By Marina Brown
In celebration of Tallahassee’s Bicentennial, the Council on Culture & Arts will highlight a specific artist or organization each month that is the epitome of artistic ambition in our capital city. The spotlight on COCA Spotlight: Professor Anjali Austin & “The Quilts of Mrs. Gussie Beatrice Arnold Hill” is the Artistic Ambition spotlight for August.
Many of us remember a time long ago when we felt safe. Unconditionally loved. Protected by someone older and wiser. Maybe that person was an elderly aunt. Perhaps the grandmother who knew many things and would share them with you as you grew.
That feeling of family and, one might say — love — is what one experiences as they walk through the exhibition called “The Quilts of Mrs. Gussie Beatrice Arnold Hill” at the Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA) on the Florida State University campus. The exhibition, which runs from June 13 until Dec. 14, is an example of what art that speaks directly to the viewer can be.
Filled with 22 brilliantly lit, handmade quilts from the family collection of Professor Anjali Austin, Chairman of the FSU School of Dance, the exhibit not only dazzles the eye with its color and originality but somehow allows a viewer to become part of an experience.
Scattered among the double bed-sized quilts are nearly life-size photos of the creator of these heirlooms, Mrs. Gussie Beatrice Arnold Hill, and her extended family — 10 siblings on her side of the family and 10 on her husband’s side.
In one sepia-colored print, we see the tiny Anjali Austin kneeling in front of the woman she called “Gran-mommy,” surrounded by serious-looking adults who knew about hard work and family continuity.
Read more on Tallahassee Democrat.
Learn more about The Quilts of Mrs. Gussie Beatrice Arnold Hill
English
English
French
German
Italian
Spanish
