The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) has launched "Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California," the first major thematic exploration of the 3,000-piece Eli Leon bequest. Curated by Elaine Yau, the exhibition features over 100 quilts by approximately 80 artists, tracing the migration of improvisational textile traditions from the American South to the Bay Area. The show highlights how these portable objects served as both functional necessities and vital forms of self-expression for Black women during the mid-20th century Great Migration.
This exhibition marks a milestone for BAMPFA, which became the nation’s largest repository of African American quilts following Leon’s death in 2018. By focusing on the technical skills and cultural histories carried by these makers, the museum is elevating textile craft into the realm of fine art history. The project also sheds light on the complex relationship between Leon, a dedicated collector and Guggenheim Fellow, and the artists he championed, most notably Rosie Lee Tompkins, whose work has since gained significant posthumous critical acclaim.