Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Sue Pierce papers relating to the exhibition Full Deck Art Quilts, 1988-2002, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.piersue
Creators:
Pierce, Sue
Dates:
1988- 2002
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.4 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of quiltmaker and curator Sue Pierce relating to the exhibition Full Deck Art Quilts measure 1.4 linear feet, date from 1988 to 2002, and comprise material Pierce collected as curator of the exhibition.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of quiltmaker and curator Sue Pierce relating to the exhibition Full Deck Art Quilts measure 1.4 linear feet, date from 1988 to 2002, and comprise material Pierce collected as curator of the exhibition. The majority of the collection consists of files for each of the 54 participating artists containing correspondence, resumes, painted fabric samples, photographs, printed materials, questionnaires regarding participation in the exhibition, sketches, and artist statements. Other files contain correspondence, an exhibition proposal, photographs and captions, and printed materials. Printed materials include the exhibition catalog, Art Quilts: Playing with a Full Deck, 2 decks of playing cards featuring quilts from the exhibition, the calendar Face Cards from Art Quilts: Playing with a Full Deck, clippings, and other related material.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Sue Pierce is a quiltmaker and curator in Rockville, Maryland.
Pierce received a Bachelor of Arts degree in math from Duke University in 1965. She found that she enjoyed experimenting with fabrics when she created a quilt as a wedding gift for her brother in 1975. In 1985, she rented studio space to focus on her art full time. In 1992, Pierce began gathering material for the Full Deck project, in which 54 quilters were chosen to pick a unique playing card and interpret the card in a quilt. The project culminated in the exhibition, Full Deck Art Quilts, that opened in 1995 at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery, with a catalog written by Verna Suit. Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) then circulated the exhibition across the country.
Pierce's work is in the collections of the author Tom Wolfe, the U.S. Department of State, National Institutes of Health, and others. She is a member of the American Craft Council, Studio Art Quilt Association, and Art Quilt Network/New York, and was a founding board member of Arts Place.

Administration

Author
Sarah Mundy
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated in 2002 by Sue Pierce as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2022.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Preferred Citation
Sue Pierce papers relating to the exhibition Full Deck Art Quilts, 1988-2002. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Quiltmakers -- Maryland -- Rockville Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art museum curators -- Maryland -- Rockville Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American studio craft movement Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Suit, Verna Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Full Deck (Project) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions