After seeing a few hand-made quilts, she said she became obsessed with them. She saw each one as a unique piece reflecting skills, culture, and creativity, as well as the hopes and aspirations of the quilter. According to the New York Times, “Zegart curated exhibitions around the world. She wrote and edited several books, published scholarly articles, and in 2011 hosted the nine-part PBS series, Why Quilts Matter: History, Art & Politics.”
Zegart’s work deepened public understanding of quilting by showing that quilts are not only craft objects but also valuable cultural artifacts that reflect social histories and community traditions that had been hidden for centuries. Zegart was quick to point out that she, herself, had never stitched even an article of clothing, saying, “I don’t make anything, not even dinner.”
Shelly Zegart in 2018 Photo credit: Kentucky to the World Image source: The New York Times
“Quilts are bigger than we think. They are memory objects for women. They’re great works of art. They’re political statements.”
-American historian Shelly Zegart, born on this day in 1941
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