This project is a quilt that will unveil the accomplishments of women and elevate traditional art movements, crafts, and pastimes relegated to women-only status through the juxtaposition of aesthetic and factual narratives. The quilt will be bordered by 100s of hand-embroidered accomplishments, and, as the central blocks, mirrors and portraits in the style of seminal art movements.
We are poorer for not knowing more about the history of women’s contributions to human success. The quilt serves to rectify an imbalance in how we experience a world where major milestones in human progress are almost universally paired with men’s names. Women who made it into the spotlight are seen as exceptional – “ the first woman to…” – undermining the collective contribution women have made to everything from medicine to engineering, and, of course, art.
An accompanying book will counter the anonymity of the ordinary women who have contributed to our societies’ progress by providing information about all the women involved in the embroidered accomplishments. However, I intend for this piece to be never-ending. It will continue to grow and evolve as I learn of more achievements. I am planning a showing at a local historical museum to display a first iteration of this project later in 2026.
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