{"id":335,"date":"2026-01-24T13:38:45","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T13:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kudoscript.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/24\/stephen-towns-quilted-works-emphasize-black-joy-as-resistance-in-safer-waters\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T13:38:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T13:38:45","slug":"stephen-towns-quilted-works-emphasize-black-joy-as-resistance-in-safer-waters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kudoscript.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/24\/stephen-towns-quilted-works-emphasize-black-joy-as-resistance-in-safer-waters\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Towns\u2019 Quilted Works Emphasize Black Joy as Resistance in \u2018Safer Waters\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Stephen <\/p>\n

Combining a variety of fabrics, buttons, shells, and beads, Stephen Towns<\/a>\u2019 mixed-media textile pieces draw on the rich heritage of quilts made especially by Black women in the American South<\/a>. Tableaux reminiscent of family portraits and vacation snapshots lend themselves to an exploration of the power of pleasure and community during an era when the South was still racially segregated.<\/p>\n

Towns’ solo exhibition, Safer Waters: Picturing Black Recreation at Midcentury <\/em>at the Wichita Art Museum<\/a>, is an extension of the artist’s ongoing series exploring Black leisure in the era of Jim Crow.<\/p>\n

\"A
“And it Was Joy That Covered Us” (2025), natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, cubic zirconia, and glass beads, 55 x 65 1\/2 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Large-scale compositions sing with vibrant color, portraying families and groups of friends in the midst of dance parties, sunbathing, boating, and swimming at a resort in Florida called Paradise Park. It wasn’t until 1968, with the passing of the Civil Rights Act, that desegregation laws finally negated the need for Black-only businesses and destinations, and Paradise Park, which was advertised “for colored people,” closed in 1969.<\/p>\n

Towns examines the nature of not only relaxation but escape, celebrating the vibrancy of Black joy despite a period of unabashed oppression toward people of color. He emphasizes child-like innocence, togetherness, and leisure as a form of resistance.<\/p>\n

Safer Waters <\/em>expands his ongoing body of work<\/a> with the addition of seven new works, shown here. The exhibition continues through June 14, and you can see more by Towns on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A
“And the Jukebox Played On” (2025), natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, cubic zirconia, and rhinestones, 56 1\/2 x 67 1\/2 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
“You are the Meditation of My Heart” (2025), natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, cubic zirconia, rhinestones, and metal and glass buttons, 57 1\/2 x 69 1\/2 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
“Until the Flames Burn Out” (2025), natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, cubic zirconia, rhinestones,and glass button, 56 x 64 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
“All We Knew Was Joy” (2025), natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, cubic zirconia, glass beads, and shell, 55 x 65 1\/2 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
“Luncheon on the Sand” (2025), natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, cubic zirconia, glass beads, and button, 71 1\/2 x 59 1\/2 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member<\/a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Stephen Towns’ Quilted Works Emphasize Black Joy as Resistance in ‘Safer Waters’<\/a> appeared first on Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

‘Safer Waters: Picturing Black Recreation at Midcentury’ continues through June 14 at the Wichita Art Museum.
\nDo stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/kudoscript.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/kudoscript.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/kudoscript.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kudoscript.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/kudoscript.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kudoscript.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kudoscript.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kudoscript.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}