Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories Exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston

A Quilting Life Podcast

In this episode Sherri has the pleasure to speak with Jeniffer Swope, curator of the "Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories" exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Jennifer shares information about the exhibition (which is currently up and running now) as well as a publication that can be purchased from the MFA's website. She then shares 8 different quilts that are being featured in the exhibition and speaks on the cultural and historical significance of each quilt. More information on this exhibition can be found below.
Show Notes Blog Post: https://www.aquiltinglife.com/2021/10/a-quilting-life-podcast-episode-40-show-notes.html/
Under the Tree (Quilt on the Wall): https://tidd.ly/3m4ZCBu
Plaza (Quilt on the Table): https://tidd.ly/3prRvky
Fabric of a Nation Exhibition Website (Where tickets can be purchased): https://www.mfa.org/exhibition/fabric-of-a-nation
Fabric of a Nation Publication: https://www.mfa.org/publication/fabric-of-a-nation
Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories Information
Quilts and coverlets, used in North America since the 17th century, have a unique capacity to tell stories. Their tactile making by hand and their traditional use in the home impart deeply personal narratives of their creators, and the many histories they express reveal a complex record of America. Upending expectations about quilt displays—traditionally organized by region, form or motif—Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories is a loosely chronological presentation that is divided into seven thematic sections and incorporates the perspectives of artists, educators, academics and activists.
More than 50 works on view include remarkable examples by an under-recognized diversity of artistic hands and minds from the 17th century to today, including female and male, known and unidentified, urban and rural makers; immigrants; and Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian and LGBTQ+ Americans. Standouts include Pictorial Quilt (1895–98), an icon of the MFA’s collection and one of only two known surviving quilts by Harriet Powers, an exceptional artist and storyteller born into slavery in 1837, and the recently acquired To God and Truth (2019), a vibrantly colorful and elaborately patterned work by contemporary artist Bisa Butler. While celebrating the artistry and intricacy of quilts and coverlets and the lives they document, the exhibition also invites visitors to consider the complicated legacies ingrained in the fabric of American life.
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