Western Quilts by Sarah Dryden

Western Quilts by Sarah Dryden features six works inspired by and used in her Ph.D. thesis “Imagining the Home: The West and the Western.” The works here juxtapose the reality of living in the West from the 1920s-1960s with what was portrayed to the world via Hollywood’s popular Western and cowboy movies. They tell that story with media and creative formats outside of simply fabric, and the role of

women is especially addressed. This body of work therefore seeks to question the populist perception and importance of the home in the “Wild West.” 

“It’s surprising to find a person writing their thesis on a topic that includes the making of quilts, especially when that person has never made a quilt before,” Mangum says. “And her artist’s statements further explain her goal and vision with this project.”

Cowgirls Are Women (71" x 74") by Peggy Baldwin-Clayton with Lisa Patterson, My Quilting Fairy. From the exhibit “Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Blue Ribbon Winners 2023.”

Western Star (60" x 60") by Sarah Dryden. From the exhibit “Western Quilts by Sarah Dryden.”