Quilts: They’re Not Just for Grannies
The Frist Art Museum’s latest exhibit Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston dives into the history of American quilt making with 47 quilts and related works. A plaque at the beginning of the exhibit tells us, “One reason quilting has become to associated with the United States is its reputation as a democratic art form, accessible regardless of class, race, ethnicity, age, or gender.” This exhibit seeks to highlight the diversity in this art form, and to bring to light the voices that have been silenced in the creation of these works. Full of works from different eras and different fabrics, I was taken aback by how much history can be told through quilts. Although art has never shied away from being political, I never considered that many quilts have been made to share a powerful message. The first quilts on display were made specifically to encourage people to vote. One entitled Hoosier Suffrage Quilt was made before 1920 with embroidered names of suffragettes. In another made by Irene Williams in 1975 with old clothing and household textiles, the word “vote” appears over and over. In another room hangs #howmanymore, made byRead More
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