OAC Ohio Heritage Fellowship Recipient, Carolyn Mazloomi to Co-curate Exhibition in South Africa
by Malika Bryant
West Chester, Ohio resident Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi will co-curate Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela, from July 25-27, 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The exhibition, which will be on view at the International Quilt Convention Africa, will display quilts by African American and South African quilt artists who are inspired by the life and legacy of the philanthropic political leader Nelson Mandela.
Co-curated with Dr. Marsha MacDowell, the exhibition is the result of a partnership between the Michigan State University Museum and the Women of Color Quilters Network (WCQN) in collaboration with South African quilt artists.
After opening in Johannesburg, Conscience of the Human Spirit will tour the U.S. for two years. The exhibition will feature quilt art pieces created from 2013-2014. The quilts celebrate the life and worldwide impact of Mandela.
Mazloomi, a recipient of the 2003 Ohio Arts Council Ohio Heritage Fellowship, founded the WCQN in 1985. The organization was established with the mission to educate, collect, preserve, exhibit and promote quilts made by African Americans.
Throughout the years, the WCQN has served as a resource on the history and themes of African American quiltmaking and has actively presented educational, social and economic developmental projects, workshops and exhibitions across the U.S. Today the organization has over 1,700 members.
Mazloomi is a celebrated quiltmaker, writer and community advocate whose work has been exhibited across the country in places such as the National Civil Rights Museum, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, and the American Folk Art Museum in New York City.
Mazloomi was recently honored with the 2014 Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship Award by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in June. The Bess Lomax Hawes Award recognizes individuals who have made a notable impact on the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage.
"Acknowledgment for doing something I dearly love, documenting, preserving and exhibiting African American quilts, is indeed an honor, said Mazloomi. The award is also acknowledgment of the importance of quilts and the artists who create them to our culture. The monetary award will be used to help endow the Michigan State University Museum for the care and maintenance of the Mazloomi-Women of Color Quilters Network Collection.
To read the full press release from the NEA, click here.
For more information on Carolyn Mazloomi, click here.
For more information on the Women of Color Quilters Network, click here.
For more information on the Ohio Arts Council's Ohio Heritage Fellowships, click here.
Image Credit: Gale Zucker
About the National Endowment for the Arts:
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the federal government. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector.
About the Ohio Arts Council:
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
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