MORGAN PARK — Dorothy Straughter's quilts have two sides to them, but only half of her artwork has been on display since April 23 at the Beverly Arts Center.
That changes from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday when the quilts are flipped as part of an ongoing exhibit that puts a spotlight on institutional racism. "A Constant Struggle" runs through June 8 at the community arts center at 2407 W. 111th St. in Morgan Park.
Straughter's quilts feature images of lynchings as well as depictions of the Great Migration, the Underground Railroad and more. Her work is complemented by art from fellow Beverly exhibitors Jomo Cheatham and ceramicist Dawn Liddicoatt.
“The Beverly Arts Center's mission focuses on building community through this kind of diverse, quality arts programming and education,” said Shellee Frazee, interim executive director of the arts center.
This quilt from Beverly's Dorothy Straughter shows the marketing campaign for the picaninny brand of oranges. A poor black girl was the mascot. Straughter buys all the material for all of her quilts at The Quilter's Trunk in Beverly. [DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig]
Beverly's Cole Lavalais, owner of the Chicago Writers Studio, will also emcee an open mic on the same night as the quilt flip that focused on the theme ""Where I Am From." Participants will have five minutes each in front of the audience.
The performances will be followed by readings from Kelly Norman Ellis, author of "Tougalou Blues" and "Offerings of Desire," poet Bryant "B Love" Smith and authors from FLOW, or For the Love Of Writing.
The exhibit, open mic and reading have been produced by the Beverly Area Arts Alliance, which coordinates other neighborhood art events including the Beverly Art Walk, Local Art on Tap and The Frunchroom.
"The strength of the Alliance comes from the wide range of voices and perspectives among our members," said Alliance co-founder Sal Campbell, who curated the exhibit with Straughter.
“We believe art can be a powerful way to engage in dialogue about difficult issues, and we're honored to work with Dorothy, Jomo and Dawn on this and to present it at the Beverly Arts Center," she said.
