Jamie Weaver
West
Virginia in Quilts recalls my childhood memories of
growing up in rural Appalachia. My
family has long been involved with folk arts and crafts, and I was encouraged
to explore these creative outlets both at home and in school. Looking back, I realize that much
emphasis was placed on West Virginia as a center for Appalachian crafts and
tourism, and larger issues affecting the state, like mountaintop removal and
rampant meth use, were swept under the rug. When I was in school, we weren’t taught how to be socially,
financially, and environmentally loyal to our state – we were told that to be
successful adults, we’d probably have to move out of state. So, with West Virginia in Quilts, I wanted to use a traditional Appalachian
craft, quilting, to bring awareness to more serious issues affecting West
Virginia.
I
chose an accordion fold structure so that the book unfolds and spreads out like
a quilt. The title of the book
works on a couple of levels: It is
a glimpse of West Virginia through beautiful quilt patterns, and it is also a
state in quilts, or covered from
view. Since the truth rarely
remains hidden, I let the ugliness underneath peek through the quilts on the
surface; when the quilt unfolds, the whole story is revealed. The front and back are covered with
handmade paper that reminds me of quilt batting.
Reader's Art 12: Longing for Home
March 16- April 26, 2012
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