Tender

Performance by River Berry

2022

Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes

In this performance, my grandmother, my mom, and I are seated in the gallery hand quilting together. I am examining my familial legacy of craft, specifically quilting. We create a piece that is not entirely functional, but is representative of our love and admiration for one another. This tender moment illustrates the connection we have with one another through passed down objects and techniques like quilting as well as the effort it takes to leave these material legacies behind.

The final act of cutting and serving the cake to the audience is meant to bring them into this intimate moment and take away a piece of it for themselves that is essentially temporary. Please use this moment to consider the efforts of the women and feminine people around you. Slow down and recognize these acts of love in the small things like stitches and homemade cake among countless other gestures. It is also important to understand that these same women have overcome more than we can ever know, no matter the generation. I want to use my fiber works to honor the legacies of craft, acknowledging my personal relationship to craft and a wider western canon.

*Unfortunately, my grandmother has come down with Covid and therefore couldn't make it to Columbus for the performance. I will be performing Tender with my mom instead, the act of quilting signifying the constant presence of my grandma in our everyday lives.*