Unlocking our Hearts, Minds and Souls

Quiltmaking is a centuries old craft, believed by some to have originated in ancient China. From the 1800's through the 1930's and 1940's, quilting in America was most commonly used to create bed covers. Early in this country, however, quilting was used for advocacy. Abolitionist Sarah Grimkle advised women to embroider anti-slave slogans and images so that the point of their "needle could prick the slave-owners conscience." Freed slaves made freedom quilts; and a recent publication, Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad, contends that slaves used quilt patterns to communicate with, and assist those fleeing slavery. Quilts were made to celebrate passage on the first Civil Rights Act and Susan B. Anthony spoke about women's rights for the first time at a quilting bee. In more contemporary times, one of the most significant quilts is the AIDS quilt.

The Justice Matters Institute defines social justice as follows:

"A socially just society is one in which every group has a voice, every culture is respected and every individual has equal access to resources and means of communication."

A cursory survey reveals a striking absence of "cultural and social justice" for residents and artists of many inner city and rural neighborhoods. "Stitching Justice: Unlocking Our Hearts, Minds and Souls" celebrates the artists and the causes they champion who frequently work on the front line.

Jacqui D. Woods, Curator

Artists Include:
Michael A. Cummings
Myrah Brown-Green
Virginia Hall
Robin Schwalb