September 17, 2018
Quilt, Not Quilt: The Afterlife is a new exhibition at Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA), on view from October 12th - December 2nd in the Open Book Cowles Literary Commons. This exhibition features art that repurposes old, tattered quilts into new forms while still preserving the quilts’ heritage, craftsmanship, and legacy. The opening reception for Quilt, Not Quilt will take place on Wednesday, October 17 from 6-8pm. The reception includes an artist talk and poetry reading from 7-8pm in the Target Performance Hall on the second floor of Open Book, as well as a meet and greet with the artists and poets. Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.
Twelve participating artists created paper, poetry, broadsides, and other works from quilts, drawing inspiration from the textiles themselves as well as from the stories they tell. The artists explored the political, economic, and social contexts surrounding the creation of the quilts, making connections between the makers’ history and their work. The artwork created for the exhibition touches on themes of craftsmanship and labor, scarcity and wealth, and stories both recalled and forgotten.
Quilt, Not Quilt showcases artists from the MCBA community and beyond. Participating artists include Zoë Bird, Katy Collier, Tari “TJ” Goerlitz, Georgia A. Greeley, Darius Homayounpour, Karen Kinoshita, Dana LeMoine, Rosa Maria de la Cueva Peterson, Jerry McClelland, Cathy Ryan, Patty Wheeler Andrews, and Morgan Grayce Willow. Each artist transformed their chosen quilt in unexpected and thought-provoking ways, and the resulting exhibition both honors the practice of quilting and expands established notions about what it means to craft and make art.
Image: Quilt Not Quilt by Tari “TJ” Goerlitz