Rejection

This week I learned that my quilt, Me, You and Everyone (shown here), was not chosen by Quilter's Newsletter or the Journal for Original Thought. This quilt is part of a traveling exhibition by Fiber Artists For Hope titled The Unspoken Truth About Color: A Dialogue in Art Quilts About Racism. In my defense, it was not just my quilt. Nor do I begrudge those whose quilts were featured. I'm actually quite happy for them and for the group.

Quilter's Newsletter choose mostly quilts with people in them. For me, it seemed safe. Smiling children laying on the ground in a circle (a fabulous quilt) doesn't speak to the title of the exhibition in my opinion, but it does make a great image for a magazine. None of the incredible abstract or more "controversial" quilts like Bonnie Smith's quilt that deals with the KuKlux Clan were chosen. While I understand, it also makes me sad.

When I asked how the quilts for the Journal were chosen I was told that due to the fact that the quilts were going to be in black and white that they needed images that worked well in that format, the images had to be clear, personal preference of those doing the selecting and finally, space. Nineteen of the twenty-seven quilts were featured. I am so happy they choose Bonnie Smith's piece. I appreciated their honesty. I embrace their mission. I appreciate the connection that Jeanette Thompson provided.

I also was at the launch of the Journal for Orginal Thought journal. It was so energizing. The writing that is coming out of the participants blew me away. I was moved to tears more than once. I believe more than ever in the positive healing and changing powers of art. This organization embodies it all.

I wish I could tell you that these rejection doesn't hurt but that would be a lie. It does. The good news is tomorrow is a new day. I learned long ago that not everyone is going to like or get my work. My husband is one of those people and he supports me!  I know how lucky I am that I am in the position to make art. I know that I will continue to make art and there will be more rejections. I also know that it is better to put it out there and be rejected than to stay safe from pan because life is about pain and understanding.

 Artist Statement


Racism is not just about killing or wanting to eliminate an entire population or discriminating against the one who sits next to me, because she follows a different faith, holds a different belief, or simply has features and skin color different from mine. I must embrace racism because it is about me. It is also about you. It's about all of us. It's about understanding and realizing that we have more in common than we think. It's about creating a world that has room for all of us because we are all human beings.