American artist, musician and author, Joe Cunningham, has been a professional quiltmaker for 44 years. His work can be found in major museums and in many private collections. Between 2022 and 2024, Cunningham created 10 large quilts inspired by current events. This series marks a turning point for the artist, whose latest triptych Mariupol is a voluminous 18 feet wide and 6 feet high. It is a highlight of the NEQM exhibition.

“The quilts in this show were made to be a collection specifically about events in the world chronologically created as the events arose. The idea is to end up with a poetic image of my response to two years of headline subjects. Quilts are often thought to convey a simple message of love or remembrance, and while these are intended to reflect my love of life and a desire to commemorate certain events, my hope for them is that they can carry more thematic richness than my words.” Joe Cunningham