Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts Receives $50,000 Grant From National Endowment for the Arts
[Cedarburg, WI] – The Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts (WMQFA) is thrilled to announce they are the recipients of a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant will support the exhibition and related programming for 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 and is now on view through December 7.
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marks a significant mile-stone in her career and will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog featuring her unpublished writings, along with scholarly essays by historians Dr.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 spent her early years on a plantation in Arkansas, leaving at age 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, O 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.
Additional support for the exhibition is provided by Greater Milwaukee Foundation, American Quilt Study Group, the Wisconsin Arts Board, Judy Hearst - Coldwell Banker Realty, Nirmal Raja, and Victoria Findlay Wolfe. This exhibition is organized by WMQFA and curated by Senior Curator Emily Schlemowitz.