Got a phone call from the US State Department yesterday. About the Roots of Racism quilts finally coming home from Islamabad, Pakistan. The Art in Embassies people were trying to find another location to show them, but couldn't work anything out. So they will come back to New York, and then back to all of us participating artists. My quilt that was in this show was "Pay Attention Mom!", go see it at my poor poor neglected website. Wow is that ever a bad picture of it, this was made so long ago, before I really figured out how to take decent pictures of quilts. And then the quilt was gone...for 5 years now!
I have to say, it is pretty exciting to get letters and calls from the State Department, first reaction is always "Oh no, what did I do?" Like I'm some underground radical quilting terrorist or something (hah, not bloody likely!).
Some of the slogans of the Art in Embassies are:
Visual Diplomacy
Artists becoming Ambassadors
Placing American Art in U.S. diplomatic residences around the world.
Visual Diplomacy is an intriguing idea isn't it?
I enjoyed reading the story behind your quilt. I think it is so important to talk to your kids and find out why they think that way. I was at the museum and heard a little boy say "I don't like Indians" in front of an exhibit about Native Americans and his mom didn't say anything to him. My husband and I stopped dead in our tracks hearing that and I wanted to say something so badly and hoped that she would. She didn't.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking it could've been due to embarrassment, but I wish she had stopped and asked him why right then and there just like you did.
I love the phrase 'Visual Diplomacy.' Can you imagine how much good it would to send photos of regular people - young, old, medium, tall, short to other places? I see a picture of several second graders (teeth missing) being dropped into insurgent strongholds. I think it would make progress, though I am not sure anything can end the hatred W has inspired.
ReplyDeleteJaye