Women's Work: Quilt Art by Rebekka Seigel

Like many generations of young girls before her, Rebekka Seigel loved playing with paper dolls while growing up in Ohio. She has transferred this fondness into a quilt exhibit that extols the significance of 13 influential 20th century women. Seigel said the idea for such a quilt was born when “I was commissioned to do one for Phyllis George.” George is the former wife of Kentucky Gov. John Y. Brown Jr, and the quilt illustrated her life in a paper doll format. The technique of paper doll quilting is unique to Seigel. Such a quilt features an image of its subject and contains smaller quilts attached to the large one with Velcro. The smaller quilts can be moved about, thus manipulating the overall effect. Seigel thought that telling a woman’s history “through a garment would be an interesting way to tell about that woman’s life,” she said. “Women’s Work” is a traveling exhibit that has traversed the United States. As to her choice of which women to include, “They sort of chose me,” she said. For her subjects, Seigel chose such women as dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, Kentucky folk singer Jean Ritchie and anthropologist Margaret Mead. The exhibit will run through May 6 at the Oldham County History Center.