In October 2020, Castle of our Skins will join the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in honoring the 100th anniversary of the women’s suffragist movement and celebrate the power of women’s voices through the following activities:

1.) World premiere chamber works inspired by the African American quilting tradition in a multifaceted concert experience

This full-length concert, tentatively titled “Sound & Appliqué,” will include world premiere works for flute, piano and strings inspired by the African American quilting tradition. An international call for proposals was held by Castle of our Skins in the fall of 2018. The three winning composers – Renée Baker, Elizabeth Brown and Lauren McCall – will receive their premieres in October 2020.

In addition to chamber music performances, fiber art and spoken word poetry (related to historical accomplishments of women) will be woven into the concert experience. The entire concert experience will be curated to include music, quilts, spoken word and visual arts celebrating the accomplishments of women throughout history, with a special focus on Black women’s suffrage and the power of one’s voice.

2.) A market gallery showcase

Black women fiber artists will be invited to showcase their quilts and artworks for display and purchase. In addition to creating an economic opportunity for several artists, Castle of our Skins will commission one woman – Chicago-based quilter Alpha Burton – to create a new work. Alpha’s quilt will be musically complemented by Renée Baker’s new composition.

3.) A pre-concert historical lecture

L’Merchie Frazier, noted fiber artist, historian, and Director of Education and Interpretation of the Museum of African American History in Boston, will present a lecture contextualizing both the importance of quilting in the African American community and Black women’s struggle for equity within the women’s suffragist movement.

4.) An interactive quilt-making workshop for youth

In collaboration with L’Merchie Frazier, the National Center for Afro-American Artists in Roxbury, and the musiConnects music organization in Mattapan, Castle of our Skins will present a quilt making workshop for elementary-aged youth. The workshop will be two-fold to include a “musical quilt making” session hosted by Castle of our Skins teaching artists and an “African American quilt making” session by L’Merchie Frazier. Works created in this workshop will be displayed during the concert experience at the MFA.

The artistic goals of this project are to:

~Inspire composers of all racial/ethnic backgrounds to explore the tradition of quilting within the African American community as a source for musical inspiration.

~Honor the rich history of concert music in Black culture by presenting works of established and emerging Black female composers, both well known and lesser programmed.

~Create an inspiring, cross-disciplinary, high quality event as a result of collaboration.

~Engage a diverse audience in cultural exploration, interaction, and dialogue through multi-sensory access points (visual, auditory, tactile/kinesthetic).