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Revelation! The Quilts of Marie "Big Mama" Roseman
May 5 - September 2, 2006
Opening reception Friday, May 5th from 5 - 8 pm

press release
images

Untitled (Quilt with multicolored yarn), n.d.
mixed media
70 x 89 in.
Collection of Margaret Jackson

Press release:
Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art will present the exhibition, Revelation! The Quilts of Marie “Big Mama” Roseman from May 5th to September 2nd, 2006 at Intuit, 756 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Gallery hours are 11am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday, 11am to 7:30pm on Thursday; admission is free. An opening reception is scheduled at Intuit for Friday May 5th at 5pm.

Revelation! The Quilts of Marie “Big Mama” Roseman is curated by Martha Watterson and Doug Stock.

The quilts and textiles of Marie “Big Mama” Roseman (1898 – 2004) are reflective of the African-American quilt tradition. Using embroidered and appliquéd animals, figures, and symbols applied with a thick yarn, Roseman produced illustrations with fabric and incorporated found materials such as plastic and cloth flowers, lace, and buttons.  Big Mama’s quilts are a compendium of her history and her work as a midwife, herbalist and seamstress.

Marie Roseman grew up in Tippo, Mississippi, married, had four children, then moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1947. Roseman was in her 70s when she began creating her rich, illustrative quilts and textiles. Later, much of her work was destroyed in a flood. Revelation! represents the first solo exhibition of this unique body of work.

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