Fiber is important: New Berkeley exhibit celebrates African-American quilts
African Americans carried many things with them when fleeing the South’s oppression and poverty in the middle of the 20th Century – a movement of millions called the Second Great Migration. Among the possessions were often quilts, handmade items handed down for generations imbued with stories of love, grief, ancestral and spiritual respect.
It so happens that thanks to a bequest in 2019, the world’s largest collection of African-American quilts sits in the collection of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Now the museum is bringing out more than 100 of them for their first public viewing, in an exhibit titled “Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California.”
The exhibit “Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California” runs until Nov. 30, 2025, at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, Calif. (Kevin Candland/BAMPFA)
The show presents quilts of historic significance that found their way West to the supposed promised land, some fabricated by famous artisans and others by unknown hands – and for a local twist, roughly a dozen made by contemporary Black artists in the Bay Area including the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland.
The exhibit “Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California” runs until Nov. 30, 2025, at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, Calif. (Kevin Candland/BAMPFA)
“[Routed West] honors quiltmakers of this distinctive migrant generation and those who carry forth their aesthetic and cultural legacies,” writes the museum. If you’ve only thought of a quilt as something that keeps you warm on a winter’s day, this one’s sure to be an eye-opener.
Details: Show is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday until November 30, 2025, at 2155 Center St., Berkeley; $18 general admission, bampfa.org.
Related Posts:
Fiber is important: New Berkeley exhibit celebrates African-American quilts News African Americans carried many things with them when fleeing the South’s oppression and poverty in the middle of the 20th Century – a movement of millions called the Second Great Migration. Among the possessions were often quilts, handmade items handed down for generations imbued with stories of love, grief, ancestral…
3 Important New Faces on Commanders’ Defense Sports The Washington Commandersâ defense is undergoing a significant talent transformation in 2025. Big names like Jonathan Allen and former first-round veteran Dante Fowler Jr. are now on the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys, respectively, which opens the door for lesser-known defenders to carve out their place in Washingtonâs retooled defensive…
Steelers Newcomer Called ‘Sneaky Important’ Ahead of 2025 Season Sports The Pittsburgh Steelers spent very sparingly in NFL free agency ahead of the 2025 season, focusing on strategic scheme fits rather than large contracts. And one of those bargain purchases was former Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns safety Juan Thornhill. The Steelers ended up signing Thornhill to a one-year,…
Homeboy Industries celebrates the end of graduation season, big new beginnings too News Proud graduates walked across the stage at Homeboy Industries’ graduation in downtown Los Angeles on June 23. (Courtesy of Homeboy Industries/Eddie Ruvalcaba) Homeboy Industries, the largest gang and rehabilitation program in the world, celebrated 109 graduates in downtown Los Angeles on June 23. (Courtesy of Homeboy Industries/Eddie Ruvalcaba) The graduates…
On a smaller scale but with big heart, Berwyn Pride Walk celebrates neighborhood diversity News Some lucky passengers who took Metra to Berwyn on Saturday were greeted with cheers, music and plenty of rainbows. Shortly after noon, the doors opened and revealed a line of about 250 people excitedly walking on Windsor Avenue between Harlem and East avenues. Some wore colorful leis and capes, while…
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
