Not for the Bed

Most of us associate quilts with grandmothers cheerfully piecing together blankets for newborn grandkids or stay-at-home moms looking for an outlet for their pent-up creativity. But quilting's history — and its future — is about much more than what's produced in the cul-de-sac.Tonight between 6 and 9, the Belger Arts Center (2100 Walnut) opens African-American Quilts From the Collection of Maude Wahlman and Interpretation: Silver Screen Quilts by Sun Smith-Foret. The exhibits open a window into very different approaches to the art form.Wahlman, a global arts professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, has been collecting and writing about early African-American textiles for decades. Her collection includes pieces that document African-American lives, religious beliefs and social relationships. Smith-Foret is an artist and psychotherapist fascinated by the imagery of Hollywood. Her work carries names such as "Biggie and Tupac" and "Taxi Driver/Raging Bull.
Wednesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays, 12-4 p.m. Starts: July 11. Continues through Oct. 3, 2008