Threads that Bind: Works by Pacific Northwest African American Quilters

December 18, 2007 – February 17, 2008

Following the exhibition of quilts from Gee’s Bend, the museum will present an exhibition of local quilts made by members of the Association of Pacific Northwest African American Quilters. The exhibition will include a quilt by each of the twenty-five members as well as quilts that the group makes collaboratively. These include quilts made for charities, gift quilts given to members to commemorate significant life events, and challenge quilts that the group creates around specific themes. Unlike the quilters of Gee’s Bend, who are linked by family ties, have lived in a small, rural community for generations, and have a distinct regional style, members of the Association of Pacific Northwest African American Quilters come from diverse backgrounds, use different materials and often have radically different approaches to quiltmaking. It is the act of quilting and the quilts themselves that bind this group together and creates community.

This exhibition was organized by Tacoma Art Museum and generously supported  by Ann and Peter Darling.