Perhaps one of the greatest skills of African Americans before they were liberated from their shackles of slavery was the art of textile weaving. However, this was an ability that was not well known as historians lent their focus to their languages, practices and religious beliefs. Initially men would uphold the tradition of textile weaving, however after the Africans were sold as laborers on American [...]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wants to encourage its members to express their creativity and develop their talents. The church owns a museum in Salt Lake City called the Museum of Church History and Art which houses information about the history of the Mormon people. It also has art from members of the Church all around the world.The artwork displayed varies in form from paintings [...]

Folk art is not art as most people would think. You would not find it in the galleries of New York. You find it in people’s homes, garages, and attics. The best way to describe folk art is to say it is the craftsmanship of people from a local area which depicts the everyday life and times they shared. From the weather vane on the barn to the handcrafted rag dolls the children played with, that [...]

One might as well ask, What is life? And that’s a good place to begin because that is just what art is: life. Art embodies life.The statements I make here are the result of my having been an artist most of my life, certainly all of my adult life. I have been a professional artist for most of those years. Before I was a professional, I was studying to become a professional. But I was never in [...]

For centuries embroidery had been a favored form of needleworked decorative arts in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the British Isles. When Britain’s Royal School of Art Needlework displayed an exhibit at the Centennial Fair in 1876 in Philadelphia, it opened American women’s eyes. At first the women of leisure helped progress the art and use of embroidery on quilts in the late Victorian [...]

From the earliest days of the American colonies, quilts were an important part of everyday life. They kept the family warm, sometimes covered the dinner table, and occasionally flew high as banners. Now those same functional and beautiful antique quilts are highly prized by modern collectors. ?The Most Common Antique QuiltsAmong the countless quilts tucked away in chests, antique stores, and museums, [...]

Many know peripherally what art conservation is, but rarely take a peek into the field to really explore why it’s important and how it adds to your daily lives. Here, we will examine what art conservation is, and why art conservation is a highly regarded profession. Art Conservation DefinedArt conservation is the profession that is dedicated to preserving the cultural gems of the world today, [...]

The history of African American quilting is a fascinating study. Quilting itself is believed to have been practiced as long ago as Ancient Egypt. Also somewhere in our past, quilted armor-type garments were worn by soldiers as they went to war. The form of quilting with which we are most familiar appeared perhaps sometime in the 15th century. It is quite possibly because of the need to keep warm in [...]