barack obama quilt q.s.o.s
DESCRIPTION
A collection of Quilters' S.O.S. -Save Our Stories interviews with quiltmakers who have created quilts inspired by President Barack Obama.TRANSCRIPT
The Alliance for American Quilts Presents
Quilters’ S.O.S. - Save Our Stories:The Barack Obama Quilt Project
Interviews with quiltmakers who have made quilts inspired by President Barack Obama
Throughout the presidential campaign, I kept reading stories and seeing more and more
images of quilts inspired by Barack Obama. Wanting to capture this moment in our history, I
began interviewing those quiltmakers for Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories, an oral history
project of the Alliance for American Quilts. More than 50 interviews have been added to the
more than 900 interviews in the project.
All the quilts and the stories behind them are a unique expression of the maker’s impression of
the “Obama phenomenon.” Now that Obama is President, these quilts have become even more
significant. I did not have any real plan other than satisfying my curiosity when I began the
interviews. The quiltmakers represent a board spectrum of political views, you will find avid
Obama supporters, Hilary supporters and stanch Republicans. Their skills range from beginner
to professional. Participants include those from two exhibits, “Quilts for Obama: An Exhibit
Celebration of our 44th President” and “President Obama: A Celebration in Art Quilts,” in the
greater Washington, D.C. area around the inauguration and beyond.
Many of the quiltmakers drew upon the iconography of the campaign. Others took the literal
image of Obama a step further and used elements of culture and Pop Art in their quilts, while
others simply did a literal interpretation. The themes of family, patriotism, Africa, and hope
were also popular. I want to thank all the quiltmakers who shared so openly their thoughts and
experiences in the interviews. This “feminine medium” continues to take ordinary materials to
create something of great meaning and to provide us with an important glimpse of our history.
Karen MusgraveVolunteer and Co-ChairQuilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our StoriesThe Alliance for American Quilts
The quilts in this publication are listed in order of the date of their maker’s Quilters’ S.O.S. -Save Our Stories interview.
Interviewee: Susan Walen
Title of quilt: “Dear Mr. Obama…”
Location: Bethesda, MarylandDate: 2008-12-09
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Diana Bracy
Title of quilt: “Living the Dream”
Location: Las Vagas, NevadaDate: 2008-12-09
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Susan Shie Title of Quilt:
“The Potluck/ World: Card #21 in The Kitchen Tarot”
Location: Wooster, OhioDate: 2008-12-15
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Bonnie Smith
Title of quilt: “Obama in Blue”Location: San Jose, California
Date: 2008-12-15
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Susan Shie Title of Quilt:
“The Potluck/ World: Card #21 in The Kitchen Tarot”
Location: Wooster, OhioDate: 2008-12-15
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Jeanette Thompson
Title of quilt: “Obama Equals Hope”Location: Chicago, Illinois
Date: 2008-12-16
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Theresa Shellcroft
Title of quilt: “It is Written in the Stars, We the People...”
Location: Victorville, CaliforniaDate: 2008-12-29
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Debra Gabel
Title of quilt: “Obama: It’s a NEW Day”Location: Clarksville, Maryland
Date: 2009-01-09
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Edna Patterson-Petty
Title of quilt: “Road to Redemption”
Location: East St. Louis, IllinoisDate: 2009-01-11
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Sherry Shine
Title of quilt: “The 44th”Location: East Orange, New Jersey
Date: 2009-01-12
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Wen Redmond
Title of quilt: “Yes! We Can”
Location: Strafford, New HampshireDate: 2009-01-13
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Shawn Dubin
Title of quilt: “Obama: Red and Blue States Merging into Glorious Purple”Location: Berkeley, California
Date: 2009-01-13
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Connie Condrell
Title of quilt: “Light at the End of the Tunnel”
Location: Round Hill, VirginiaDate: 2009-01-16
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Carole Lyles Shaw
Title of quilt: “War and Freedom: African Americans Veterans Hail the Commander-in-Chief, #2”
Location: Columbia, MarylandDate: 2009-01-18
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Valerie White
Title of quilt: “Great Expectations”
Location: Louisville, KentuckyDate: 2009-01-19
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Lisa Shepard Stewart
Title of quilt: “Fiber Artists for Obama: Fist Bump”Location: Rahway, New Jersey
Date: 2009-01-20
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Jackie Campbell
Title of quilt: “Whatever You Want To Be”
Location: Washington, D.C.Date: 2009-01-21
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Sherry Boram
Title of quilt: “DAWN”
Location: Pendleton, IndianaDate: 2009-01-23
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Eileen Doughty
Title of quilt: “Freedom’s Box”
Location: Vienna, VirginiaDate: 2009-01-23
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Catherine Lamkin
Title of quilt: “Change”
Location: Charleston, South CarolinaDate: 2009-01-23
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Cookie Washington
Title of quilt: “The Hope of the New Day Begun”
Location: Charleston, South CarolinaDate: 2009-01-26
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Deb Cashatt
Title of quilt: “The Picture is Only Half the Story”
Location: Cameron Park, CaliforniaDate: 2009-01-26
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Kris Sazaki
Title of quilt: “The Picture is Only Half the Story”Detail view shown
Location: Cameron Park, CaliforniaDate: 2009-01-26
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Betty Colburn
Title of quilt: “Obama Drafted for NBA”
Location: Portland, OregonDate: 2009-01-26
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Carolyn Crump
Title of quilt: “From Vision to Victory”
Location: Houston, TexasDate: 2009-01-27
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Stephanie Grissom
Title of quilt: “American Renaissance”
Location: Markeville, IndianaDate: 2009-01-28
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Sheila Kramer
Title of quilt: “44 - A Happy Number”
Location: Rockville, MarylandDate: 2009-01-29
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Jayne Gaskins
Title of quilt: “The Intersection of Main Street and Wall Street”
Location: Fernandina Beach, FloridaDate: 2009-01-30
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Jeanne Marklin
Title of quilt: “Lift Every Voice and Sing for Obama”
Location: Williamstown, MassachusettsDate: 2009-02-03
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Carol Krueger
Title of quilt: “That Won”
Location: Louisville, ColoradoDate: 2009-02-04
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Asake Denise Foye Jones
Title of quilt: “The Sunshine of My Life”
Location: Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDate: 2009-02-04
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Elizabeth Warner
Title of quilt: “Together We Can Bridge the Divide”
Location: Simsbury, ConnecticutDate: 2009-02-06
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Joy-Lily
Title of quilt: “Help, Hope and Hallelujah”
Location: San Francisco, CaliforniaDate: 2009-02-06
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Sandra Hankins
Title of quilt: “Everybody’s All American”
Location: Temecula, CaliforniaDate: 2009-02-11
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Suanne Reed
Title of quilt: “A Place For Him Too”
Location: Naperville, IllinoisDate: 2009-02-11
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Michelle Flamer
Title of quilt: “Next”
Location: Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDate: 2009-02-11
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Peg Keeney
Title of quilt: “We the People Together We Can”
Location: Tucson, ArizonaDate: 2009-02-12
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Charlene Hughes
Title of quilt: “KAPA APANA”
Location: Honolulu, HawaiiDate: 2009-02-12
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Maria Shell
Title of quilt: “Colors Unfurled AKA If Betsy Ross Had My Stash”
Location: Anchorage, AlaskaDate: 2009-02-18
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Vivian Milholen
Title of quilt: “44 Equals Change”
Location: South Riding, VirginiaDate: 2009-02-19
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Carol Beck
Title of quilt: “A Dream Realized”
Location: Durham, North CarolinaDate: 2009-02-20
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Adriene Cruz
Title of quilt: “Warrior of Light Shield for Obama”
Location: Portland, OregonDate: 2009-02-23
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Sauda Zahra
Title of quilt: “Keepers of Your Destiny”
Location: Durham, North CarolinaDate: 2009-02-25
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Ann Anastastio
Title of quilt: “New Mexico Support Obama”
Location: Santa Fe, New MexicoDate: 2009-02-26
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Marjorie Diggs Freeman
Title of quilt: “Yes We Can and In My Lifetime”
Location: Durham, North CarolinaDate: 2009-03-04
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Marlene O’Bryant-Seabrook
Title of quilt: “They Paved the Way”
Location: Charleston, South CarolinaDate: 2009-03-06
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Chris Gilman
Title of quilt: “Folk Art for Today”
Location: Wenatchee, WashingtonDate: 2009-03-09
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Lavialle Campbell
Title of quilt: “Obama Bucks”
Location: Studio City, CaliforniaDate: 2009-03-09
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Ellaree Pray
Title of quilt: “Change of Allegiance”
Location: Piscataway, New JerseyDate: 2009-03-11
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Martha Gilbert
Title of quilt: “You Dig?”
Location: Elliott City, MarylandDate: 2009-03-16
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Louisa L. Smith
Title of quilt: “Yes We Can”
Location: Loveland, ColoradoDate: 2009-03-26
Click here to read the interview
Interviewee: Juanita Salvador-Burris
Title of quilt: “The Extraordinary and Improbable Journey of Barack Obama”
Location: Chicago, IllinoisDate: 2009-03-28
Click here to read the interview
Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories (Q.S.O.S.) is a grassroots oral history project of the Alliance for American Quilts.
Q.S.O.S. preserves the stories of today’s quiltmakers from all over the US and abroad. The project is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
The Alliance for American Quilts, a national nonprofit organi-zation, supports and develops projects to document, preserve,
and share the history of quilts and quiltmakers. The AAQ brings together groups and individuals from the creative, scholarly and
business worlds of quiltmaking to advance the recognition of quilts and their makers in American culture.
Visit www.AllianceforAmericanQuilts.org/qsosto browse all 900+ Q.S.O.S. interviews and find out how you can become an AAQ member and a Q.S.O.S. volunteer interviewer.