Laura Shaw is an award-winning book designer and a prolific quilt artist. Recently, her art quilt which was slated to be displayed as part of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) exhibit Color in Context:Red was excluded by American Quilter’s Society (AQS). Get that story here.
This censorship of her work and that of Canadian fiber artist Yvonne Iten-Scott sparked a lot of debate on social media and in fiber art circles. In response to the AQS censorship, Laura Shaw writes.
The Process of Making Laura Shaw’s Piece
When I was making this quilt, I thought deeply about the many different reproductive stories of all the women I know. The stories of easy births to having to deliver a stillborn child at 8 months. Stories of infertility struggles to having unplanned children to abortions and miscarriages. I was filled with anger and grief for what I knew was surely to come (and has since happened) with the Dobbs decision. Women would die.
Accepted at Multiple Exhibition Venues
When my finished quilt was accepted by QuiltCon in 2023, I was surprised and thrilled. Shortly thereafter when it was accepted to the SAQA global exhibition, Color In Context:Red, I was ecstatic. And then, when it was received positively in Houston and Australia, I was so happy its message was being spread.
Community Support and Protest
Initially, when it was rejected by AQS I felt momentarily defeated. But then I decided to not accept American Quilter’s Society’s decision to just put Yvonne’s and my quilt into storage for a year. I fought back the only way I could: I posted on social media. And to my amazement, the message spread quickly. People spoke out and wrote to the boards of both Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) and American Quilter’s Society (AQS).
Laura Shaw: Final Thoughts
As a community, we made our stand on censorship of art clear and it worked! We were never going to be able to convince American Quilter’s Society (AQS) to change their minds, I knew that. But we took a stand: the whole exhibit or none of the exhibit. I know in my heart that other braver venues will step up and the whole show will be seen in 2025. And the fact that the International Quilt Museum acquired my quilt for their permanent collection is just the dark red cherry on the top.
Laura Shaw
English 