Sew Artsy

There's a quilt show at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. But as you may have guessed from the venue, it's not a showcase of Grandma's heirlooms -- that is, unless your grandma (and her grandma and possibly even her grandma) is one of the acclaimed crafters from Gee's Bend, Alabama, whose generations of quilts have defied traditional Americana with their imaginative design.

The 70 quilts that comprise the exhibit "Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt" showcase how these master quilters stylistically departed from tried-and-true patterns like "double wedding ring" and "hole in a barn door" to create genuine artistic innovation. "Quilting was a skill born of necessity and make-do conditions, but they transformed quilt making -- this chore -- into the highest form of artistic expression, where innovation and individuality were prized," explains curator Alvia Wardlaw. Get in on the blanket buzz from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
June 4-Sept. 4