The centennial celebrated the 100-year independence of the United States from Great Britain and featured various installations—ranging from foreign exhibitions to art galleries and governmental-related spaces. Taking place at a time when colonialism was romanticized and Jim Crow was nearing, many of the existing voices and stories from this event are portrayed through Eurocentric and patriarchal lenses. This exhibition focuses on the absent voices and unheard stories found at this centennial.     Packed with various symbolisms and meaning, the centennial quilts featured in Layered Narratives give insight into both women’s political involvement and Black exclusion at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition and in the quilts.

Mingei’s Quilt Research Fellow position is made possible through generous support from the Terra Foundation.