Quilt Portraits and Creative Up-Cycling
|
Repurposed Quilts (Quilt Cube)
The Art Project: A 10'x10'x10' cube of reproductions of portraits painted on damaged vintage quilts was displayed during the Charlotte International Arts Festival during September 2025. The Why & How YOU Can Help: At the base of the cube was a "donate responsibly" box asking festival goers to place their well worn, torn, or stained garments there instead of donating them to a local thrift store only to have them end up in trash piles around the world. Much like vintage quilts have been made from worn out clothing, festival goers' items can be remade into art or shredded for good use. All clothing donations went to Springclean ADDRESS 115 Razades Way, #104, Charlotte, NC 28206 Hours Wed - Sat 12 - 6 pm Here's an informative CBS Morning story about Fast Fashion ending up as trash. |
|
Unwearable clothing passes through donation points and eventually ends up in landfills.
The Inspiration for the Quilt Portraits:
The poem “Quilts” by Nikki Giovanni inspired Eva Crawford's portrait paintings on damaged vintage quilts.
The quilt created from worthless fabric items becomes a useful work of art, yet when the quilt itself becomes worthless it is transformed into new art honoring the soul of the original artist.
Like a fading piece of cloth
I am a failure
No longer do I cover tables filled with food and laughter
My seams are frayed my hems falling my strength no longer able
To hold the hot and cold
I wish for those first days
When just woven I could keep water
From seeping through
Repelled stains with the tightness of my weave
Dazzled the sunlight with my
Reflection
I grow old though pleased with my memories
The tasks I can no longer complete
Are balanced by the love of the tasks gone past
I offer no apology only
this plea:
When I am frayed and strained and drizzle at the end
Please someone cut a square and put me in a quilt
That I might keep some child warm
And some old person with no one else to talk to
Will hear my whispers
And cuddle
near
The poem “Quilts” by Nikki Giovanni inspired Eva Crawford's portrait paintings on damaged vintage quilts.
The quilt created from worthless fabric items becomes a useful work of art, yet when the quilt itself becomes worthless it is transformed into new art honoring the soul of the original artist.
Like a fading piece of cloth
I am a failure
No longer do I cover tables filled with food and laughter
My seams are frayed my hems falling my strength no longer able
To hold the hot and cold
I wish for those first days
When just woven I could keep water
From seeping through
Repelled stains with the tightness of my weave
Dazzled the sunlight with my
Reflection
I grow old though pleased with my memories
The tasks I can no longer complete
Are balanced by the love of the tasks gone past
I offer no apology only
this plea:
When I am frayed and strained and drizzle at the end
Please someone cut a square and put me in a quilt
That I might keep some child warm
And some old person with no one else to talk to
Will hear my whispers
And cuddle
near
