Rosemary Ollison: Know my heart Opens at WMQFA

[Cedarburg, WI] – The Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts is thrilled to announce Rosemary

Ollison: Know my heart, the first solo museum exhibition of acclaimed self-taught artist Rosemary

Ollison. This groundbreaking exhibition will showcase thirty of her works.

Celebrated for her intricate textile work, Ollison has dedicated over forty years to her artistic

practice, primarily created in her home environment. This exhibition marks a significant milestone

in her career and will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog featuring her unpublished

writings, along with scholarly essays by historians Dr. Sharbreon Plummer and Debra

Brehmer.

As a remarkable self-taught artist and storyteller, Ollison grew up on a plantation in Arkansas. She left the plantation at the age of sixteen. In 1996, as she began to heal from an abusive marriage, Ollison started creating

art spontaneously. Over the course of four years, she produced over one thousand drawings.

She attributes this outpouring of images and symbols to her deeply held Christianity and the Biblical

passage: “Search me, God, and know my heart.”

Ollison’s artistic practice is defined by her creative use of repurposed materials, including fabric

scraps, glass, leather, beads, bones, and jewelry, which she weaves into monumental wall tapestries,

hanging sculptures, and improvisational quilts.

With Rosemary Ollison: Know my heart WMQFA aims to shed light on her rich fiber practice,

which includes quilts, rugs, wall hangings, garments, and beaded objects. While Ollison has

gained recognition for her previous exhibitions and was honored as a 2018 Nohl Fellow, this

project seeks to elevate her status on a national level, ensuring that she receives the acknowledgment

her artwork rightfully deserves.

Join us for the Opening Celebration and Conversation between Rosemary Ollison and Dr. Sharbreon

Plummer, followed by a book signing, on September 13, from 1–3 PM.

Generous support for Rosemary Ollison: Know my heart is provided by Greater Milwaukee

Foundation, American Quilt Study Group, the Wisconsin Arts Board with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Judy Hearst - Coldwell Banker Realty, Nirmal Raja, and Victoria Findlay Wolfe.