The exhibit Routed West at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive features quilts that reflect the history and traditions of African American quiltmakers during the Second Great Migration. Collection Specialist Laura Hansen and Curator Elaine Yau carefully preserve and display the quilts, employing rigorous procedures to ensure their longevity. This exhibition, part of a larger project involving over 3,000 quilts from Eli Leon's estate, highlights the role of quilts in preserving ancestral stories and connecting generations as African Americans relocated from the South to California.
"Preserving the quilts requires stringent procedures involving oxygen removal, antiseptic cleaning and six-month incubation periods to discover any possible mold spores, insects or skin oils."
"The exhibit... chronicles the history, lives and quiltmaking traditions of the millions of African Americans who moved from the southern United States to California... during the Second Great Migration."
"Creating new work upon establishing homes in the state, the artists preserved ancestral knowledge and memories, passing them forward to following generations."
"Routed West is part of BAMPFA's multiyear project to research, preserve, catalogue, hold and include in exhibits the nearly 3,000 quilts and artifacts received in 2019 from the estate of Eli Leon."
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