St. Pete museum highlights quilts depicting stories of Black history in the American West
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - In the early days of America and into the expansion into the West, a family's story could be interpreted from the quilt on their bed back home and now a St. Petersburg museum is putting those stories of Black pioneers on display.
The James Museum explores that art form through the years with a timeline that begins in 1528 in its latest exhibit "Black Pioneers: Legacy in American West."
The James Museum partnered with curator Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi for this visual walk along the path of ‘Black History in the West’.
"All the quilts were made by the Women of Color Quilters Network members, and each of them has taken an individual, or a group or an event in the timeline of black history in the American West," explained Emily Kapes, from The James Museum.
Quilts have a long history in the African-American culture and typically a quilt would be made from scraps of material that were lying around.
"These artists have very deliberately chosen their fabrics, chosen their materials, chosen their style to tell these wonderful stories," Kapes said.
In the early days of America and into the expansion into the west, a family's story could be interpreted from the quilt on their bed back home .
The quilter’s network members spent a year creating these quilts for this first-of-its-kind exhibit.
"It’s a medium that is so versatile and visitors will see the variety of quilts here," stated Kapes.
The quilts highlight individuals, showing stories of resilience, overcoming challenges, and success in their lifetimes.
"The quilters have really gone to the next level with these quilts in the details and the fabrics they chose and in the stories they tell," exclaimed, Kapes.
Quilts depicting Black pioneers of the American West line the walls of the James Museum.
Visitors will see over 50 quilts in the displays made of bold colors and really bright energy.
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The exhibit timeline starts in 1528 with the little-known story of Esteban de Dorantes who was part of the Spanish expedition to explore "La Florida."
The storytelling through quilts continues through the arrival of Africans in the American West and to the Civil Rights Movement.
The James Museum partnered with curator Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi for this visual walk along the path of ‘Black History in the West’.
"This exhibition highlights stories from the West that might have been overlooked, there aren’t a lot of household names here but the achievements and the contributions to society and the economy and the cultural are important and relevant today," said Kapes.
The Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West exhibit is open through January 8, 2023.
LINK: Click here to learn more about the exhibit and the James Museum.