In Homage to Omaha, quilter and designer Ellene McClay transforms the city into an abstracted map shaped by memory and belonging. Created for the exhibition Modern Quilting on the Prairie held at Gallery 1516 in Omaha, the work serves as a tribute to the city she considers home. As a child, McClay moved frequently, and it wasn’t until settling in Omaha as a teenager that she truly felt at home.

McClay writes, “I have always loved the visual quality of maps, and I tend to get lost frequently, even in familiar places. If I can see an aerial view of a space I understand where I am at.” The quilt translates this fascination with mapping into a bird’s-eye view of Omaha, emphasizing the winding Missouri River and using contrasting color schemes to delineate the east and west ends of the city. Though McClay now lives in Iowa, she will always consider Omaha her home.

Read More

Website
http://bravenouvelle.com/