So, many of you know that I was one of the 44 artists selected to participate in the Quilts for Obama Exhibit. I am still so excited to have participated in the celebration of our 44th president in this way. I am even more excited because the exhibit took place in my home town. My family was able to attend the opening. There is a buzz in DC that I have never experienced before and it felt so good to be home. People talk about “Washington” as if it is just a place where people do politics. I know it as Washington, DC a city of neighborhoods and everyday working people. But I digress. . . .
The quilt I made for the exhibit is called “And so there is hope. There is hope.” It is made in the tradition of the Egungun costumes of the Yoruba people. When Carolyn Mazloomi called me to participate in this exhibit I had already had a sketch in my sketchbook of the quilt I eventually created. I wanted a way to pull together all of the hopes, dreams, charms and prayers I collected while working On President-elect Obama’s campaign. When doing the intial research for the quilt I learned that traditional communities of the Yoruba people honor their ancestors through the creation of Egungun costumes. The costumes are said to represent the collective force of the ancestors who bless the living. When the costume is worn, dancers spin around and the long colorful arms spin out as though the ancestors are touching us. I want President-elect Obama to feel all of our arms lifting him up in prayer, reaching out in support, digging in to do our own work. As President-elect Obama often says he can not do any of this work alone. Indeed he needs each one of us. We truly are the ones that we have been waiting for.
Statement about the Quilt:
After standing in line for 4 1/2 hours to vote, when it was finally my turn to step up to the terminal I stared at the screen for a good while before I touched it for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. As I touched the screen I called the names of family members who had not lived to see this day. This quilt is made in the tradition of the Egungun costume. It embodies prayers, ancestral spirits and of course hope.
Now that we are a few days from Inauguration my feelings of disbelief and numbness are letting go into exuberant giddiness and joy! I don’t know if I could stand to experience the electrifying energy of actually being there in the city…the thought just takes my breath away…the same with the quilt exhibit!!!! I’m just awed by it and I hope there is a dvd or catalog made of the show.
D2,
Since I got back from D.C. I’ve been meaning to email you to tell you how much I enjoyed seeing your quilt at the exhibit. I was lucky enough to attend twice, and, as I always do in quilt exhibits, I spent a good long time watching people respond to quilts. The reactions to yours’ was wonderful, although the whole exhibit was enjoyed by the patrons who shared it on the days I was there. Keep up the good work!
Pat