Fabric Memorials - Uvalde

by Jo-Ann Morgan

Artist Reception:
Thursday, August 7, 2025
from 5:30 - 7:00 pm

Artist Statement

My artwork evolved out of a convergence of global, personal, and national events. By March 2020, the coronavirus had become a worldwide pandemic. Confined and seeking a time-intensive activity, I bought a sewing machine and commenced learning to use it. Breonna Taylor was killed by police that same month, as was George Floyd a few weeks later, expanding the movement known as Black Lives Matter. These and other national events became subject matter for my artwork. I use the techniques of machine quilting with appliqué to construct compositions in layered cotton fabric. The medium resembles quilted comforters, making it familiar and approachable. As such, I find it ideal for addressing provocative topics related to social justice, inequality, and most recently, the tragedy and folly of gun violence. “Fabric Memorials – Uvalde” honors the nineteen children killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. The artworks celebrate the ten-year-old victims and their two teachers and are meant to evoke our collective outrage at ineffectual gun laws. I consider artmaking to be a form of activism. There is no greater public health issue affecting children than gun violence. Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States.

This exhibit is FREE, and the public is encouraged to attend.

This exhibit will be on display until September 4, 2025