Exhibit at Boston museum highlights U.S. history through quilts

Coming from a family of quilters on both sides, quilting is more than just a hobby—it's a deeply personal tradition. But beyond my own connection, quilting is a vital chapter in America's history.

Quilts were not only used for warmth during the cold months, but also served as coded messages for slaves fleeing to freedom in the North. They were also powerful tools for storytelling among Native American, Asian, and Hispanic quilters. These handcrafted textile pieces, often made from recycled materials, have long been woven into the fabric of our nation's past.

During my visit to Boston, I experienced the "Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories" exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts. Running from October 10, 2021, to January 17, 2022, it featured 58 quilts from the museum’s extensive collection, showcasing 300 years of U.S. history. While all the quilts were breathtaking, some pieces particularly captured the essence of our diverse heritage.

'To God and Truth'

Bisa Butler, a globally acclaimed quilter and fiber artist, uses fabric to honor and preserve the stories of African American lives and history. Her piece 'To God and Truth' features the 1899 baseball team from Morris Brown College, Georgia’s first historically Black college and university (HBCU). This work is the focal point of the museum's exhibit and was also showcased in Butler's solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, which concluded in September 2021.

'Krakow Kabuki Waltz'

Virginia Jacobs created this extraordinary seven-foot-high spherical quilt. A University of Pennsylvania graduate with a background in architecture, Jacobs’ design reflects her unique perspective and architectural influence.

'Courthouse Steps Quilt'

No quilt exhibition would be complete without a piece from the renowned quilters of Gee's Bend, Alabama. This small town, less than two hours from Montgomery, is home to women like the Pettway family, who began quilting in the 19th century. Using fabric scraps, they crafted bold, abstract designs unlike anything seen elsewhere. Their quilting tradition spans from slavery through the civil rights era and beyond, but it was only after a feature in *The New Yorker* about the Freedom Quilting Bee—an initiative formed in the late 1960s to help these quilters sell their works across the country—that their artistry was truly recognized.

Since being featured in the magazine, quilts created by the Pettway family have become iconic representations of Gee's Bend. The quilt shown here, crafted in the 1950s, is made entirely of red and white fabric. While the courthouse steps pattern traditionally demands precision, the quilters of Gee's Bend are known for adding their own distinctive twists to the designs.

'#howmanymore'

Sylvia Hernandez, a self-taught quilter from Brooklyn, has showcased her work worldwide. Her quilts, like the one above, address pressing social issues, particularly around community and human rights. The piece, featuring a ring of AK-47 rifles surrounded by red poppies reminiscent of Armistice Day and bullet holes, serves as a poignant commentary on the rising gun violence in the U.S.

'Hoosier Suffrage Quilt'

Several pieces in the exhibit were made by anonymous artists, including the quilt shown here. This traditional design features a flag motif with a border of 48 stars, and includes the names of 300 individuals, most likely supporters of the women’s suffrage movement, with Susan B. Anthony’s name appearing near the top of the quilt.

'Paul Family Quilt'

The 'Paul Family Quilt,' created between 1835 and 1840 in South Solon, Maine, is made of wool—an uncommon material for quilts. It has scalloped edges with cutouts at the bottom corners, designed specifically to fit a four-poster bed.

'Album Quilt'

Baltimore album quilts are intricate masterpieces made from detailed fabrics. This particular quilt, created between 1847 and 1850, features 25 cotton squares adorned with silk embroidery, watercolor artwork, and names written in ink.

'Double Wedding Ring Quilt'

Created by an unknown African American artist, this Double Wedding Ring quilt breaks away from the typical design. While most quilts of this type feature subdued colors, this one stands out for its use of vivid, bright fabrics, crafted in 1940.

'Bible Quilt'

Unlike many quilts from the 1800s, this one remains in remarkable condition and is attributed to a specific artist. Harriet Powers, born into slavery near Athens, Georgia, on October 29, 1837, created this piece in 1885 after she and her husband, Armstead Powers, became landowners.

'Scenes of American Life'

Created in 1920, this detailed quilt portrays various aspects of everyday life from that era. It showcases couples and families interacting, people playing games and sports, and other scenes of daily activities. It also reflects the racial and ethnic stereotypes that were prevalent at the time.

'Crazy Quilt'

Celestine Bacheller's pictorial crazy quilt, a type of quilt without a specific design pattern, was inspired by her childhood in Wyoma, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb. She used vibrant pieces of silk, plush fabrics, and silk yarn to create 12 rectangles, each representing houses in her community. The image above shows one of those rectangles.

Bonus: 'It Takes a Village'

I discovered this exhibit through TPG's executive editor, Scott Mayerowitz, who knows about my passion for quilting. As part of the arrangement for my trip to Boston, he challenged me to create my own quilt inspired by the works I saw at the Museum of Fine Arts' exhibit.

This quilt holds a special place in my heart because I was able to incorporate scraps from my previous quilting projects and pair them with South African panels depicting women. Quilting is a core part of my family’s history, intertwined with my African American identity. It truly takes a community to learn and pass down this craft to future generations.

Quilting's roots trace back to 3400 B.C., with the oldest surviving quilt—a quilted mantle worn by a carved ivory figure of an ancient Egyptian king, now housed in the British Museum. Initially, quilts served practical purposes such as warmth and decoration. It wasn’t until over a century later that quilts began to be recognized as true works of art.

The pivotal moment for quilting's recognition as an art form came in 1971 with the Whitney Museum of American Art’s exhibit, 'Abstract Design in American Quilts.' This groundbreaking show set the stage for a growing number of quilt exhibitions across the country, including the Museum of Fine Arts' 'Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories.' While that exhibit is no longer running, many other fascinating quilt shows are currently on display, including:

• 'Pushing Boundaries: 60 Years of AFAM Exhibitions' at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City.
• '45th Anniversary Exhibition: New Directions' at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles in San Jose, California.
• 'A Better World: Heroes Working for the Greater Good' at Visions Art Museum in San Diego.
• The Quilt Index available online through the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum in Washington, D.C.
• The Textiles Department available online through the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.

• 'Pushing Boundaries: 60 Years of AFAM Exhibitions' at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City.
• '45th Anniversary Exhibition: New Directions' at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles in San Jose, California.
• 'A Better World: Heroes Working for the Greater Good' at Visions Art Museum in San Diego.
• The Quilt Index available online through the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum in Washington, D.C.
• The Textiles Department available online through the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.