Diana Owen

Rocky Road to Liberty (and Justice for All)

My quilt celebrates some of my favorite things about this country: diversity, democracy, freedom of expression, nature, cities, creativity, innovation, openness, and messiness. (I must admit it also celebrates materialism — there are over 150 different fabrics packed into this 40” square quilt!) To me, these are the things that make America great. But for so many Americans, the “American Dream” has been hard-won, or not yet realized. I thought the Rocky Road to Kansas block served as an appropriate symbol for the continued pursuit of freedom for so many groups. The origins of this nineteenth century block are not fully known. It may have paid tribute to African Americans escaping slaveholding Missouri for “free” Kansas. It may have represented pioneers from the East Coast heading west. Or it may have just been a pretty block that offered some cool secondary patterns and a way to use scraps, without any real connection to historic events. In any case, the idea of the “rocky road” seemed fitting for my kind of patriotism: one that is both forward-looking and reflective.