Elizabeth Talford Scott (1916-2011) was an internationally recognized, Baltimore-based artist known for her fiber work, specifically quilting. Having grown up in South Carolina with 13 siblings and parents who were sharecroppers, she was taught how to quilt from a young age as a way to upcycle materials into something beautiful and functional.

She carried this knowledge with her and picked up quilting again in her late adult life. Talford Scott is most recognized for her lively pieces which tell stories through unconventional materials such as stones, buttons, shells, bones, sequence, beads, knotted material, and glass.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark exhibition Eyewinkers, Tumbleturds, and Candlebugs: The Art of Elizabeth Talford Scott—curated by Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) Curator-in-Residence Emeritus George Ciscle. It’s also the 25th anniversary of MICA’s Exhibition Development Seminar (EDS), the capstone course for MICA’s undergraduate Curatorial Studies Concentration. In celebration of these anniversaries, EDS is collaborating with nine sites across the city, five museums (the Baltimore Museum of Art, Walters Art Museum, The Peale, Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and Maryland Center for History and Culture) and four university sites (MICA, Coppin State University, JHU, and Morgan State University) to reinterpret Talford Scott’s work from the students’ perspectives.

Kaleidoscope: Changing Perspectives brings together the amazing work of Elizabeth Talford Scott and Baltimore City Public School students, working through the Arts Every Day, to celebrate and uplift the entire community. Kaleidoscope embraces the narrative that as humans grow, change, and face challenges, there is still beauty to be found in life when we take a step back and change our perspectives. The Peale’s exhibit will include Elizabeth Talford Scott’s Water Lilies (1979). This quilt is presented in conversation with works from Baltimore County public school students participating in the Arts Every Day Annual 10×10 exhibition.

With the history of The Peale being the first school in Baltimore for students of color, along with being the largest school for students of color from 1864-1867, it is even more special to have Arts Every Day students represented in the space. Additionally, having Elizabeth Talford Scott in conversation with Arts Every Day, we can emphasize how much Talford Scott valued community connection and unification.