The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is hosting "Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California," a major exhibition featuring a significant collection of African American quilts. The exhibition opens on June 8, offering a comprehensive look at the collection, which is the largest of its kind in the world.
The collection, bequeathed to BAMPFA by Eli Leon, includes over 3,000 quilts. The exhibition explores the theme of migration, highlighting the stories of quiltmakers who moved to the West Coast during the Second Great Migration. The show includes works by renowned artists like Laverne Brackens and Rosie Lee Tompkins.
The exhibition's opening comes amid challenges, as BAMPFA faced federal funding cuts for conservation efforts. Despite these setbacks, the museum is committed to showcasing this important cultural heritage. The exhibition aims to honor the artistic traditions of African American communities and their contributions to American art history.