Good night
Cempasúchiles
Woodsy
Rayas Rosas
Pink Granite
Pink Granite
Pink Granite
Pink Granite
Prairie
Prairie
Multiquilt
Deep Sleep
Treeline
Stratosphere
Waves
Chaos
Order
Pollinators
Buds
Growth
Bloom
Rain
Reptiles
Spray
Strip Quilt
Log Cabin Quilt
A Woman's Work
Feminist Flag
Springtime
Coyote Quilt
Hot Springs National Park Quilt
Arkansas Quilt
Moby Dick Quilt
Harpoon Quilt
Black and White Quilt
Pink and Grey Quilt
Dogwoods
Good night 3x5 quilt with chain stitch embroider, in collaboration with Janie Stamm
Cempasúchiles“Cempasúchiles” Melissa Bauer Clothing, cotton fabric, and dye 75 inches by 64 inches 2023 My artwork is a reflection of my interest in historical research and the American landscape. The landscape addressed by this quilt is the Tucson Border Patrol sector, which covers 262 border miles in southern Arizona, separating Mexico from the United States. The work honors the lives of the people who died crossing this border in the 2022 fiscal year. These people were lost to hyperthermia, blunt force trauma, sharp force injuries, heat exposure, traumatic asphyxia, and multiple gunshot wounds. Their violent and unnecessary deaths must not define their lives, each name on this quilt was a beloved family member who is deeply missed by their community. This work calls viewers together to mark, mourn, and remember the tragic and unnecessary loss of life that occurs year after year along this man-made border. “Cempasúchiles” is a three layer textile work, referencing the three deaths of Mexican custom. The first layer is the dark blue traditional quilt, constructed in a traditional manner from a historic quilt block pattern called “The Road to California”, which was first published around 1890. Sewn with clothing left by migrants as they crossed the Tucson sector, it depicts the “first death”: when the body ceases to function. The second layer, representing “the second death”: when the body is buried, references a popular applique pattern of flowers and leaves from the 1850s. The cempasúchil (the Aztec Marigold) flowers depicted in this layer are traditionally used to celebrate life and lead souls from their burial places back to their family homes. The third layer of the quilt is the embroidered names of the people who lost their lives crossing the border between October 2021 and September 2022, with “Desconocido” standing in for the 106 people who remain unidentified. This final layer subverts the “third death”: the moment when a person is remembered for the last time. Each leaf ensures these brave people will never be forgetten. The shoe covers displayed with this quilt were also found in the Tucson sector desert. Their ingenious design speaks to how loved the wearer was. A soft carpet sole dampens footprints and the sound of footsteps. The Velcro fasteners on the back allowed the wearer to quickly slip them over their own shoes. The tie on the top ensures they stay on, aiding the wearer in their mission to start a new life. Displaying the shoe covers next to the quilt is meant to evoke the familiar, homey scene of slippers next to a bed: something that you might see every day without thought that nevertheless conveys warmth and comfort. They too have the cempasúchil flower imagery to help bring the wearer’s soul home to their loved ones.
Woodsy 36 x 48 inches Cotton
Rayas Rosas
Pink Granite
Pink Granite
Pink Granite
Pink Granite
Prairie
Prairie
Multiquilt
Deep Sleep40x50 inches2021
Treeline36x48 inches2021
Stratosphere48x48 inches
Waves WavesCotton Quilt49 x 37 inches 2020
Chaos Cotton Quilt8’ x 8’ 2020
Order Cotton Quilt20208’ x 8’
Pollinators Cotton Quilt 2020
Buds Cotton Quilt2020
Growth Cotton Quilt2020
Bloom Cotton Quilt 2020
Rain Cotton Quilt2020
Reptiles Cotton Quilt2020
Spray Cotton Quilt2020
Strip Quilt Cotton, 2018
Log Cabin Quilt Acrylic on CanvasMay 2018
A Woman's Work
Feminist Flag 42 x 22 inchesCompleted May 2018
Springtime
Coyote Quilt The owner of this quilt saw ten coyotes running in the snow near her home on Montana on the day she found out she was pregnant.3.5' x 5'2017
Hot Springs National Park Quilt This is now hanging in the Ozark Bath House Museum at Hot Springs National Park. I made it as part of an art residency there in 2016. The quilt started as a plein air painting of four trees outside my cabin that I chose to turn into a quilt. The green and grey border is a tribute to the National Park Rangers who serve there. Collection of Hot Springs National Park 20173x4'
Arkansas Quilt This was the first quilt I made for Hot Springs National Park, but I ended up gifting the park a more technically correct version of the same composition.Private Collection
Moby Dick Quilt These two Moby Dick quilts were made for the show "Famous Fictional" which happens at Mad Art Gallery every November. The theme always revolves around famous fictional characters. 2015 was "Friend and Foe". Both quilts sold on opening night. Private collection3' x 4'2015
Harpoon Quilt These two Moby Dick quilts were made for the show "Famous Fictional" which happens at Mad Art Gallery every November. The theme always revolves around famous fictional characters. 2015 was "Friend and Foe". Both quilts sold on opening night. Private Collection20153' x 4'
Black and White Quilt Private Collection3 x 4'
Pink and Grey Quilt Private Collection2.5 x 3.5'
DogwoodsAvailable for purchase $125/ set of threeEach square is 12.5 inches2017
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