Nov
5
Exhibitions
Jo-Ann Morgan: Blessed Are Those Who Weep
Opens Thursday, November 5, 6-8pm
About the Exhibition
Jo-Ann Morgan uses appliqué and quilting techniques to create intricately stitched works that pair human figures with flowers, toys, and other symbolic objects, recalling the spontaneous memorials that emerge in the wake of tragedy. Through these fabric portraits, Morgan embraces art as a form of activism, honoring grieving mothers, women and children at borders, and victims of gun violence, police violence, and mass shootings. Her work transforms acts of mourning and remembrance into powerful expressions of empathy, witness, and social commentary.
First Thursday Open House
Thursday, November 5, 6-8pm
About the Artist
Jo-Ann Morgan is a visual artist, art historian, and educator whose fiber works use quilting as a form of social commentary, addressing contemporary events, racial justice, violence, and collective memory. She is Professor Emeritus of African American Studies and Art History at Western Illinois University and holds a PhD in American Art History from UCLA, as well as an MFA in Sculpture and MA in Painting from the University of Wyoming. Her work has been exhibited widely across the United States and recognized with numerous awards and grants, including support from Fiber Art Now and the Not Real Art Grant. Morgan is also the author of two books examining African American art, visual culture, and representation.
