Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) offers a powerful exploration of Black history, creativity, and resilience through textile art. Drawn from Eli Leon’s collection and curated by Elaine Yau, the exhibition highlights quilts as both aesthetic achievements and vital cultural records. Opening day drew a vibrant crowd of artists, families, and scholars, many with personal ties to the works on display, underscoring the exhibition’s deep intergenerational significance.

The quilts transform everyday materials into profound expressions of identity, memory, and survival, while raising questions about the lives and legacies of their makers. They challenge historical erasure and assert narratives often overlooked in traditional institutions. The exhibition also reflects on the complexities of presenting functional, deeply personal objects within a museum setting. Ultimately, the exhibition celebrates quilting as a living tradition, one that preserves heritage and affirms enduring stories of resistance, love, and creativity.