A significant part of ceramicist Chotsani Elaine Dean’s research is rooted in quilts from slavery (chattel enslavement) thru the Antebellum period, made on and off cotton plantations by enslaved and free African Americans through the mid-20th century. These quilts and the material that gives them life, cotton, serve as a historical source and point of departure for her to explore and comprehend this dreadful time in America’s history. The visual and historical synthesis of various craft traditions, historical events and commodities, quilts, the cotton trade, the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, and the vast realm of textiles inform and shape her visual ideas and approach to the spectrum of ceramic materials and mixed media. This free talk is presented in conjunction with Empty Bowls Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser (Oct. 21) to benefit HumanKind Ministries and ICT Community Fridge Project. It takes place in the Beren Gallery and everyone is welcome. Reception at 5:30 p.m. | Program at 7 p.m.
