An exhibition now showing at the International Quilt Study Center & Museum examines the unique aesthetics and techniques that male artists bring to a craft long-associated with feminine arts and labors.
“Man-Made: Contemporary Male Quilters” features work from contemporary quilt artists Joe Cunningham, Luke Haynes, Jimmy McBride, Aaron McIntosh, Dan Olfe, Joel Otterson, Shawn Quinlan and Ben Venom.
The museum will hold an opening reception for the exhibition on Friday, March 4 from 4:30-7 p.m., with free admission and light refreshments. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Bathtub Dogs will perform live at 5:30 p.m.
“The artists featured in this exhibition are bringing a frank and direct level of meaning to their quilts, even as they stay true to the traditional form of a layered textile,” said Curator of Collections Carolyn Ducey. “In ‘Man-Made,’ highly charged social and cultural issues are put front and center. Using the quilt form, often perceived as soft or cozy, the bold messages become even more powerful. This exhibition showcases a unique perspective.”
The artists use powerful central images to represent their subjective interests. They also use prior training in architecture, painting, filmmaking, science, or sculpture to inform their art. Most of the artists in “Man-Made” were conscious of their male gender identity in taking up quilting, which comes across in their irreverent use of alternative materials and processes.
This exhibition was organized by the Craft & Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles, California. “Man-Made” also showed at the Asheville Art Museum in Asheville, North Carolina, before coming to Lincoln, where it makes its final appearance. It will be on display at the museum through June 19.
“We hope visitors will gain a new perspective of the way today’s artists are using the quilt medium in their work,” Ducey said. “It is exciting to see artists embrace quiltmaking in such an expressive way. These are not the quilts of your childhood.”
This exhibition was made possible through funding from the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported this exhibition through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. Visit http://www.nebraskaartscouncil.org for more information. Additional support was provided by Moda, FRIENDS of the International Quilt Study Center & Museum, Aurifil and Accuquilt.
The International Quilt Study Center & Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors. For more information about these and other exhibitions or to view a list of upcoming programs, visit http://www.quiltstudy.org.
View the online exhibition for “Man-Made” at http://www.quiltstudy.org/exhibitions/nowshowing/man-made/.
More details at: http://www.quiltstudy.org