This exhibition explores the rich history and visual language of quilts made by enslaved and free African Americans from the colonial era through the mid-20th century. Using quilts, their makers, and cotton as inspiration, Chotsani Elaine Dean examines this period of American history, tracing cotton’s global impact. Through ceramics and mixed media, Dean connects past and present, incorporating diverse cultural influences and languages. The work celebrates the resilience and enduring legacy of those who stitched their stories into history.

Artist bio:
Chotsani Elaine Dean, b. Hartford, CT, is an artist and Assistant Professor of Ceramics at the University of Minnesota. She received her BFA in ceramics from Hartford Art School and her Master of Fine Arts degree from Sam Fox School of Art at Washington University in St. Louis. Dean is coauthor of the book, Contemporary Black American Ceramic Artists, Schiffer Publishing. She was awarded the McKnight Artist Fellowship award for ceramics, has been in residence at the John Michael Kohler Artist Residency, and recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Teaching and Research grant. Dean was the inaugural MJ DO Good resident at Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana, held the position of studio manager at Wesleyan Potters in Middletown, Connecticut, and is the recipient of a Connecticut Arts Grant. She has lectured and exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions and has taught at institutions including Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India, University of Connecticut, Connecticut College, and Hartford Art School.

Exhibition on view February 13-March 6.
Closing reception, THURSDAY, March 6, 7-9 pm, artist talk at 7:30pm

*Please note the closing reception is on Thursday, March 6, not Friday.