American Quilts: The Democratic Art

Quilts are the quintessential American folk art, known and loved throughout the world. Based on my acclaimed book, American Quilts: The Democratic Art, this history of quilt traditions examines the bed quilt's origins in Europe, its development in nineteenth century America, and its deep social, ethnic, and gender meanings. The comprehensive presentation includes outstanding examples by Amish, African-American, Native American, and Hawaiian quiltmakers as well as a variety of contemporary artists.

American Weathervanes

Weathervanes were an important part of the American skyline from the early 1700s through the early decades of the twentieth century, and many historic vanes are still in place atop churches and public buildings such as Boston's Faneuil Hall, which has been topped by a Shem Drowne grasshopper since 1743. This presentation will survey a wide array of American vanes, both handmade and manufactured, and explore the meanings and sculptural power of some of the finest American weathervanes in existence. I am currently at work on a major book on American vanes.

Amish Abstractions:
The Art of Amish Quilts

In his 1999 book American Visions: The Epic History of Art in America,the noted art critic Robert Hughes boldly asserted that the the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, "created America’s first major abstract art.”

Women in Midwestern Amish communities from Ohio to Nebraska were no less inventive, creating distinctive variations of patterns they borrowed from their "English" neighbors as well as strikingly original designs all their own. How could people who determinedly lived apart from the modern world have created works of such expressive power and artistic vision? The answers lie in the world of the Amish, whose culture and quilts are explored in this enlightening presentation.

Hawaiian Quilts: The Spirit of the Islands

Bringing elements of their Polynesian heritage to the American quilt, nineteenth-century Hawaiians created a distinctive and beautiful craft that is still actively practiced throughout the islands. From the early influences of missionaries and traders, to annexation by the United States and subsequent statehood, to the current concerns of today’s quiltmakers, this presentation offers some of the finest examples of the islands’ fabric art and shows how the designs of these extraordinary Hawaiian creations are grounded in spirituality, the indigenous flora, and the visual expression of history.