Quilts and Human Rights

"Highly recommended for all audiences, Quilts and Human Rights would illuminate any library."Kathy Edwards, ARLIS/NA Reviews "A remarkable addition to quilt studies."Shane Rasmussen, Journal of Folklore Research "This moving and important book chronicles the work of countless quilt artists who have used their talent and passion to address an array of human rights issues. Photos of the quilts are accompanied by detailed artist's statements that thoughtfully explain the genesis of each piece. Telling these stories in cloth is a powerful and effective means of expression to spotlight critical human rights issues."Diane Rusin Doran, Machine Quilting This well-researched and important book sheds new light on the work of thousands of quilt artists who have used needle, thread, and cloth for advocacy, education, and reflection on human rights.Rev. Canon Mpho Tutu, executive director of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation Beautifully written, with a venerable combination of straightforward expression and intellectual sophistication, Quilts and Human Rights successfully bridges the fields of womens studies and visual arts with a brilliant survey of national and international human rights quilts.Carolyn L. Mazloomi, founder and director of the Women of Color Quilters Network Quilts and Human Rights tells superbly scaffolded stories about the powerful intersection of threats and threads.Patricia A. Turner, author of Crafted Lives: Stories and Studies of African American Quilters

Marsha MacDowell is the curator of folk arts and a professor of art and art history; Mary Worrall is the curator of cultural heritage and an education co-manager; Lynne Swanson is an assistant curator of folk arts and cultural collections manager; and Beth Donaldson is the collections assistant for quilts and a digital cultural resources manager; all are located at Michigan State University Museum. These authors have worked together on many quilt-related exhibitions, research, educational programs, and collection activities. MacDowell, Worrall, and Donaldson lead the Quilt Index (www.quiltindex.org), an international digital repository of thousands of images and stories about quilts and their makers. Desmond Tutu, winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, is a South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop.

List of IllustrationsForeword by Archbishop Desmond TutuPrefaceAcknowledgmentsA Quilted ConscienceA Gallery of QuiltsNotesBibliographyIndex