The Museum of the Mississippi Delta’s upcoming exhibit will highlight the art of quilt-making.
“Material Pulses: Contemporary Quilts” will include 17 quilts made by seven different fiber artists from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“I thought this would be a neat way to look at quilting as the art form that it actually is. For so long, we looked at it as a utilitarian item, but actually each quilt is a work of art,” said the museum’s executive director, Katie Mills. “Those ladies who were quilting hundreds of years ago, they were artists. So I think this is a way to reinvigorate interest in quilting and show that it is an art form that will evolve over time.”
To kick off the arrival of “Material Pulses,” an opening reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on April 12 at the museum. Light refreshments will be served. The event will be free for members and will cost general admission for non-members.
“Material Pulses: Contemporary Quilts,” a traveling exhibition organized by the Mid-America Arts Alliance, was curated by internationally renowned fiber artist and teacher Nancy Crow, who led in the development of the art quilting movement in the 1970s and 1980s.
Crow has taught quilt-making as an art form in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the U.S. She is the cofounder of Quilt Surface Design and Quilt National.
She said “Material Pulses” contributes to the dialogue of contemporary textile arts.
“‘Material Pulses’ is the culmination of my mission to bring back the majesty, strength and energy of textile works, particularly large quilts,” Crow said.
Mills said quilting is an art form that appeals to a large, diverse audience.
“Most everyone in the South has a quilt that was made by their grandmother or their great-grandmother, and most of the time it is very cherished,” she said.
The exhibit fits well with the museum with quilting being an American folk art, and with the art form continuing to thrive in the area.
In 2021, the Tutwiler Quilters — a group organized in 1988 as a way for women to make money to support their families and is now composed of about 12 quilters from Tutwiler and the surrounding communities — were honored with the award for “Arts in Community” as part of the Governor’s Arts Awards.
“Quilting is something that is very much alive in the Mississippi Delta,” said Mills.
She added about the unique exhibit, “Especially those who are interested in quilting, I wanted to give them the opportunity to see work from different areas of the world.”
“Material Pulses” will feature contemporary quilts, mixed media and installation work. It will include large quilts that are more than 8 feet high. The artists have used color, pattern and size through traditional and experimental quilt-making applications.
The curator balances a focus on shapes with oversized works, exploring machine quilting and surface design.
“These are contemporary, so they are going to be unlike the ones that we are used to seeing, which I think is great for the younger generations,” said Mills. “It might inspire them to get interested in that art form. ... You don’t have to be boxed in when it comes to quilting. There are so many different ways to use your creativity. Hopefully this will get younger people interested in that art form and carrying on the traditions of their family, but in new and exciting ways they didn’t really think about before.”
The exhibition artists are Denise L. Roberts, Albright, West Virginia; Claire Benn, Surrey, England; Jayne Willoughby, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Mary Lou Alexander, Hubbard, Ohio; Christine Mauersberger, Cleveland, Ohio; Barb Wills, Prescott, Arizona; and Elizabeth Brandt, Holland, Michigan.
According to ExhibitionsUSA, a traveling exhibition program managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance, here’s some of what to expect:
- Brandt, who balances large geometric and organic shapes, while at the same time using a demanding dark palette.
- Willoughby, whose work on one side seems contemplative, while the other spouts riotous color systems.
- Alexander, who has been exploring shibori (a Japanese dyeing method) for decades, and utilized this technique to exemplify the beauty of mark-making.
- Wills, who printed her fabrics, both cotton and silk, with original woodcuts created from Shina wood, using cutting tools from Japan.
After the opening reception, “Material Pulses” can be viewed at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta until May 28.
The exhibit was recently shown at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and will then travel next to Charleston, West Virginia, after leaving the Greenwood museum.
Also in April, the museum will host a meeting of the Topophilia Book Club. The book to be discussed will be “Goat Castle: A True Story of Murder, Race, and the Gothic South” by Karen L. Cox. The meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 26 and led by Greenwood physician, author and historian Dr. Mary Carol Miller.
Mills encourages those who have finished reading the book, in the middle of reading it or just starting it to attend.
“Dr. Miller is always extremely interesting,” she said. “She’s read most of the books multiple times, and she also gives recommendations of other books.”
“Goat Castle” is available to purchase at the museum or Turnrow Books. There is no cost to attend the book club meeting.
The next book for the club’s June meeting will be “Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena” by Julia Reed.
For more information about “Material Pulses” or the Topophilia Book Club, call the museum at 662-453-0925.
- Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7235 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
