I Wish I Knew How it Feels to be Free
Quilts by Dorothy Burge, Chicago, IL

Virtual Exhibition

Dorothy Burge, a member of Women of Color Quilters Network (WCQN), is a multimedia artist and community activist who is inspired by both historic and current social justice issues. She is one of the strongest voices in Chicago for police accountability and reparations for survivors of police torture.

“I wish knew how
It would feel to be free I wish I could break
All the chains holding me”…
-Nina Simone

“I Wish I Knew How it Feels to be Free is a series of social justice art quilts that document and raise awareness on systemic criminal justice issues that restrict the lives of African Americans in this country. All people, regardless of race, religion, age, ability, gender, income, or sexual orientation are entitled to freedom.

My art is one form of my activism. My quilts are designed to raise awareness, encourage dialogue, and spur viewers to action. Art is also a tool document history and current events. The eight issues highlighted in this exhibition challenge the viewer to envision what the United States could be if issues such as: police misconduct, the senseless killing of African American youth, human trafficking, wrongful convictions, life without possibility of parole, missing African American women and girls, gun violence, and domestic violence–were addressed without racial bias.

Many have recently stated that we are living in difficult times. We must also acknowledge that difficult times are not new to African Americans and that the issues illustrated in these quilts are part of an ongoing struggle that we as African Americans have faced since our arrival in this country in 1619.”

Curated by Carolyn L. Mazloomi, this exhibition was part of Textile Center and Women of Color Quilters Network’s We Are the Story initiative. The exhibition premiered at Textile Center from September 29 – December 24, 2020, and it popped up again in Textile Center’s auditorium from May 18 – May 22, 2021. These quilts, along with the artist’s statement, are included in the book We Are the Story: A Visual Response to Racism by Carolyn L. Mazloomi, and it is available for purchase through Textile Center’s retail shop or online. (Click here to order.)

(Featured work by Dorothy Burge: I Matter; Cyntoia: Stop Human Trafficking; Stop Killing Us; Life Without Parole)

Zoom Discussion

Let’s Talk About Race: I Wish I Knew How it Feels to be Free – A Conversation with Carolyn Mazloomi and Dorothy Burge

On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, Textile Center welcomed Dorothy Burge, along with curator Carolyn Mazloomi, for our first Let’s Talk About Race Zoom discussion. View a recording of the session on YouTube below!

Community Gallery at Textile Center

Individual Quilts

I Can’t Breathe #1
2021
50″ x 26.5″
Commercial cotton
Machine appliquéd and quilted

I Can’t Breathe #2
2021
50″ x 27.5″
Commercial cotton
Machine appliquéd and quilted

16 Shots and A Cover-Up
2019
46″ x 18″
Commercial cotton, fabric paint, beads
Machine appliquéd and quilted

Eric Blackmon
2019
92″ x 24″
Commercial cotton, fabric paint
Machine appliquéd and quilted

Free Cyntoia: Stop Human Trafficking
2020
50″ x 34″
Commercial cotton, fabric paint, beads
Machine appliquéd and quilted

Who Killed Our Girls
2020
Chicago, IL
55″ x 31″
Commercial cotton, fabric paint, fabric markers
Machine appliquéd and quilted

Stop Killing Us
2016
56″ x 43″
Commercial cotton
Machine appliquéd and quilted

I Matter
2016
58″ x 47″
Commercial and hand dyed fabric
Machine appliquéd and quilted

Life Without Parole
2019
45″ x 16″
Commercial cotton, beads, fabric markers
Machine appliquéd and quilted