Rosie Lee Tompkins: A Retrospective
February 19, 2020–July 18, 2021
The largest exhibition of Rosie Lee Tompkins’s work to date, this retrospective reveals her as a brilliantly inventive quiltmaker and an artist of stunning variety, depth, and impact.
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Rosie Lee Tompkins: Untitled, 2005; quilted by Irene Bankhead, 2008; cotton, corduroy, rayon linen, polyester print, cotton terry, cotton embroidery, cotton bedding, and other fabrics with cotton muslin backing; 26 x 39 in.; BAMPFA, Bequest of the Eli Leon Living Trust. Reproduced courtesy of the Estate of Effie Mae Howard. Photo: Ben Blackwell.
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Rosie Lee Tompkins: Untitled, 1986; quilted by Willia Ette Graham, 1986; velvet, velveteen, faux fur, panné velvet, and velvet backing; 86 x 74 in.; BAMPFA, Bequest of the Eli Leon Living Trust. Reproduced courtesy of the Estate of Effie Mae Howard. Photo: Sharon Risedorph Photography.
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Rosie Lee Tompkins: Three Sixes, 1996; quilted by Irene Bankhead, 1996; polyester double knit, linen-weave cotton or polyester, cotton, rayon, and cotton muslin backing; 96 × 96 in.; BAMPFA, bequest of the Eli Leon Living Trust. Reproduced courtesy of the Estate of Effie Mae Howard. Photo: Ben Blackwell.
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Rosie Lee Tompkins: Untitled, c. 1987; quilted by Willia Ette Graham and Johnnie Wade, 1991; rayon, polyester, double knit, and cotton knit; 100 x 60 ½ in.; BAMPFA, Bequest of the Eli Leon Living Trust. Reproduced courtesy of the Estate of Effie Mae Howard. Photo: Sharon Risedorph Photography.
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Rosie Lee Tompkins: Untitled, 1991; quilted by Irene Bankhead, 1991; velvet, velveteen, velour, and cotton backing; 73 x 67 in.; BAMPFA, Bequest of the Eli Leon Living Trust. Reproduced courtesy of the Estate of Effie Mae Howard. Photo: Ben Blackwell.
- Upcoming
Films - Past
Films - Past
Events
Past Events
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Recorded Monday, July 12, 5 PM PDTLivestream: Destiny Muhammad on Rosie Lee Tompkins
Local jazz harp legend Destiny Muhammad presents her new work Rosie Lee Tompkins: Guided by Something More Powerful, an improvised sonic suite livestreamed from the gallery of Tompkins’s artwork.
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Presented Saturday, June 12, 12:30 PM PDTVirtual Gallery + Studio: World-Building Drawing Session
With Rosie Lee Tompkins’s quilts as inspiration, explore symbols, patterns, and text in a drawing workshop focused on world building with artist Veronica Graham.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
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Recorded Thursday, June 10, 2021From the Estate of Eli Leon: Textile Improvisations
Artists Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo, Olaitan Callender-Scott, Angela Hennessy, and Ramekon O’Arwisters share new work created with fabrics from the collection of the late Eli Leon, an Oakland-based collector, scholar, and champion of African American quiltmakers.
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Presented Sunday, May 16, 2 PM PSTSay It Like You Mean It: Textile Collage as Storytelling
Join artist and educator Sara Knight to explore storytelling through textile collage in this workshop for all ages and skill levels.
Programmed by Alayna Tinney
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Recorded Wednesday, April 21, 4 PM PDTQuilts, Blankets, and Tapestry: Contemporary Art and Textiles with Aaron McIntosh, Marie Watt, and Ebony G. Patterson
Discover the innovative practices of three artists who have turned to textiles—incorporating or referring to them in their work—in this discussion moderated by BAMPFA Director Julie Rodrigues Widholm, presented in conjunction with Rosie Lee Tompkins: A Retrospective.
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Presented Saturday, February 20, 2021Workshop: Community Quiltmaking
Celebrate quilting as a communal act and collaborate on a patchwork quilt in this virtual workshop for all ages, led by artist Nelli Astvatsatrian. Register in advance to receive materials in the mail; after the workshop, your piece will become part of a finished community quilt.
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Recorded Saturday, February 20, 2 PM PDTLivestream: Among Quilters: Carolyn Mazloomi and Ora Clay on Rosie Lee Tompkins
Two leading African American quilt artists explore Rosie Lee Tompkins’s work and its resonance with their own in a live conversation moderated by Elaine Yau, cocurator of BAMPFA’s Tompkins retrospective.
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Recorded Thursday, October 22, 12 PM PSTRoberta Smith and Lawrence Rinder on Rosie Lee Tompkins
Join New York Times art critic Roberta Smith and BAMPFA Director Emeritus Lawrence Rinder for a lively and searching conversation about the art of Rosie Lee Tompkins.
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Recorded Saturday, December 12, 2020Virtual Gallery + Studio: Collaged Quilt Tops
Inspired by Rosie Lee Tompkins’s textiles, combine scrap fabrics with other found materials to collage a personal quilt top all your own!
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
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Recorded Saturday, July 11, 2020Virtual Gallery + Studio: Visual Rhythms in Rosie Lee Tompkins's Quilts
Meet artist and educator Kaya Fortune on Zoom to look at exciting and colorful quilts by Rosie Lee Tompkins, then discover your own visual rhythms using materials easily found at home.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
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Presented Saturday, March 7, 2020Fabric Postcard Collage Workshop
Join quiltmakers Stacey Sharman and Kristen Takakuwa of Berkeley’s Hello Stitch Studio to explore the art of quilting as you create fabric postcards.
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Recorded Saturday, February 29, 2 PM PDTColloquium: Re-visioning the Art of Rosie Lee Tompkins
Scholars Elaine Yau, Horace Ballard, and Lisa Gail Collins shed new light on Tompkins, her cultural context, and her place in modern and contemporary art.
Past Films
Related
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Fridays, June 25, July 2, July 9, and July 16Guided Tours: Rosie Lee Tompkins
Join a guided tour to discover the vibrant and innovative work of quilt artist Rosie Lee Tompkins.
Adult tours at 12 PM
Family tours at 1 PM (recommended for children ages 5–12) -
Presented Wednesday, February 19, 12 PMCurator’s Talk: Elaine Yau on Rosie Lee Tompkins
Explore the art and life of Rosie Lee Tompkins with a gallery talk by exhibition cocurator Elaine Yau.
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Family Guide: Rosie Lee Tompkins
This guide invites you to look closely at the art of Rosie Lee Tompkins and do related hands-on art activities!
