quilt. Courtesy of the artist and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
COLLAGE ON VIEW
We Are the Story: A Visual Response to Racism
at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
2 July-24 September 2021
“We Are the Story: A Visual Response to Racism” showcases fifty-three quilts highlighting the history of civil rights, police brutality and racism in America. Exhibition organizer and curator Dr. Carolyn L. Mazloomi of the Women of Color Quilters Network curated the exhibition in response to the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The quilts present an alternative visual media to approach sensitive social issues embedded in American memory, such as race, class, gender and shared cultural trauma, in a way that emphasizes storytelling and encourages healing.
quilt. Courtesy of the artist and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Quilting is one of America’s most powerful art forms, with its widespread appeal and association with comfort, warmth and healing. Rather than reading history, viewers relate to it visually and can feel the passion, hope and heartache stitched into every piece of fabric. The artwork prompts a dialogue between the artist and the viewer, challenging existing notions and posing questions that can serve to move the discussion of racial reconciliation forward.
The exhibition is part of Story Quilts, a program initiative created by Kathy Wade that engages quilters to share their truths from the patchwork of their lives, weaving stories to create a tapestry of reconciliation and resilience.
“We Are the Story: A Visual Response to Racism” is sponsored by the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation and Learning Through Art, Inc.
(text adapted from the center’s exhibition materials)
INFORMATION
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
50 East Freedom Way
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 USA
(513) 333-7500
Hours:
Wednesday-Sunday, 10AM-5PM