Quilt

17 Birds, 10 Buildings, +2 Ghosts

Description

Quilt titled 17 Birds, 10 Buildings, +2 Ghosts created by Elizabeth Adan and made with fabric, batting, and thread. Dark blue in color with 10 patterned patches depicting a skyline and 17 birds stitched into the fabric sky. Two large dark patches of fabric resemble the Twin Towers and evoke the "+2 ghosts" part in the title of the quilt.

Historical Notes

Inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt, New York City–based arts educator Drunell Levinson conceived a September 11 Quilts Memorial that would bring together the work of artists from around the world. Drawing upon her academic research into mourning customs and her expertise as a quilter and fabric artist, Levinson issued a call for quilts on a website she created for the project. She offered thematic guidelines and requested a uniform size, but left the choice of material, style, and subject to each quilter. Within the first year after 9/11, she had received 94 quilts. Over the next two years, the quilts—many using the Twin Towers as a focal point—were displayed throughout the United States and in Japan.