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Bay Area Fiber Artists Archive

In 2021, TAC launched its Virtual Program Series dedicated to highlighting the lives and work of living Bay Area fiber artists through a video documentary and artists’ conversations.

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The first program focuses on Alice Beasley, an Oakland-based African American figurative quilter. It took place on August 15, 2021, premiering a video of Alice sharing her work process at her home and studio. In this project, TAC collaborated with the Tracing Patterns Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Berkeley, dedicated to the advancement of textile arts.

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The second program, to be released later this year, will focus on fiber artist and weaver Kay Sekimachi.

Alice Beasley: Having Her Say. TAC Conversations with Bay Area Fiber Artists Series #1
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Alice Beasley: Having Her Say. TAC Conversations with Bay Area Fiber Artists Series #1

For thirty years, the Oakland-based, self-taught quilter Alice Beasley has spoken out on issues and events that are meaningful to her through her figurative appliqué quilts. She uses fabrics to create the light, shadow, and realistic perspective used by artists in other media. She finds her colors and textures in the patterns of commercial fabric and fabrics that she prints herself. This video by the filmmaker Mark Haffenreffer captures Alice at work and highlights her process and inspirations. It also tells the story of how she came to quilting and fabric portraiture, and the themes in her work, including her family history and expressions of the Black Experience in the United States.