Applique Coverlet (Detail) 1941

Editor: Here we have "Applique Coverlet (Detail)" created in 1941, employing textile and drawing alongside other media by Adolph Opstad. There's a sort of folksy charm to this piece. How do you read it? Curator: This piece immediately brings to mind the history of craft as a socially undervalued art form. We often overlook the ways domestic textiles, like this coverlet, engage with and reflect broader artistic and social currents. The artist's choice to depict birds and natural scenes reminds us of the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement, which emphasized handcraftsmanship and a connection to the natural world. Editor: It feels very… humble. Not something you'd expect to see in a major gallery. Curator: And that perception itself is something worth examining. The hierarchy between "high" art and craft has been constructed and maintained by institutions like museums and galleries. By showcasing work like this, we challenge those power dynamics and acknowledge the artistic value inherent in everyday objects. Editor: So, in a way, displaying this piece here changes how we think about what deserves to be shown? Curator: Precisely. It also makes you wonder, doesn’t it, about the original context this coverlet would have lived in. It likely adorned a bed in a private home. Do you imagine that owner understood their coverlet to be making a cultural statement? Editor: Probably not! It does give me a new appreciation for the stories objects can tell. Thanks! Curator: And for me, it reinforces the vital role institutions play in shaping those stories and the need to be critically aware of how those decisions affect perceptions of cultural worth.