Boundless K-12 Curriculum: STORYTELLING

MARIE WATT

A quilted patch of overlapping layers with words stitched onto the surface.

Marie Watt (Seneca and German-Scottish descent, American, born 1967

Companion Species (Fortress), 2017
Reclaimed wool blankets, thread, embroidery floss
Courtesy of the Smith College Museum of Art
Museum purchase with the Dorothy C. Millery (Class of 1925) Fund. SC 2018.6

ABOUT THE MAKER

Marie Watt is an American multidisciplinary artist and a citizen of the Seneca Nation of Indians. She is known for large sculptures composed of stacks of blankets and draws themes from history, biography, and Indigenous teachings. Her work explores the connection between history, community, and storytelling. By working with others, she inspires multigenerational and cross-disciplinary conversations that create an understanding of connectedness to place, one another, and the universe.

I really like inviting people to think about the blankets in our lives. I’m compelled by how an object that in some ways is so humble and simple can have so much meaning and power.

—Marie Watt, from
Meet the Artist: Marie Watt | Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery.]

Additional Resources

VISIT Marie Watt’s WEBSITE
Meet the Artist Video

Learn about other objects in STORYTELLING:

A quilted patch of overlapping layers with words stitched onto the surface.

How can individual words connect with a bigger idea?

A line drawing depicting stereotypes that exist about Native Americans.

How does written expression help one reflect on and understand cultural identity?

A triptych of geometric patterns stacked vertically made with pencil and ink on paper.

What are some ways that visual language can tell a story about a person?

Two screen prints based on Lakota traditional dresses.

How does combining imagery with words tell a story more effectively?

overlapping concentric circles made by ripples in water.

Boundless K-12 Curriculum

* YouTube links to audiovisual materials shared by other creators are included in the curriculum. For more information, including for captioning and transcripts of the suggested audiovisual materials, please contact the audio/video content creators.