Changing the Fabric of Society: Political Quilting in America

POLITICAL QUILTING IN AMERICA

HUNTER ATHA

POLITICAL QUILTING IN AMERICA HUNTER ATHA UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO MASTER OF ARTS, MUSEUM & EXHIBITION STUDIES

Changing the Fabric of Society: Political Quilting in America would not be possible without the continuous support of my thesis capstone committee, Lucy Mensah and Karyn Sandlos.

Their boundless wealth of knowledge, encouragement, and guidance has strengthened my vision of this project into a body of work that represents my academic development and progression during my time at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I can’t forget to recognize the foundation of my academic achievements—my classmates and MUSE cohort. From encouraging affirmations, to silly laughs, and necessary critique, their unending support and friendship has made this academic journey one filled with love, inspiration, and enthusiasm.

table of contents 4

ESSAY

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RED, WHITE, & BLUE

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SPOTLIGHT: LAURA HARTRICH

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DUALITIES OF REPETITION

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SPOTLIGHT: CHAWNE KIMBER

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DEMOCRACY [work in progress]

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GLOSSARY

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CHECKLIST

Quilting is defined as made of two layers of fabric with some soft sub-

stance between them and stitched in patterns or tufted through all thicknesses in order to prevent the filling from shifting. This craft in America dates back to the 18th century, where primarily women carefully pieced together fabric segments and quilted tiny, precise, and even stitches to show their control over the medium—replicating exact blocks and stitch motifs. Through centuries of evolution, quilting today fluctuates on a wide spectrum of medium, design styles, compositions, and subject matter. Not just used as utilitarian objects or a way to display skilled handwork, quilts are increasingly being used to show individual voice, personality, and make political statements. Through examining the past, one can see how quilts have served as political instruments and particularly aided marginalized communities.

Looking back to some of the first documented histories of quilts in America,

it is very easy to overlook that almost every quilt documented in archives, books, and museums come from white makers. “At a time when historians discerned the contour of enslaved people’s lives through sources created by members of the master class (including diaries, records of slave sales, wills, etc.)”,1 sources from the lived experience of the enslaved were neglected to be recognized as a part of history. Quilts from plantations are exquisite period pieces, which exemplify use of fabrics, patterns, and technique. However, the omission of the enslaved quilt maker from the narrative of plantation and Antebellum South quilting only reiterates and parallels many other historical periods where blacks are completely left out. In the case of Antebellum South and plantation quilts, much of the quilting and stitching was done by enslaved seamstresses whose responsibilities included sewing dresses, jackets, men’s pantaloons, quilts, coverlets, and table linings. The seamstress used her skills to sew essential items for the plantation family, while also the enslaved themselves.

Though much of the quilting was done for the plantation family and the

mistress, quilting was not limited to just sustaining the plantation family. Many enslaved people were only rationed one quilt every three years, making quilting in the confines of their quarters a necessity to withstand the cold winters.2 Having to use scraps of clothing and fabric remnants that were used to construct the plantation family’s wardrobe, enslaved quilters were liberated from the traditional

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Quilt (Touching Star), 1830 Almira Dudley Clay (American) United States, possibly Pennsylvania or New York 242.6 x 251.5 cm (95 1/2 x 99 in.)

Collection: Art Institute of Chicago

Example of traditional Euro-American piecing and quilting aesthetic.

Euro-American aesthetic, which was seen as superior and the foundation of “good 3

quilting” (carefully color-coordinated, symmetrical, impeccably pieced, and quilted with tiny, even stitches). This departure from the mainstream white traditions is a political act within itself, since creating personal quilts were seen as exercises of freedom. Many enslaved people created appliqué quilts (pieces of fabric which are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece of fabric to form pictures or patterns) which told stories and displayed oral histories. Due to many enslaved people not being able to read or write, quilting was one way to record stories from the Bible or of African cosmology. Professor and Historian of English and Folklore, Gladys-Marie Fry, hypothesizes that the appliqué tradition in Antebellum South was brought over

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Monkey Wrench

Wagon Wheel

Prepare the tools you’ll need for the long journey, including the mental and spiritual tools.

Transportation available, prepare to board the wagon to begin the escape.

Drunkard’s Path

Crossroads

Create a zig-zag path, do not walk in a straight line, to avoid pursuers.

Go North towards Cleveland, Ohio.

This destination offers several routes to freedom.

Bow Ties

Flying Geese

Dress in a disguise, or a change of clothes.

Follow the geese North, the direction the geese fly during spring migration.

Bear’s Paw

Log Cabin

Take a mountain trail, out of view. Follow the bear tracks, they lead to water and food.

Find a safe house.

Shoofly

Star

Look for a friendly guide who can help.

Follow the North Star to freedom.

to America by enslaved people from Benin (formerly known as Dahmoey), West Africa.4 These quilts diverged from the mainstream quilt aesthetic and allowed enslaved people to creatively express themselves—the only real freedom in their lives.

Using their own influences and aesthetic to create personal quilts, en-

slaved quilters filled their sewn works with individual voice, liberating them from the shackles of slavery. Elizabeth Keckly, an enslaved seamstress, bought her own way to freedom through her remarkable skill and hand work—later becoming a prominent dressmaker in Washington, D.C. and rising to dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln, First Lady to the President, Abraham Lincoln.5 Ms. Keckly’s ability to earn her way to freedom through her craft is a political act of divergence; deviation from the common plot of having to escape to freedom or living in the captivity of the plantation.

While the number is often debated, nearly 100,000 enslaved people es-

caped to freedom on the Underground Railroad during 1800 and 1865. 6 Quilts assisted significantly in the preparation leading up to the treacherous journeys on the Underground Railroad. Before understanding the role of the quilt in helping liberate enslaved people to the free North, it is essential to understand that these histories of enslaved people were not written histories. Seemingly removed from the validity of culture, American history, and written text, enslaved people were not considered to have histories. They passed down information and their own stories of their families and experiences orally; additionally, through the manipulation of fabric and thread. Quilts on plantations were used to communicate between enslaved people and the Underground Railroad. The “house slave” or the slave seamstress would hang out a particular quilt to dry, which would display a quilt with a specific block or motif to the rest of the plantation. Hung for a few days, each quilt was revealed for enough time for the messaged to circulate within the plantation before the next quilt was hung. Messages were shown in sequential order—allowing enslaved people to memorize the messages that would be essential to their passage on the Underground Railroad. The Wagon Wheel, Drunkard’s Path, Log Cabin, Flying Geese, and the Bear Claw are just a few quilts that gave hidden messages. The Wagon Wheel implied the escape from the plantation would be by wagon, while the Drunkard’s Path indicated the path towards freedom would be winding and not straight; prompting those enslaved to

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wind and zig-zag to keep from getting caught. The Log Cabin represented the importance of looking for a safe home along the way, at the same time the Flying Geese signified the value of following the flight direction of the geese—North.

The Bear Claw quilt showed the importance of following the bears tracks, which would lead to food and water. These quilt blocks allowed enslaved people to recognize what to look for, how to prepare, and when to leave for the Underground Railroad.7 Having to navigate life as an enslaved person and uncover alternative ways of communicating established a new language of transferring knowledge—hidden meaning quilt blocks aiding others in reaching freedom. The radical and political nature of these quilts is only enhanced by the fact that these amazing pieces of hand work and artistry were created for the plantation family themselves, many times pieced by the plantation mistress and then quilted by the enslaved seamstress.

Around the time of the emancipation of slavery, a small rural community,

situated at a bend in the Alabama River, used quilts to uphold and preserve their culture. Located on the site of a cotton plantation, the people of Gee’s Bend were confined by the Alabama River, unless making the long trek around to Camden, AL, which is directly across the river. Isolated for decades, their culture was completely sustained by the people of the community; virtually all ancestors of enslaved people from the cotton plantation that was founded by Joseph Gee in 1816.

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One of the poorest places in America, Gee’s Bend was put on the map

Some of the descendants of the Pettway Plantation slaves. Gees Bend, Alabama April 1937 Arthur Rothstein (1915-1985, photographer), Nitrate negative, Farm Security Administration Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress)

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when the unmistakable and exclusive style of the Gee’s Bend quilts were exposed to other parts of America and the world when it became the location for the Freedom Quilting Bee, a sewing cooperative organized to bring jobs and income to local women.9 Founded in 1966 by an Episcopal priest, Father Francis X. Walter, the Bee gathered members from all around Alabama and soon established a manager of the quilting cooperative, Estelle Witherspoon, a skilled quilter and politically savvy community leader. National and international recognition allowed the Gee’s Bend community to use their distinctive quilting style to foster their art style and production while supporting residents with monetary income—“produc[ing] quilts and other sewn goods for fashionable northern department stores.”10 Continuing to make quilts for over a century, their quilting style is based on traditional American, and African American, quilts with geometric simplicity reminiscent of Amish quilts and modern art. 11 This style of quilting became synonymous with the town of Gee’s Bend and gained world recognition when in 2002 the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston mounted the exhibition The Quilts of Gee’s Bend, which was the first exhibition documenting the quilting achievements of the Gee’s Bend quilters and recognizing their practice as “high art”; worthy of museum elevation and world attention. Through a quilting style that distinguished this community from the rest of the world, the Gee’s Bend quilters were able to preserve their culture and remain true to their African roots and slave ancestries. The politicalness of their use of an art form [quilting] to uphold their culture and histories through times of oppression and extreme conditions shows the strength of quilting as a communal artform and also as an identity that affirmed human relationships.

Another time period where quilts were used and seen as political objects

to support a marginalized community was the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. Originally conceived by American AIDS and LGBT rights activist, Cleve Jones, in the backyard of his San Francisco apartment in November of 1985, the quilt was designed to “create a memorial for those who had died of AIDS, and to thereby help people understand the devastating impact of the disease.”12 Constructed from 3-by-6-foot panels, the quilt comprised thousands of quilt blocks that celebrated and commemorated the lives of people who had died from AIDS. The blocks vary in design, color, and style, but the common thread between them all is the use of names. Communally sewn by lovers, family members, and friends

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previous page AIDS quilt, Washington, D.C., October, 1987 Carol M. Highsmith Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

On October 11, 1987 the quilt was displayed for the first time on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. It covered a space larger than a football field and included 1,920 panels.

Half a million people visited the Quilt that weekend.

of those who had passed on, the quilts blocks came together to celebrate life and love, while additionally a powerful visual reminder of the AIDS pandemic.

The LGBT community during the AIDS epidemic was significantly marginalized and disregarded. Displayed multiple times on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt brought issues of healthcare, AIDS awareness and HIV prevention education efforts, while humanizing the monumental number of lost lives from AIDS to the forefront of American and world politics— forcing Americans and the government to acknowledge the criticality of AIDS and the epidemic as an urgent subject worthy of dialogue and serious concern.

Constantly encouraging discourse between an abundant pool of people

from various locations, the advent of the internet and social media has made sharing quilts between people instantaneous with relatively minimal effort. Just a snap of a phone camera and a few swipes and taps of the finger, a post can be seen by millions. This recent phenomenon has changed the way makers, artist, and quilters share information, while also altering the way quilts have been used in the past. Months leading up to the U.S. presidential election, political commercial, ads, and social media commentary flood society. Individuals decide to conceal or reveal their political views and which candidate they support—many times leading to heated discussions, finger-pointing, and anger. In times like this, quilters began posting quilt projects inspired by their political views and support as a way of peacefully and artistically advertising their political stance. Quilts such as Yes We Can, 2008, by Denyse Schmidt and Still With Her, 2016, by Liz Harvatine present the artist’s political voice in a way that create space for productive discourse and artist expression. In 2016 quilters overwhelmed Instagram feeds with quilt blocks of the Hillary Clinton campaign “H” logo—using quilts to create an enormous statement and impact through such a simple action. The political significance of the quilt during these campaigns allowed individuals from all over the world to share their support of a candidate through peaceful and caring interactions, via the manipulation of fabric and thread. Whether a pillow quilt, large bedspread, small wall hanging, or a work-in-progress quilt block, by posting the Hillary logo, people from far and wide communally discussed their support of a

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candidate—all through an art form that metaphorically and physically brings fabric pieces together, just as it does people.

Just as the Hillary Clinton campaign logo quilts brought people together

from far and wide via social media, the Black Lives Matter movement began forming in 2013 by three radical Black organizers, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. Created in response to the acquittal to Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman, these women initiated a black-centered political will and movement building project called #BlackLivesMatter. 13 The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was utilized as a platform and organizing tool to amplify anti-Black racism across the country, in all the ways it showed up, while also “propelling the conversation around the state-sanctioned violence.”14 Utilizing social media, employing #BlackLivesMatter, sharing images, and the use of quilts, the BLM movement expanded visibility and national recognition. Calling upon the past where quilts

Black Lives Matter protest, photo by Scott Barbour

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were used to expose messages, liberate individuality, and commemorate those who were thrown to the side and forgotten, quilts during the BLM movement were made to bring issues of racism, violence, freedom, and justice to the everyday conversation. Quilter Chawne Kimber was a trailblazing artist who brought BLM subject matter to her quilting practice. A departure from the norm, Kimber presented extremely political subject matter through her fabric and thread works of art—winning awards and gaining praise from quilters and organizations internationally. Through the use of politically focused quilts, her message was made visible and projected to a community whose practice rarely brought politics to the foreground. The One for Eric, 2015, by Chawne Kimber and Tea and Skittles, 2016, by Thomas Knauer epitomize the effectiveness of quilting as an art medium to present political themes in an artistic and aesthetic way, which grabs attention and conveys tremendous emotion.

By looking at preceding histories, quilts have advanced change, led people

to liberation, generated remembrance, and organized groups of activists. Breaking from the customary and traditional view that quilts are made for utilitarian use, history shows that quilting has given many marginalized communities a way to project their frequently overlooked voices and share their views. A medium that is tactile, accessible, and diverse, quilting allows artists and makers to insert themselves into the actual fibers of the cloth—metaphorically piecing together fragments of fabric and bringing individuals together. A highly successful tool for conveying emotion, delivering hope, and producing dialogue about topics and issues, quilts are familiar objects that effectively function as political instruments that generate change.

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1

Young, Jason. Through the Prism of Slave Art: History, Literature, Memory, and the Work of P. Sterling Stuckey.” The Journal of African American History 91, no. 4 (2006): 391

2

Fry, Gladys-Marie. Stitched from the Soul: Slave quilts from the Antebellum South. (The University of North Carolina Press, 2002), 17

3

Roach, Susan. African-American Quiltmakers in North Louisiana: A Photographic Essay.

Folklife in Louisiana. (Accessed March 05, 2019). http://www.louisianafolklife.org/quilts/ aa_quilters.shtm.

4

Fry, Gladys-Marie. Stitched from the Soul: Slave quilts from the Antebellum South. (The University of North Carolina Press, 2002), 13

5

Ibid, 15

6 “Myths of the Underground Railroad.” How the Brain Learns Best. (Accessed December

6, 2018.) http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/underground_railroad/myths. htm.

7 Tobin, Jacqueline L. Hidden in Plain View a Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad. New York: Random House, 2000.

8 ”The History of Gee’s Bend, Alabama”. The Quilts of Gee’s Bend in Context. (Accessed

December 6, 2018). https://www.auburn.edu/academic/other/geesbend/explore/history. htm.

9 Paul Arnett, Joanne Cubbs, Eugene W. Metcalf Jr., Gee’s Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt, (Atlanta, Tinwood Books, 2006), 6-7.

10 Ibid 11

“Collective History.” The Quilts of Gees Bend. (Accessed December 6, 2018). http://www. quiltsofgeesbend.com/history.html.

12

The NAMES Project Foundation, “The AIDS Memorial Quilt”, 2018, https://www.aids quilt.org/about/the-aids-memorial-quilt

13 Black Lives Matter. “Herstory”, https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/herstory/ (Accessed

December 6, 2018)

14 Ibid

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RED, WHITE, & BLUE

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By highlighting the colors of these quilts, works from a variety of time periods, styles, and subject matter are presented together to emphasize their unique qualities as political objects while all using similar hues.

These colors hold symbolic significance in American culture through the representation in the national flag and in the U.S. seal. Charles Thompson, a Patriot leader during the American Revolution and Secretary of the Continental Congress stated,

“Red symbolizes hardiness and valor, White signifies purity and innocence, and Blue, vigilance, perseverance and justice.�

If these are the associations behind these American hues, then how do these quilts use of color disrupt or maintain particular meanings and call to attention these core values that America signifies?

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left Thousand Pyramids variation, 1930 Annie Bendolph Cotton sacking material and chambray 83 x 70 inches

above Aftermath Minimalism.jpg, 2016 Jacquie Gering 41 x 60 inches

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Flag Story quilt, 1985 Faith Ringgold Cotton canvas, dyeing, piecing, appliqué, ink 57 x 78 1/16 inches Spencer Museum of Art, permanent collection Drawing upon her own legacy in quilting making, Ringgold traced her quilting art practice back to her great-great grandmother, Betsy Bingham, and her great grandmother, Susie Shannon, both enslaved people whose duties included making quilts for plantation owners. By using narratives based on her community where she grew up in Harlem, NYC, Ringgold explores a story centered on a tragic Black male hero. Flag Story Quilt tells a poignant tale of racism, using the symbolic form of the U.S. flag to interrogate patriotic narratives and insert text in the blank, “white” fields.

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The Migrant Quilt Project from 2012-2013 (183 deaths), 2013 Jennifer Eschedor 69 x 54.5 inches Each skull sewn into this quilt represents the number of immigrants that have died between 2012-2013 in the Southern Arizona deserts on their journey crossing the border to create better lives for themselves and their families. Collecting fabric remnants from clothing left behind by migrants along trials, quilters in The Migrant Quilt Project recycle these textile-based discards to make quilts to communicate the reality of migrants’ deaths. Using linocut image to accompany each victim’s information, the cause of death is additionally exemplified through symbols such as a noose, hammer, gun, or waves of water. Created out of respect and sympathy for the families of the deceased, The Migrant Quilt Project from 2012-2013 can be seen as a political statement in the way it actualizes the death of identifiable and unknown migrants who have left their home for a better future. In today’s moment of the government rejecting migrants in America and attempts of keeping them out, the Migrant Quilt Project hopes you will be inspired to consider the conditions under which our fellow human beings take the ultimate risk to find more secure lives for themselves and their families and that you will be inspired to support humane changes in border policies.

Learn more about The Migrant Quilt Project at migrantquiltproject.org

detail

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Still With Her, 2016 Liz Harvatine 60 x 55 inches Made the day before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, this giant Hillary Clinton logo was the manifestation of Harvatine’s excitement and hope for America. Deflated after the result of the election, the “I’m with her” logo was cut up and re-pieced back together— keeping the promise of hope but creating something even better for the future.

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@splityarn

@lady_buggowitz

@elizabethkray

@gather_here

@sonicstitches

@100daysactionhadley

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@coopcrafts

@sotosewn

Wild Goose Chase, Variation with “Flying Geese” border, 1930 Annie Bendolph Cotton 82 x 74 inches Referencing quilts from her slave ancestry, Annie Bendolph uses the Flying Goose block, which was used to display hidden messages to escaping slaves—informing them to follow the direction of the flying geese to get to freedom. Pointing in every which way, these flying geese quilt blocks are disoriented showing the tumultuous pursuit of the goose; perhaps also illustrating the zig-zagging path of escaping enslaved people while on the hunt from slave catchers. Wonky and skewed, this quilt expresses the lively quilting style of the Gee’s Bend quilters, during a time where quilting was all about precision and exactness.

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Let’s Face It, We Lack Diversity, 2017 Hunter Atha Cotton, thread, pigment, polyester batting cotton, 53 x 37 inches Each face depicted here represents the current demographic of American art museum staff who occupy the top intellectual and leadership roles at their institution: curators, educators, conservators, and directors, expresses the ratio of the colorless consensus: 84% Non-Hispanic White, 6% Asian, 4% Black, 3% Hispanic, and 3% two or more races—70% female and 30% male. This data was collected as part of the 2015 Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey, conducted by the Mellon Foundation and the Association of Art Museums Directors in response to the underrepresentation of people of color in the museum field.

Created by free-motion thread painting, Atha used a sewing machine to draw the contours and features of each face. Framed by the black thread, the pigment painted onto the fabric gives the individuals color and life. The white backdrop enhances the lack of color in the group, underscoring the stark absence of diversity in museum staff. Merging together to form a quilt, the faces unite to build a larger fabric that serves as a metaphor for the museum—like a quilt, the museum space is special and preserves both personal and collective memories. Even though unseen, the backing fabric mixes a wide variety of flesh colors into a spiraled tie-dyed design—symbolically referencing the hope for a more diverse and colorful museum field.

detail

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She Was Warned, 2018 Liz Havartine “Nevertheless, she persisted” is an expression adopted by the feminist movement in the United States after in 2017 the U.S. Senate voted to silence Senator Elizabeth Warren’s objections to confirmation of Senator Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General. Inspired

by Warren and all of the women who stand up, fight, resist, and persist, Havartine hand quilted the phrase over and over again. The medium of the quilt further articulates female voice and agency by taking ownership of an art form that has traditionally been seen as a woman’s craft. Stitching in the penmanship of over 60 American women, this quilt uses the strength of women to challenge discriminatory acts, which have affected women since the birth of this country. Quilted on top of an American flag symbolizes the progress women have made in this country, while it also emphasizing the lasting challenges that must be confronted.

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spotlight LAURA HARTRICH @laurahartrich www.laurahartrich.com

Q: Can you explain/describe your relationship to quilting?

A: I’ve been making quilts for about 10 years now, very involved in my local quilt guild for 7 years, very interested in quilts and quilt making of all kinds.

Q: Have you had any experiences with political quilting? If so, can you describe your experience/s?

A: I’ve attended exhibits that featured many powerful political quilts. I’m also part of the quilt community on Instagram where I see many artists working on political quilts. I once contributed a block for a project called 43 by 43, a banner made to honor the disappeared students of Ayotzinapa, and which their families now use in protests. The project was organized by Zak Foster.

Q: In what ways do you use the medium of quilting to share your ideas or beliefs?

A: I’m usually sharing personal stories or ideas more than beliefs... I’ve been using abstract, very un-scientific data visualization to portray my attempts at self-improvement, for example.

Q: Do you believe quilting has the power to create change in society? If so, in what ways?

A: I definitely believe quilting has the power to spread kindness and understanding.

I may be too cynical to believe that kindness and understanding have the power to change society at this dark point in history. I wish I could.

Q: How has social media impacted quilting as a craft and an art form?

A: The variety of quilts and quilting styles, techniques, and motivations on social media are endless. I think social media must be helping to open up the quilting world... we can so easily see now that quilts can be made from [nearly] anything, can have any aesthetic, can be perfectly square and symmetrical, or fully abstract and free... I

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think our understanding of quilts must be so much more expansive, thanks to social media. I also think social media has allowed a new generation of quilters to learn more quickly, as quilters share tips and techniques online. You can learn anything now with a quick search for a tutorial.

Q: Where do you gain inspiration for your quilts?

A: Everywhere! I’m super inspired by quilts old and new. I love the endless variety of quilts and the reasons people make quilts can be totally inspiring. That’s why I started an Instagram account called @quiltstories. I don’t post as regularly as I would like, but it’s an awesome collection of quilts and their stories in the words of their makers.

I’m inspired by color. From time to time I’ll try to tone it down, either because I’m making for someone, I think would appreciate something more subtle, or just to try my hand at a different look. But it’s never long before I’m playing with bold, bright colors again, the more the better.

I think I’m a bit of a magpie of inspiration, like many artists. Museum visits, Pinterest and Instagram, bits of paper ephemera that I’ve been moving from house to house for a decade… I’m a collector of styles, shapes, color palettes, and ideas. Steal Like an Artist, by Austin Kleon, was a life-changing read for me. When you ask how I use inspiration, that book is pretty much the answer.

Q: Is there a particular story or event that has shaped the way you view quilting as more than a hobby or an aesthetic art form, and used more for making meaning with your life experiences?

A: I took my family to see a quilt exhibit at DePaul Museum. My husband was looking at the quilts and mused, “I wonder if anyone has ever used a quilt to show a data analysis.” He was trying to be funny, wondering if anyone had every used this very soft art form to depict something rigid. But I ran with his comment and began thinking of how to visually portray the most personal data in my life, the tracking of my New Year’s goals. This one little comment set me on a path of infusing more meaning into my quilts. I’ve now been making quilts depicting my New Year’s goals for 5 years running.

detail of Goal Visualization for 2014, Laura Hartrich, 2017

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DUALITIES OF REPETITION

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Repetition is a commonly used principle of design in quilting; whether it is through the quilt blocks, colors, or stitch patterns, repetition can effectively highlight desired features. However, repetition isn’t always valued characteristic when it comes to history.

This section focuses on quilts that demonstrate how past histories continue to reoccur in specific communities, who is acknowledged and who is marginalized throughout history, and whose work is remembered. Using a variety of styles and an array of time periods of quilting, these works show how communities’ histories have been repeated for the betterment and detriment of their culture.

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left Sawtooth variation, mid-nineteenth century Pieced by Cynthia Evelyn Bush and quilted by Frances and Ellen Pieced by the slave mistress, Evelyn Bush, and quilted by her twin slave seamstresses, Frances and Ellen, this quilt shows the traditional Euro-American quilt aesthetic, which focuses on precise stitches, piecing perfect points, and uniformity. During enslavement, it was very common for the slave seamstress to carry out the quilting of a quilt, stitching together all three layers of a quilt, while the slave mistress many times pieced only the quilt top. Highlighting Frances and Ellen’s handwork, this quilt won First Prize at the Noxubee County Fair. Some slave seamstresses were able to buy their freedom from the income they made through their sewing skills, which was a highly sought-after skill; for Frances, her husband, a barber, eventually helped buy her freedom for $2,000.

First Prize quilt award at the Noxubee County Fair Silver Award

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Pieced linsey-woolsey quilt with wool ties, mid-nineteenth century The Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA Made in their own slave quarters, this quilt was created for utilitarian use during the cold and damp winter months. Pieced with wool fabric scraps that were used to make clothing for the plantation family and slaves, the haphazard design and mismatched patches show originality and personality—a radical act of individualism which was a right they didn’t have. Quilting in the confines of the slave quarters liberated slaves from the traditional Euro-American aesthetic, which would have been used to make quilts for the slave mistress. By breaking free from the mainstream white traditions, enslaved quilters were able to gain a sense of freedom, which was the only liberation they may have ever had.

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Black, Brown, and White in Orange, 2018 Karen Maple 78 x 78 inches According to the Sentencing Project (a project working for a fair and effective U.S. criminal justice system), in the United States more than 60% of people in prison are people of color; African-Americans and Hispanics have much higher imprisonment rates than any other race. Regardless of color or economic background, many prisoners are forgotten by society and spend countless hours done in their cells with nothing to do. How would you spend your years in prison in orange garb?

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detail

Tea and Skittles, 2016 Thomas Knauer 40 x 48 inches February 26, 2012, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed on the way home from a local store from buying skittles and iced tea. The complimentary yellow and purple colors jerk focus towards the silhouette of an empty hoodie along with a bullseye on its chest. Knauer calls to attention what he calls, “Racist America’s bigotry and violence,” by emphasizing the absence of a body in the hoodie—now a symbol of injustice—while the bullseye contradicts society’s claim to protect children, even as it sees children of color as threats, or even targets. Almost unseen from a distance, text from Martin’s obituary is quilted onto the quilt; actualizing the loss of life.

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detail of one of Gina Adam’s Broken Treaty Quilts

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Broken Treaty Quilt: Kiowa and Commanche (1867) (front), 2016 Gina Adams Collection of the Nerman Museum “This is my truth; I sew the words, powerful speech, for my people, for my family, and for myself. It is an act of giving back the misuse and abuse of power,” Adams proclaims.

Created from both new and old, Adams sews text from Indian treaties onto antique quilts (that she finds at flea markets or are given to her) to discuss the ways American Indians and their communities have been deceived, violated and marginalized by the U.S. government. Stitching letter by letter onto the vintage quilts represents the unrest that American Indians have experienced—paralleling the relationship between those broken treaties and Indian communities today. Mirroring the language contrived and confusing language used in the treaties, the words in this quilt fade in and out of legibility, alluding to the unintelligibility.

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previous page Sewing a quilt. Gees Bend, Alabama, April 1937 Other Title: Jennie Pettway and another girl with the quilter Jorena Pettway Photographer: Arthur Rothstein (1915-1985) Negative nitrate

left Basket Weave, 1973 Nettie Jane Kennedy Corduroy 80 x 80 inches

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"Housetop" With "Bear Paw" Center Medallion, 1972 Estelle Witherspoon Cotton and cotton/polyester blend 96 x 79 inches Collection of Souls Grown Deep Foundation

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detail

Ms Conceived, 2018 Miriam Coffey Machine appliqué “Feminism—too often is regarded as the other ‘F’ word. In current society the meaning has been misconstrued and contorted to be a dirty word or even used as an insult. This quilt celebrates the fight and continual need to stand up for what is right and to redirect the conversation back to what it means to be a Feminist—a proud human fighting for equality, opportunity, and autonomy for all.”

- Miriam Coffey

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Say Their Names, 2017 Sara Trail Cotton, shot cotton Reverse-edge appliquÊ, hand embroidered, hand quilted 50 x 60 inches "Say Their Names" is borrowed from the social media hashtag, #sayhername, a campaign aimed at bringing attention to the black women’s lives who are often invisible victims of police brutality. Created to outlast the fleeting moment of a hashtag, this quilt will instead remain for years to come by reverse appliqueing the names on the quilt. A technique that consists of stitching through two layers of fabric and cutting the top layer revealing the bottom fabric below, Trail uses quilting to ensure that the stories of these victim are integrated into demands for justice, policy responses to police violence, and media representations of victims of police brutality. Sara Trail is a member of the Social Justice Sewing Academy, which pieces together youth voices, textile art, and community in a 21st century sewing circle. Her work preserves the remembrance of the innocent black women, men, and children whose lives were unjustly lost forever.

Learn more about the Social Justice Sewing Academy at www.sjsacademy.com

detail

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spotlight CHAWNE KIMBER

@cauchycomplete cauchycomplete.wordpress.com

Q: Can you explain/describe your relationship to quilting?

A: I am an artist who often works in the medium of quilting.

Q: What are your experiences with political quilting?

A: I started in 2011 questioning and challenging censorship in the quilt world, it seemed to be an affront to many quilters, who even said that my quilts with saucy language couldn’t be quilts at all. They drew lines in the sand about allowable themes (babies, a Christian god, etc) and suggested that I am on my way to hell because I dared to make such things. Of course, this wasn’t much of a challenge for artists; these conservative boundaries were crossed long, long ago. And many in the quilt world appreciate my work in this theme and there seems to be less of a barrier to self-expression in that realm. In this more welcoming environment, I went on to make quilts about identity and difference, rape culture, and Black Lives Matter.

Q: How do you see quilting/quilts supporting communities and society?

A: Well, my quilts are my art, so I’d say they have the same vehicular force as any other art. There are collectives like Gee’s Bend, Social Justice Sewing Academy, and Carolyn Mazloomi’s network of quilters of color band together to speak ever more loudly as one.

Q: In what ways do you see quilting changing, adapting, and/or shifting in the future?

A: Hmm...quilting hasn’t changed much in the past few centuries, beyond incorporating contemporary design practices. Quilts will always be quilts; that is, if, like me, by “quilt” you mean a 3-layered cotton utilitarian warming device. Patchwork has historically been political; this is not a 21st century innovation, though it comes and goes.

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“Quilts can be art, and effective art can change people.”

- Chawne Kimber

Q: How has social media impacted quilting as a craft and an art form?

A: Social media provides access to history, information, skills, and a community of crafters. This wasn’t always open to everyone; you needed to know quilters who would teach you face-to-face. I worry that it is a world mostly of derivatives but every so often you’ll see something truly new and extraordinary that inspires a new wave of work.

Q: Where do you gain inspiration for your quilts?

A: I’m inspired by the quilts of my great-grandmother and many, many antique and vintage designs. My themes derive from my identity and current events.

Q: Is there a particular story or event that has shaped the way you view quilting as more than a hobby or an aesthetic art form, and used more for making meaning with your life experiences?

A: My work involves some stark visual or textual content commenting on current injustices in the U.S. and yet is in the form of a utilitarian quilt. It’s a juxtaposition that can catch viewers off-guard. However, a photographer setting up a shoot recently blurted out “your quilts remind me of home.” There could be no better compliment for my work. I’m ready to wrap you in the truth.

detail of Cotton Sophisticate, 2015, Chawne Kimber

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i

DEMOCRACY [work in progress]

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Democracy at its core is where power is directly exercised by the people and citizens have a formal means to influence government policy. This grouping of works demonstrates how quilts are a tool for democratizing a space, create community, share values, and questions the principles of democracy. Through community unification, complex issues that we all collectively face are confronted with prospect for change and hope for a transformed society. This assortment of work calls to attention how particular individuals and groups have been valued throughout American history and what progress, or lack thereof, has been made. Identifying specific events, these quilts show how American democracy is most definitely a work in progress.

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Born a Crime, 2016 Bryan Robinson A member of the Social Justice Sewing Academy “At first, I couldn’t think of any social justice issue to sew that would directly relate to me until I realized the value of my experience as a young black male in society. In an effort to bring awareness to an epidemic of killing unarmed black men, I carefully situated as many names as I could on the quilt. While the entire black family is mourning the losses, for me, I specifically mourn the loss of what could have been my older brother. I hope my quilt will remind people that lives of these victims should not to be forgotten even after #Blacklivesmatter is no longer a trending topic.”

- Bryan Robinson

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detail

The One for Eric, 2015 Chawne Kimber Scraps of commercially dyed cottons and neutrals 78 x 78 inches “This one is for Eric Garner who was killed in a chokehold by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo on July 17, 2014 on Staten Island. Garner’s suspected crime was selling loose cigarettes on a street corner. Recorded in a viral video on a smart phone, these were Eric’s last words. For me, these words are filled with meaning beyond the incident. The improvisational patchwork here is meant to remind one of graffiti scrawled impulsively on a wall in the shadows. Hand-quilting in winding trails of various reds invokes brick and blood.”

- Chawne Kimber

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White America, 2016 Jessica Wohl Found fabrics, bed sheets, shirts and pillowcases, machine quilting 60 x 60 inches This work, and its message calls into question the role of whiteness in our country and its relationship to who speaks and who listens, or who needs to speak and who needs to listen. Using reverse applique, the text cuts into the layer of white, like a skin revealing a blanket of red, like a wound, addressing the physical trauma our country is enduring. The blue section of the flag is comprised exclusively of men's business shirts, incorporating notions of labor, collared workers (white and blue), classism and capitalism.

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detail

Get Woke, 2017 Chawne Kimber, Scraps of commercially dyed cottons and neutrals 78 x 78 inches A reaction to the current state of the U.S. after President Trump was elected, Kimber began sewing this quilt on Inauguration day in 2017.

Motivated by the protests and resistance that mobilized since Election Day, Kimber states that she wanted to make something to represent that development—this is her form of a protest poster. Using the reverse appliquÊ technique, where the top layer is cut to reveal fabric underneath, the letters that appear underneath in red, white, and blue are seen as symbolism for America; additionally, representing both sides of the political isle and the breath and blood of those who resist.

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previous page The 2017 Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Benjamin Lowy

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Darci Read marching with Feminist Quilt

left Feminist Quilt, 2017 Darci Read Cotton “In times of stress and sadness, I always go to my sewing machine,” states Read. This quilt was an immediate response to the Women’s March in Washington being announced in January 2017. Pieced large enough that she could be wrapped in her rights—literally— Read wanted something big, that couldn’t be missed or ignored. “Wearing the quilt during the march was amazing; as I walked, I gained strength and felt the strength of the women, men, children, and families that we were marching alongside,” Read said. After feeling so powerless after the 2016 election, many felt that this reaction was the moment that changed their attitudes—that we must keep fighting for women’s rights and stay strong.

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Our Health Matters, 2017 Jessica Skultety 36 x 43 inches

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“Change takes courage.”

- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

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left Program for The Names Project Quilt AIDS memorial event 1988 University of North Texas Libraries, Special Collection

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above AIDS Quilt Washington DC, 1996 Richard Latoff

NAMES Project AIDS Memorial quilt blocks For more information about The NAMES Project and the AIDS Memorial Quilt, please visit aidsquilt.org

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Dreams for future America, 2018 Hunter Atha Hand-dyed cotton, polyester batting, pearl cotton thread, image transfers, brass grommets 30 x 50 inches Pieced with all hand-dyed fabrics, responses of “What is your dream for future America?” are image transferred onto the fabric by using a hand-burnishing acetone technique. The individual dreams for the American future become collectively imbedded into the very fibers of the flag—creating a politically charged object that reflects the diverse country it represents.

Not only does the flag represent the physical landscape of the USA, it’s a manifestation of people’s hopes and dreams. The individuality of each hand-written response echoes the diverse population and the democratic nature of this country.

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previous page Quilt of Radical Hospitality/Edredon de Hospitalidad Radical, 2008 Andrea Bowers Fabric quilt, diptych 432 x 88 inches (each) As a visual depiction of a wall that separates two spaces, Bowers uses these quilts to explore the long and complicated history of Mexican American relations. Examining the current immigration tensions between the nations, these massive yellow quilts use their familiar and comforting medium to approach difficult subjects and provoke contemplation. The verticality and scale reinforce the qualities of a tenacious barrier that is meant to keep people out. The text on the quilts references scripture in the Bible, which speaks to the compassion and humanity that we all should stand for in times of threatened onslaught against immigrant families.

Yes We Can, 2008 Denyse Schmidt Cotton fabric, machine pieces, hand appliqué, machine quilted 56 x 54 inches Inspired by Barak Obama’s message of hope and change from the 2008 Presidential election, Yes We Can commemorates the women who made political quilts, in attempts for their voices to be heard, long before they had the right to vote. Practicing this honorable tradition, Schmidt’s patriotic colored quilt was a fund-raising opportunity for the Obama campaign—contributors who donated were entered for the chance to own this celebrated heirloom.

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glossary appliqué A piece of fabric sewn on top of a background piece of fabric. Appliqué can be pieced together by hand or machine.

backing The back layer of a quilt. batting The middle layer of the quilt (between the quilt top and back) that provides the warmth to the quilt. Types of batting are usually made from cotton, polyester, and wool.

block

A quilt design unit generally comprised of multiple squares that are repeated and formed together to make a quilt top.

improvisational quilts

A term for art quilts made in a creative, free-spirited manner without worrying about the rules of quilting. Pieces are usually cut freehand.

motif A design element used in quilt designs that can be repeated or used only once. piecing

The process of making a quilt by sewing many small pieces of fabric together to create many different designs for a quilt top. It is also known as patchwork.

quilting The process of stitching together the three layers of a quilt. quilt top The top layer of a quilt sandwich. reverse appliqué

A technique in which the appliqué fabric is sewn to the back of the background fabric and then the background fabric is cut away to reveal the applique fabric underneath.

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checklist page 5 Quilt (Touching Star), 1830 Almira Dudley Clay (American) United States, possibly Pennsylvania or New York 95.5 x 99 inches (242.6 x 251.5 cm) Collection: Art Institute of Chicago Image credit: Art Institute of Chicago

page 8 Some of the descendants of the Pettway Plantation slaves. Gees Bend, Alabama, April 1937 Arthur Rothstein (1915-1985, photographer) Nitrate negative Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress) Image credit: Library of Congress

page 10 AIDS quilt, Washington, D.C., October 1987 Carol M. Highsmith Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

Image credit: Library of Congress

page 13 Black Lives Matter protest, July 2016 Scott Barbour Image credit: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/07/black-lives-matterall-lives-matter

page 18 Thousand Pyramids variation, 1930 Annie Bendolph Cotton sacking material and chambray 83 x 70 inches Image credit: Gee’s Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt

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page 19 Aftermath Minimalism.jpg, 2016 Jacquie Gering 41 x 60 inches Image credit: www.jacquiegering.com

page 20 Flag Story quilt, 1985 Faith Ringgold Cotton canvas, dyeing, piecing, appliqué, ink 57 x 78 1/16 inches Spencer Museum of Art, permanent collection Image credit: Spencer Museum of Art

page 23 The Migrant Quilt Project from 2012-2013 (183 deaths), 2013 Jennifer Eschedor 69 x 54.5 inches Image credit: migrantquiltproject.org

page 24 Still With Her, 2016 Liz Harvatine 60 x 55 inches Image credit: https://community.themodernquiltguild.com/resources/ quiltcon-2017-award-winners

page 26 Wild Goose Chase, Variation with “Flying Geese” border, 1930 Annie Bendolph Cotton 82 x 74 inches Image credit: Gee’s Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt

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page 28 Let’s Face It, We Lack Diversity, 2017 Hunter Atha Cotton, thread, pigment, polyester batting cotton 53 x 37 inches Image credit: courtesy of the artist

page 31 She Was Warned, 2018 Liz Havartine Image credit: http://kristinshieldsart.com/blog/2018/3/4/2018 quiltcon-5-political-quilts

page 36 Sawtooth variation, mid-nineteenth century Pieced by Cynthia Evelyn Bush and quilted by Frances and Ellen Image credit: Stitched from the Soul: Slave Quilts from the

Antebellum South

page 37 First Prize quilt award at the Noxubee County Fair Silver Award Image credit: Stitched from the Soul: Slave Quilts from the

Antebellum South

page 39 Pieced linsey-woolsey quilt with wool ties, mid-nineteenth century The Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA Image credit: The Valentine Museum

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page 40 Black, Brown, and White in Orange, 2018 Karen Maple 78 x 78 inches Image credit: https://hyperallergic.com/429923/quilt-con-2018-modernquilt-guild/

page 43 Tea and Skittles, 2016 Thomas Knauer 40 x 48 inches Image credit: https://community.themodernquiltguild.com/resources/ quiltcon-2017-award-winners

page 45 Broken Treaty Quilt: Kiowa and Commanche (1867) (front), 2016 Gina Adams Collection of the Nerman Museum Image credit: Aaron Paden

page 46 Sewing a quilt. Gees Bend, Alabama, April 1937 Other Title: Jennie Pettway and another girl with the quilter Jorena Pettway Photographer: Arthur Rothstein (1915-1985) Negative nitrate Image credit: Library of Congress

page 48 Basket Weave, 1973 Nettie Jane Kennedy Corduroy 80 x 80 inches Image credit: Gee’s Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt

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page 51 "Housetop" With "Bear Paw" Center Medallion, 1972 Estelle Witherspoon Cotton and cotton/polyester blend 96 x 79 inches Collection of Souls Grown Deep Foundation Image credit: Stephen Pitkin/Pitkin Studio

page 52 Ms Conceived, 2018 Miriam Coffey Machine appliquĂŠ Image credit: https://hyperallergic.com/429923/quilt-con-2018-modernquilt-guild/

page 54 Say Their Names, 2017 Sara Trail Cotton, shot cotton Reverse-edge appliquĂŠ, hand embroidered, hand quilted 50 x 60 inches Image credit: www.sjsacademy.com

page 61 Born a Crime, 2016 Bryan Robinson A member of the Social Justice Sewing Academy Image credit: www.sjsacademy.com

page 63 The One for Eric, 2015 Chawne Kimber Scraps of commercially dyed cottons and neutrals 78 x 78 inches Image credit: Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century

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page 64 White America, 2016 Jessica Wohl Found fabrics, bed sheets, shirts and pillowcases, machine quilting 60 x 60 inches Image credit: www.jessicawohl.com

page 67 Get Woke, 2017 Chawne Kimber, scraps of commercially dyed cottons and neutrals 78 x 78 inches Image credit: https://magazine.lafayette.edu/summer2018/2018/07/11/ beautiful-and-powerful/

page 68 The 2017 Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Benjamin Lowy Image credit: Library of Congress

page 70 Feminist Quilt, 2017 Darci Read Cotton Image credit: https://theplaidportico.com/tag/feminist-quilt/

page 71 Image credit: https://darcisews.com/quilts/my-feminist-quilt-womensmarch-oakland-2017/

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page 72 Our Health Matters, 2017 Jessica Skultety 36 x 43 inches Image credit: http://www.unitedwequilt.com/our-health-matters/

page 74 Program for The Names Project Quilt AIDS memorial event 1988 University of North Texas Libraries, Special Collection Image credit: Dennis Vercher Collection, University of North Texas Special Collections

page 75 AIDS Quilt Washington DC, 1996 Richard Latoff Image credit: www.saatchiart.com/richardlatoff

page 76 NAMES Project AIDS Memorial quilt block Image credit: https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2016/msu-museum-tohost-a-display-of-the-aids-memorial-quilt/

page 77 NAMES Project AIDS Memorial quilt block Image credit: https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2016/msu-museum-tohost-a-display-of-the-aids-memorial-quilt/

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page 79 Dreams for future America, 2018 Hunter Atha Hand-dyed cotton, polyester batting, pearl cotton thread, image transfers, brass grommets 30 x 50 inches Image credit: courtesy of the artist

page 80 Quilt of Radical Hospitality/Edredon de Hospitalidad Radical, 2008 Andrea Bowers Fabric quilt, diptych 432 x 88 inches (each) Image credit: http://aplausibleunreality.blogspot.com/2018/03/ welcome.html

page 83 Yes We Can, 2008 Denyse Schmidt Cotton fabric, machine pieces, hand appliquĂŠ, machine quilted 56 x 54 inches Image credit: https://www.museum.msu.edu/glqc/ collections_2009.10.1.html

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