Beautiful Contemporary Quilts Document History At the New Gateway Arts Center

This week I made a trip over to Brentwood, Maryland to view the current exhibition at The Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center’s Gallery 110.  Gallery 110 is part of the Gateway Arts Center and acts as the interim exposition space of the PGAAMCC and is featuring a display of eighteen quilts created by the Uhuru Quilters Guild of Prince George’s County called "Freedom:  Contemporary African American Quit Art."  Gallery 110 will be hosting an open house tonight, Friday, March 19th from 5 P.M.-8 P.M.

I am not very familiar with the art of quilting, however I felt much more knowledgeable after leaving the gallery than I did when I arrived.  Informational text explaining the historical origins of this art form are supplied throughout the gallery, which I found to be both helpful and intriguing.  I learned that quilting is one of the oldest forms of visual artistic expression in the African American community, beginning as a functional process and evolving into a skilled art.  "Freedom: Contemporary African American Quilt Art" is an iconic exhibition for Gallery 110; not only because it is part of the grand opening of the art space, but metaphorically speaking quilting acts as a symbol for the museum, “to work as a connecting face for a diverse and colorful patchwork of people”.

As for the quilts that are included in this exhibition; simply out of this world.  One quilt commemorates the 2009 inauguration of our first African American President, depicting the Ebony magazine cover of President Obama from their Man of the Year issue.  Another honors twelve influential African Americans whose contributions to society  are unforgettable.   The vibrant color palette and complex shapes that comprise many of the quilts gives them a certain uniqueness.  360 Degrees of Woman features a strikingly beautiful female face surrounded by various motifs.  The quilters used shades of green and blue creating a overall feeling of tranquility.  Betty’s Bee Blocks on Blue show twenty beautifully intricate patterns over a blue background.  This particular quilt reminded me of the fantastical images one sees when looking through a kaleidoscope.

I urge everyone to attend the opening celebration of The Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center at Gallery 110 today.  It promises to be a fun event and the beauty of these quilts cannot be fully captured by online images.  The intricate craftsmanship and vibrant color palette is something to experience in person and the show in it’s entirety creates quite a powerful effect.  "Freedom:  Contemporary African American Quilt Art" reminds us that quilts are so much more than utilitarian objects keeping us warm on cool, winter evenings; they are documents giving us insight into the culture and life of African Americans in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. If you are unable to make it to the opening, "Freedom:  Contemporary African American Quilt Art" will be showing at Gallery 110 through May 15th.

Gallery 110 @ The Gateway Arts Center, 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood, MD 20722, 301-209-0592; Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Saturday:  10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Thursday:  10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.