Mermaid

Copied Carolyn Crump, Mermaid, 2020, cotton fabric and cotton thread, overall: 10 in. × 8 7⁄8 in. × 3 1⁄2 in. (25.4 × 22.5 × 8.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Carolyn L. Mazloomi, 2021.64.2

Artwork Details

Title
Mermaid
Artist
Date
2020
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
overall: 10 in. × 8 7⁄8 in. × 3 1⁄2 in. (25.4 × 22.5 × 8.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Carolyn L. Mazloomi
Mediums
Mediums Description
cotton fabric and cotton thread
Object Number
2021.64.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2021.64.2

Artwork Description

“I started making my art masks to chronicle this time in my life so people could know I gave my love, talent, and my time to my community, friends and family, anybody that needed my help. I tried do what I could.” —Carolyn Crump

Carolyn Crump tells stories of African American life with her three-dimensional quilts. She is a fifth-generation quilter and member of the Women of Color Quilters Network. At the onset of COVID-19, Crump began making cloth masks for her community in Houston, Texas. After a few months, she began sewing more elaborate and nonfunctional masks, like a joyful vignette of a little girl reading under an apple tree. Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, she turned to themes of resilience and social justice, including a portrait of Floyd and protest signs affirming the message Black Lives Matter.

This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022