Washington, D.C. Foreclosure Quilt

Kathryn Clark, Washington, D.C. Foreclosure Quilt, 2015, linen, cotton, and recycled thread, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Stephen D. Thurston Memorial Fund, 2015.40, © 2015, Kathryn Clark
Kathryn Clark, Washington, D.C. Foreclosure Quilt, 2015, linen, cotton, and recycled thread, 57 12 × 84 34 in. (146.1 × 215.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Stephen D. Thurston Memorial Fund, 2015.40, © 2015, Kathryn Clark

Artwork Details

Title
Washington, D.C. Foreclosure Quilt
Date
2015
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
57 12 × 84 34 in. (146.1 × 215.3 cm)
Copyright
© 2015, Kathryn Clark
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Stephen D. Thurston Memorial Fund
Mediums Description
linen, cotton, and recycled thread
Classifications
Subjects
  • Cityscape — District of Columbia — Washington
  • Object — written matter — map
Object Number
2015.40

Artwork Description

Clark began to make her Foreclosure Quilts in 2007 to document the effects of the economic recession on the American landscape. By 2015 the mortgage crisis had faded from the news despite the ongoing distress of many homeowners, and Clark crafted this piece to keep the tragedy in the public eye. She chose quilting for its humble, utilitarian value and domestic associations. Her quilts document actual foreclosures from neighborhoods across the country.

Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery, 2019

Works by this artist (8 items)

Beatrice S. Levy, The Beach, n.d., color aquatint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.188
The Beach
Daten.d.
color aquatint
Not on view
Beatrice S. Levy, The Derelict, 1914, color aquatint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.187
The Derelict
Date1914
color aquatint on paper
Not on view
Beatrice S. Levy, In Orchestra Hall, n.d., drypoint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.189
In Orchestra Hall
Daten.d.
drypoint
Not on view
Beatrice S. Levy, Rain in the Hills, 1935, etching on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.605
Rain in the Hills
Date1935
etching on paper
Not on view

Exhibitions

Media - 2016.11 - SAAM-2016.11_6 - 124929
Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery
November 13, 2015March 6, 2022
Connections is the Renwick Gallery’s dynamic ongoing permanent collection presentation, featuring more than 80 objects celebrating craft as a discipline and an approach to living differently in the modern world.

More Artworks from the Collection

Salvatore Mancini, Narragansett Electric, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.8
Narragansett Electric
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Salvatore Mancini, Remains of Lock, Millville, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.6
Remains of Lock, Millville
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Keisha Scarville, Chair, 2001, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Perkins Center for the Arts, 2002.17, © 2001, Keisha Scarville
Chair
Date2001
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Salvatore Mancini, Eel Fisherman, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.2
Eel Fisherman
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view