African American Quilt Guild of Oakland is threading the needle between artwork and custom

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — Like several jazz artist, the power to adapt and improvise is a welcome talent. For the individuals within the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland, that talent reconciles years of historical past and encourages the bridge between operate and artistry.

“With African American quilts, what I see is similar as what you see in jazz. Jazz artists for probably the most half have been skilled in conventional classical music. What they do is having realized that custom, they then improvise. It is how we interpret the way to make a quilt,” stated Marie dePorres Taylor, president of the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland.

The guild not solely creates lovely quilts, however it additionally teaches its members and audiences the way to start the journey by means of historical past individually, whereas it celebrates its personal 25 years of existence collectively.

“Folks wish to name them Black quilts, however I do not take into account myself a Black quilter. I am a quilter who’s Black. My inspiration comes from travels. My husband and I used to journey. We had been each golfers, and we traveled everywhere in the United States and typically internationally to play golf. I like shade, and they’re impressed by issues that I’ve skilled. If my quilts make you smile, that is all I would like you to do,” stated Dolores Vitero Presley, constitution member of AAQGO.

Ensembles of quilts created by the guild’s members have been displayed at numerous museums, quilt exhibits and galleries together with the Smithsonian Institute.

“We did a quilt exhibit that was referred to as “Neighborhoods Coming Collectively: Quilts Round Oakland.” The quilts had been of issues throughout the neighborhood of Oakland that had been necessary to us, and it actually put us on the map,” stated dePorres Taylor.

AAQGO quilts could be loved across the Oakland neighborhood, and so they additionally supply group reveals at numerous libraries and neighborhood facilities within the space.

To study extra in regards to the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland go to their web site.