On May 24, 1607, just days after landing at the new settlement of Jamestown, Christopher Newport led an exploration further up the James River. They stopped at the fall line (the limit of navigation for large boats), at the site of modern-day Richmond. (This quilt is based on the view looking west from Belle Isle in Richmond.) The explorers must have wondered what was around the next bend, what was over the limitless western horizon. Like the brand-new settlement at Jamestown, and the founding of our country, the tree in the river is in a precarious position. Will it be swept away, or will the roots hold and allow the tree to grow to maturity?
This quilt was juried into "New Art from an American Tradition", a Studio Art Quilt Associates exhibit, which celebrates the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.
Detail
