“Precious” byCarolyn Mazloomi

17 1/2 x 21 1/4 inches (image size), screen print on paper, limited edition of 200–unframed

Carolyn Mazloomi, A 2014 NEA National Heritage Fellow, uses thread and needle to create a visual narrative of the African-American community and its history. Her work has been exhibited numerous places, from the Los Angeles Folk Art Museum and New Orleans Museum of Art to the Smithsonians Renwick Galleryunusual accomplishments for a woman who received her doctorate in aerospace engineering. She founded the Women of Color Quilters Network (WCQN) (link is external)(which today boats 1,700 members) in 1985, has authored five books on African-American quilts, and has curated a number of exhibits that have brought further attention to the art form. Considered the leading expert on African-American quilts, Mazloomi recently reflected on the community she has both fostered and reflected during her three decades of living and breathing quilts.