Opens Friday, July 12, 2024 | On exhibition in the Gilmore Auditorium
In partnership with the Atlanta Quilt Festival, Inc., the Peoria Riverfront Museum is showing an exceptional fiber arts exhibition this summer, honoring the life and legacy of Congressman John Lewis.
Congressman Lewis was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the House of Representatives from 1987 until his death in 2020. His work in the civil rights movement was integral to ending racial segregation in the United States, including his leadership in the first of three marches from Selma to Montgonery, and his service as a leader in the Democratic party. Lewis was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, and leaves behind a legacy of strength, tenacity, and service to one’s community.
Congressman Lewis, in word and deed, inspired those on the journey for Civil Rights. He was also a lover of the arts, and his passion for quilts was well known.
The Good Trouble Quilts exhibition honors Lewis. Featuring 33 original works of fiber art that spring from each quilter’s love and admiration for the man himself, and the work he has done.
The exhibition is diverse in every way: race of the quilters, size of the art, techniques utilized, and experience and skill of the quilters, as well as the subject matter. Such diversity results in an exhibition that captures the breadth and scope of American history, both good and bad, and the significant impact that Congressman Lewis played to mold that history and shape our future.
There is a lot of history, culture, and art to experience in this upcoming exhibition: we invite you to enjoy it’s beauty, appreciate the messages and the history, and don’t be afraid to create “Good Trouble” by sharing with your friends and family.
The Good Trouble Quilts exhibition is sponsored by Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce, Visionary Society, Friends of Bronzeville to Harlem and Illinois Arts Council
