Folk Art for Today” Location: Wenatchee, Washington Date: 2009-03-09 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Lavialle Campbell Title of quilt: “Obama Bucks” Location: Studio City, California Date: 2009-03-09 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Ellaree Pray Title of quilt: “Change of Allegiance” Location: Piscataway, New Jersey Date: 2009-03-11 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Martha Gilbert Title of quilt: “You Dig?” Location: Elliott City, Maryland Date: 2009-03-16 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Louisa L. Smith Title of quilt: “Yes We Can” Location: Loveland, Colorado Date: 2009-03-26 Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Juanita Salvador-Burris Title of quilt: “The Extraordinary and Improbable Journey of Barack Obama” Location: Chicago, Illinois Date: 2009-03-28 Click here to read the interview
Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories (Q.S.O.S.) is a grassroots oral history project of the Alliance for American Quilts. Q.S.O.S. preserves the stories of today’s quiltmakers from all over the US and abroad. The project is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The Alliance for American Quilts, a national nonprofit organization, supports and develops projects to document, preserve, and share the history of quilts and quiltmakers. The AAQ brings together groups and individuals from the creative, scholarly and business worlds of quiltmaking to advance the recognition of quilts and their makers in American culture. Visit www.AllianceforAmericanQuilts.org/qsos to browse all 900+ Q.S.O.S. interviews and find out how you can become an AAQ member and a Q.S.O.S. volunteer interviewer.