Exhibition Program: Women Making and Reacting

In the United States, quilts and other domestic products made by women serve as important records of social events otherwise left out of the country’s broader narrative. 

Join D.C. artist Georgia Yuan in the galleries as she links women’s voices present in the exhibition Handstitched Worlds: The Cartography of Quilts with her recent quilt Let them Vote, inspired by the story of Chinese American women's rights activist Mabel Ping Hua Lee. Yuan will be joined in conversation by Niloo Paydar. 

About the Exhibition

Quilts, like maps, trace the personal stories and experiences of makers and their communities, often illuminating larger historical events and cultural trends. Handstitched Worlds: The Cartography of Quilts draws from the collection of the American Folk Art Museum, with examples ranging from traditional early-American quilts to contemporary sculptural assemblages. Learn more about the exhibition

About Georgia Yuan

Georgia Yuan is a Washington, D.C.-based quiltmaker. Always interested in fabric, her quilt making started in earnest about 20 years ago with the celebration of family events. Yuan’s quilts explore color and design, and she has recently been inspired by the emergence of Asian themed quilting cottons. Her passion for quilting counterbalances a career as a lawyer in higher education.

About Niloo Paydar 

Niloo Paydar is curator emerita of textile and fashion arts at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. During her tenure, she organized more than 35 exhibitions, which traveled nationally and internationally, and authored numerous catalogs. She received several National Endowment for the Arts grants and other awards in her field, and served on advisory boards of national textile and costume professional organizations.

How to Participate

This program will take place in person at the museum. Space is limited, so please register online to reserve your spot.