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      Explore Storytelling Through 300 Years of Quilts in ‘Fabric of a Nation’

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      Bisa Butler, “To God and Truth” (2019), print and resist-dyed cottons, cotton velvet, rayon satin, and knotted string, pieced, appliquéd, and quilted; 117 1/2 x 140 5/8 inches. Photos © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All images courtesy of Frist Art Museum, shared with permission

      Explore Storytelling Through 300 Years of Quilts in ‘Fabric of a Nation’

      June 25, 2025

      ArtCraftHistory

      Kate Mothes

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      While we often associate quilts with their function as bedspreads or an enjoyable hobby, the roots of the craft run very deep. The art form has long been associated with storytelling, and numerous styles have enabled makers to share cultural symbols, memories, and autobiographical details through vibrant color and pattern.

      African American quilters have significantly influenced the practice since the 17th century, when enslaved people began sewing scraps of fabric to make blankets for warmth. Through artists like Harriet Powers in the 19th century or the Gee’s Bend Quilters, this powerful mode of expression lives on in rich tapestries and textile works being made today.

      Civil War Zouave Quilt (1863–64), wool plain weave and twill, cotton plain weave and other structures, leather; pieced, appliquéd, and embroidered with silk. Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

      A new exhibition titled Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston opens this week at the Frist Art Museum, surveying nearly 50 quilts from the MFA’s collection. Works span the 19th through 21st centuries, with bold textiles by contemporary artists like Bisa Butler included alongside Civil War-era examples and commemorative album quilts.

      Stories play a starring role in Fabric of a Nation, which delves into the socio-political contexts in which the pieces were made and how narrative, symbolism, and autobiography shaped their compositions. For example, a unique Civil War quilt completed by an unknown maker in 1864 repurposes fabric from Zouave uniforms. Small panels featuring birds, soldiers on horseback, and the American flag transport us to a time when the U.S. had been at war for three years.

      Another fascinating piece is another flag composition in which the stripes have been stitched with dozens of names, including Susan B. Anthony near the top of one of the central columns. Known as the “Hoosier Suffrage Quilt,” it’s thought to chronicle suffrage supporters.

      More recently, Michael C. Thorpe’s untitled work features the bold appliquéd words “Black Man” over pieced batik fabrics. Butler’s large-scale “To God and Truth” is a colorful reimagining of an 1899 photograph. She transforms a black-and-white image into a vibrant, patterned portrait of the African American baseball team of Morris Brown College, Atlanta.

      Fabric of a Nation opens on June 27 and continues through October 12 in Nashville. Find more and plan your visit on the museum’s website. You might also enjoy exploring more quilts by Black Southern makers or Stephen Townes’ embroidered tableaux of leisure in the Jim Crow South.

      Michael C. Thorpe, Untitled (2020), printed cotton plain weave and batting; machine quilted, 20 x 16 inches

      Hoosier Suffrage Quilt (before 1920), cotton plain weave, pieced, embroidered, and quilted. Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

      Unidentified maker. Peacock Alley Chenille Bedspread (1930–40s), cotton plain weave, embroidered with cotton pile; 99 x 88 1/2 inches. Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

      Baltimore album quilt (c. 1847–50), cotton plain weave, pieced, appliquéd, quilted, and embroidered ink. Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

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      Ireland’s Oldest and Largest Medieval Book Shrine Goes on Public View for the First Time

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      Book shrine discovered at Lough Kinale, Tonymore North, County Longford, Ireland. All images courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland, shared with permission

      Ireland’s Oldest and Largest Medieval Book Shrine Goes on Public View for the First Time

      June 24, 2025

      ArtBooksCraftHistory

      Kate Mothes

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      In an unassuming lake in Ireland’s northern County Longford, an unprecedented find emerged in 1986. Thanks to the sediments in the body of water, pieces of a unique, highly decorated metal object dating to the 9th century were remarkably preserved. And now, after a 39-year conservation project, the nation’s oldest and largest medieval book shrine is now on view.

      Known as the Lough Kinale Book Shrine after its namesake lake, the object features a series of medallions with precious stone inserts, along with embellished metalwork in the form of a cross. Part of the exhibition Words on the Wave: Ireland and St. Gallen in Early Medieval Europe at the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, the stunning artifact is complemented by a number of pieces contemporary to its day.

      Detail of the Lough Kinale book shrine

      The shrine’s metal is bronze and encompasses an oak container, which would have held a treasured manuscript associated with a Christian saint. Used to convey the volume to various ceremonial activities, it also would have originally featured a leather strap to make it easier to transport.

      Words on the Wave also includes a Viking sword uncovered in the River Shannon in Limerick and a beautiful example of a medieval brooch-pin, the Ardshanbally Brooch, which dates to the 8th or 9th century.

      Thanks to scientific analysis, manuscripts on loan from the Abbey Library in St. Gall, Switzerland, have also been confirmed to have originated in Ireland. Researchers determined that the vellum pages were made from the hides of Irish cattle, and monks traveled with the books to Switzerland more than a thousand years ago. This exhibition marks the first time in more than a millennium that the illuminated tomes have resided in Ireland.

      Words on the Wave continues in Dublin through October 24. Learn more and plan your visit on the museum’s website.

      Irish Evangelary from St. Gall (Quatuor evangelia), Cod. Sang. 51, p. 78. © Stiftsbibliothek, St. Gallen

      Detail of the Lough Kinale book shrine

      Detail of the Lough Kinale book shrine

      Detail showing St Matthew applying a scribal knife or scraper to a page and dipping his pen in an inkwell (Cod. Sang. 1395, p. 418). © Stiftsbibliothek, St. Gallen

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      Sculptural Embroideries on Wood by Nosheen Iqbal Translate Architectural Motifs into Thread

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      “Botanical Allegory 11.” All images courtesy of Nosheen Iqbal, shared with permission

      Sculptural Embroideries on Wood by Nosheen Iqbal Translate Architectural Motifs into Thread

      June 18, 2025

      ArtCraft

      Grace Ebert

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      Semicircles notched into smooth wooden panel structure Nosheen Iqbal’s floral embroideries. Laying colorful lines with impeccable precision, the Dallas-based artist (previously) creates vivid arabesques and geometric motifs that resemble those of her Pakistani and Islamic heritage.

      Iqbal is interested in the interplay of light and shadow, which tends to be most prominent in the sunless sides of the three-dimensional forms. Delineating petals and leaves with small beads bolsters, their surfaces glimmering when illuminated. “As light moves across my pieces, it enhances the saturation of colors and emphasizes the intricate threadwork, shifting and revealing new dimensions,” she says.

      “Botanical Allegory”

      Evoking architecture, her series Botanical Allegory features several works with rounded edges and arch-like shapes. Blending ancient design and craft traditions mirrors the artist’s desire to bring seemingly disparate mediums, techniques, and ideas together. “Living in the West while holding Eastern heritage has driven me to innovate—merging elements from different art movements to create a blend that honors my roots while embracing new influences,” she adds.

      Galleri Urbane in Dallas will show a collection of Iqbal’s works in the group exhibition roll the windows down from June 21 to August 8. Find more from the artist on Instagram.

      Detail of “Botanical Allegory 5”

      “Botanical Allegory 15”

      Detail of “Botanical Allegory 14”

      “Botanical Allegory 1”

      Detail of “Botanical Allegory 1”

      “Botanical Allegory 5” in progress

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      Paper-Thin Porcelain Works by Mark Goudy Balance on Folds Inspired by Origami

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      All images courtesy of Mark Goudy, shared with permission

      Paper-Thin Porcelain Works by Mark Goudy Balance on Folds Inspired by Origami

      June 10, 2025

      ArtCraftDesign

      Kate Mothes

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      From delicately folded paper, Berkeley-based ceramicist Mark Goudy draws inspiration for an ongoing series, Origami. He describes his work as “minimal forms with hidden complexity,” building on a love for simple yet elegant forms that reflect nature’s inherent geometries.

      In meticulous sculptures that merge form and function, Goudy pulls from his experience as a 3D graphics hardware design engineer. Using algorithmic 3D software, he creates objects that nod to the art of Japanese paper folding. “Many of these forms are designed to balance on the folds—when set on a flat surface, they rock back and forth, naturally settling into their inherent point of equilibrium,” he says.

      Goudy’s thin, translucent, slipcast pieces are made from black or white porcelain, which he occasionally colors by painting metallic salt watercolors directly onto the surface after they have been bisque fired. Salt soaks up and redistributes the pigment, which is further influenced by the texture and permeability of the material.

      “As the metal salts soak into the porous clay body, they move and interact with each other,” the artist says. “And during the drying process, they naturally gradate and concentrate on the edges, highlighting the folds and ridges of my forms.”

      Using only three metal salt pigments: gold, cobalt, and chromium, Goudy achieves various shades of red, blue, and green. “I am especially drawn to cobalt blue, a reference to the ineffable blue of water and distance,” he says. “I think of these objects as containers for light and atmosphere.”

      Goudy’s work will be on view in the 63rd Faenza Prize for the International Biennial of Contemporary Ceramic Art in Faenza, Italy, from June 28 to November 30. See more of the artist’s work on his website and Instagram.

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    • 113 Shares179 Views

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      Color Therapy: Explore the Colossal Shop’s New Summer Collection

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      Color Therapy: Explore the Colossal Shop’s New Summer Collection

      June 5, 2025

      ArtBooksColossalCraft

      Jackie Andres

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      Blazing orange sunsets linger upon lush green trees once again, marking longer days and the vibrant arrival of summer. The Colossal Shop’s new collection, Color Therapy, sets the tone for the warmer months ahead by celebrating radiant hues reflective of the season.

      This edition of new products has been carefully curated to uplift your spirits and space, bringing you feel-good and functional products designed and conceived by talented creatives. Whether you’re eyeing jammy egg candles and risograph matchboxes for patio dinner parties, or you’re after beach day games and a journal to take along on vacation, there’s something for everyone.

      We’re also happy to introduce a new way to skip shipping fees altogether for our Chicago folks. If you’re nearby, simply choose the “pick up in store” option at checkout to receive your items at Joy Machine. We’re always more than happy to say hi and reduce packaging waste (plus, you can spend some time with the art on our walls!).

      Dive into some our fresh picks below.

      Fill Your Space with Bright Summer Energy

      If detail-oriented domestic goods are your jam, you’ll love our new homey additions. Handcrafted ceramic pieces, locally made matchboxes, and artist-designed storage systems are just the tip of the iceberg! We’ve got an entire trove of small luxuries for you to explore.

      Brushstrokes and Bulletpoint Lists

      Handmade in their Des Moines, Iowa studio, each of Moglea’s notebooks are truly one-of-a-kind. Every A6 journal features hand painted front and back covers, high-quality wire binding, and an elastic closure. They’re truly perfect for for on-the-go adventures.

      Handy Tools for Budding Artists

      Alongside a restock of our building block pocket crayons is a new stamp kit! Layer forms, stack, overlap them to create landscapes and subjects, or apply them abstractly and rhythmically to conjure patterns. Inspire the young artist in your life to see the world through shape and color with these adorable art supplies.

      Pressing Petals in Your Pocket

      Whether you’re taking up flower pressing as a new summer hobby or you’ve been practicing the craft for years, Studio Wald’s pocket flower presses will make your life easier. Flatten and dry your favorite flowers as you roam during your evening walks and extensive backpacking journeys.

      Chromatic Competition

      Leisure time means game time. Pack your beach bag with a set of waterproof playing cards and a stowable game of Four-in-a-Row, while donning a striking bandana that doubles as a Snakes and Ladders game board. Functional and fashionable!

      Share the Sky with Someone Far Away

      Before you embark on your travels, don’t forget to pack these postcards from artist Macarena Ruiz-Tagle. Simply hold the Cyanometer, Sunset, or Air Pollution postcard up to the sky and peer through, mark the corresponding hue, and share a thought or two before dropping it in the mail.

      Lunch or Lists?

      Deli slices, eggs, toast, pasta, olives…. sounds a lot like your grocery list, doesn’t it? Make errands more fun with these sticky note samplers from artist Mel Andrel, who blurs the lines between productivity and play.

      As always, visit the Colossal Shop for more.

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      Kandy G. Lopez Embroiders Striking, Life-Size Yarn Portraits Highlighting BIPOC Narratives

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      Detail of “City Girls” (2025), yarn, acrylic, and spray paint on hook mesh canvas, 102 x 168 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and ACA Galleries, shared with permission

      Kandy G. Lopez Embroiders Striking, Life-Size Yarn Portraits Highlighting BIPOC Narratives

      May 8, 2025

      ArtCraft

      Kate Mothes

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      On large swaths of colorful mesh, Kandy G. Lopez embroiders large-scale portraits of people from historically marginalized communities. “Her works are created out of the necessity to learn something new about her people and culture,” says a statement.

      Drawing on her Afro-Caribbean ancestry, the Fort Lauderdale-based artist celebrates the style, culture, and heritage of individuals as a way to build connections and generate dialogue around representation.

      “R² – Roscoe and Reggie” (2024), yarn and acrylic paint on hook mesh, 90 x 60 inches

      Lopez began working with mesh and fiber almost ten years ago, but she began to approach it more seriously as a major tenet of her practice in 2021 while an artist-in-residence at The Hambidge Center in Georgia. “As a painter, my backgrounds were minimal. Sometimes they would have monochromatic cityscapes,” Lopez tells Colossal, “So, leaving the background rare is something I’m familiar with.”

      Visibility, presence, and representation are vital to the artist’s work. In each composition, she centers vibrantly dressed, life-size figures so their gazes directly meet the viewer. Through the use of material and metaphor — like layered threads suggesting how BIPOC individuals “disappear and reappear” — she intertwines notions of community, resilience, and narrative. “I love the connections and stories that the individuals tell but also how the stories narrate the material,” she says.

      The gridded backgrounds evoke associations with neighborhood street patterns and the overlapping layers of woven warp and weft. “I also love the metaphor in transparency, layers, and vulnerability,” the artist says, sharing that she sometimes still incorporates cityscapes painted onto the mesh.

      Lopez is represented by ACA Galleries. See more on her website and Instagram.

      “Reyna” (2025), yarn and spray paint on hook mesh canvas, 96 x 60 inches

      “City Girls” (2025), yarn, acrylic, and spray paint on hook mesh canvas, 102 x 168 inches

      “Rohan” (2023), yarn and acrylic paint on hook mesh, 96 x 60 inches

      “Miami” (2025), yarn and spray paint on hook mesh canvas, 96 x 60 inches

      “Rohan” (2023), yarn and acrylic paint on hook mesh, 96 x 60 inches

      Detail of “Reyna”

      Installation view of “Tayina”

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      Isabelle D’s Lush Crocheted Landscapes Intertwine Pain and Pleasure

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      From the ‘Bruise’ series. All images courtesy of Gallery Nosco, shared with permission

      Isabelle D’s Lush Crocheted Landscapes Intertwine Pain and Pleasure

      May 6, 2025

      ArtCraft

      Grace Ebert

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      At seven years old, Isabelle D learned to crochet as a means of supporting her family. Taking lessons from her grandmother, the young artist crafted various items to sell at local markets and set herself on a path she continues to follow today.

      From silk, cotton, viscose, and other fibers, Isabelle D crochets innumerable forms evocative of coral, sea sponges, anemones, flowers, molds, spores, and more. Each work comprises a diverse array of sculptural pieces, which nest together in broad landscapes brimming with myriad colors and textures.

      “A Officinalis”

      The artist’s childhood ingenuity has instilled a commitment to care and resilience that appears both materially and metaphorically in her practice. In her new A Officinalis series, the medicinal, anti-inflammatory properties of the marshmallow plant become a symbol for healing and regeneration. Soft, supple forms in pale pinks and blues are met by fuzzy structures in creamy white yarn, creating a quiet, meditative garden for recovery.

      Composed of vibrant reds and purples, the Bruise series takes a converse approach. Color is always critical to Isabelle D’s practice, and these works rely on vibrant, saturated reds, purples, and blues to mimic a damaged body. While the pieces evoke injury, they’re markedly beautiful and a sort of homage to the strength that emerges from trauma.

      In the way that crochet requires an even tension to achieve stitches that aren’t too loose or too tight, Isabelle D strives for a similar balance in her practice and rejects the fast pace at which today’s world moves. Instead, she crafts each piece by hand without the help of assistants, immersing herself in the slow, methodical process of inserting the hook and looping it through the yarn.

      If you’re in Brussels, stop by Gallery Nosco to see the artist’s solo exhibition, Hanging by a Thread, which runs through May 24.

      From the ‘Bruise’ series

      From the ‘Bruise’ series

      Detail of “A Officinalis”

      Detail of “A Officinalis”

      Detail of “Mensonge et Vérité”

      Detail of “Mensonge et Vérité”

      “Mould”

      From the ‘Bruise’ series

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      ‘Of Salt and Spirit’ Celebrates the Legacy of Black Southern Quilters

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      Hystercine Rankin (1929–
      2010), “Memory Quilt” (ca. 1994), fabric; appliquéd, hand-embroidered, and hand-quilted, 88 x 82 inches. All images courtesy of Mississippi Museum of Art, shared with permission

      ‘Of Salt and Spirit’ Celebrates the Legacy of Black Southern Quilters

      April 23, 2025

      ArtCraft

      Kate Mothes

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      You may have heard of the remarkable quilters of Gee’s Bend, but do you know about the Crossroads Quilters, like Gustina Atlas? Or Hystercine Rankin? Mary Mayfair Matthews? You’re in luck if you have a chance to visit Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South at the Mississippi Museum of Art, which shines a light on dozens of incredible Black Southern quilters and takes a celebratory approach to showcasing their myriad styles and techniques.

      MMA is home to one of the South’s largest collections of quilts, from which more than 50 handmade and machine-stitched examples were drawn for this expansive exhibition. Merging research, interpretation, and community engagement, curator Dr. Sharbreon Plummer aimed for “a cohesive, experiential study of American art through a Black feminist lens.” The show parses cultural narratives around the art form, spotlighting the impact of the craft across generations and geography.

      Emma Russell, “Star Quilt” (1978), cotton blend; hand-pieced, appliquéd, and hand-quilted, 81 x 77 inches

      A wide range of contemporary and historic pieces converge in Of Salt and Spirit, including figurative and narrative works alongside vibrant geometric compositions. Many of the works were acquired by the museum from Roland L. Freeman (1936-2023), a photographer who documented African-American craftspeople and guilds in his work as a stringer for Time magazine and Magnum Photos.

      Freeman collected more than 100 quilts, made several of his own, and published a couple of books on the subject. “Quilts have the power to create a virtual web of connections—individual, generational, professional, physical, spiritual, cultural, and historical,” he says in his second book, A Communion of the Spirits (1996).

      In conjunction with the exhibition, the museum also highlights the large-scale, ongoing AIDS Memorial Quilt project, which was initiated in 1985 at the height of the epidemic. Paralleling Of Salt and Spirit’s focus on creative expression, identity, and strength, the AIDS quilt—which will be on display at MMA for a two-week period beginning May 5—honors quilting for its role in resistance and remembrance.

      Of Salt and Spirit continues through May 18 in Jackson. Plan your visit on the museum’s website. You may also enjoy a look back at Souls Grown Deep Like the Rivers, a monumental survey recognizing the artistic traditions of Black artists.

      Mary Mayfair Matthews, “Folk Scenes Quilt” (1992), rayon, cotton polyester blend, lace, lamé, and buttons; hand-pieced and appliquéd, 86 1/4 x 74 inches

      Annie Dennis (designed by Roland L. Freeman), “Voodoo Quilt” (1987), fabric; hand-pieced, appliquéd, hand-embroidered, and hand-quilted, 83 1/2 x 64 inches

      Detail of “Voodoo Quilt”

      Gustina Atlas, “Variation on Dresden Plate Quilt” (1998), cotton; machine- pieced and hand-quilted, 81 1/2 x 80 inches

      Clancy McGrew, quilted and appliquéd by Jeraline Nicholas, “Storytime at the Library” (2004), fabric; machine-pieced, appliquéd, embroidered, and hand-quilted, 41 3/4 x 83 1/8 inches

      Mabel Williams, “Improvisational Strip Quilt” (1968), cotton, polyester, wool, twill; hand-pieced and hand- quilted with appliquéd and embroidered backing, 85 x 65 inches

      Clancy McGrew, quilted by Tammy McGrew, “Clancy’s Beauty Salon” (2004), fabric; machine-pieced, appliquéd, and hand-quilted, 67 5/8 x 49 1/2 inches

      Roland Freeman, “Maya Angelou, Author, Educator, and Quilter (top left and bottom right); Dolly McPherson, Maya Angelou, and Beverly Guy-Sheftall (top right and bottom left), Winston-Salem, North Carolina, November 1992” (1992), Chromogenic print with quilted mat (1996) by Anita Knox, 36 x 36 inches

      Roland Freeman, “Catherine Gill with Sunburst Quilt (left) Made by Her Mother, Classy Blaylock, fromDecatur, Mississippi, Flagstaff, Arizona, April 1993″ (1993), Chromogenic print, 27 x 38 inches

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