Jo-Ann Morgan - The Mourning After

Based in Surfside Beach, SC, professional artist and retired educator Jo-Ann Morgan considers her artwork her form of activism against violence. Her fabric memorials, as she refers to them, are quilted wall hangings that pay tribute to victims of violence. The work evolved out of a convergence of global, personal, and national events beginning with the tragedies that ignited the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. The untimely deaths of Breanna Taylor, George Floyd, and other national events became the subject of her work. Confined and seeking a time-intensive activity during the housebound days of the pandemic, Morgan bought a sewing machine and began appliqueing together compositions layered with cotton fabric. Morgan finds her medium, which resembles quilted comforters, makes the distressing subject of her work more familiar and approachable. “I find it ideal for addressing provocative topics related to social justice and inequality, which enables me to have a voice for topical commentary.”

Each memorial pays tribute to one victim or one event. The artist adds flowers and personal mementos, recalling spontaneous public memorials that are often erected after untimely or tragic deaths. Sadly, there never seems to be a lack of subjects to commemorate, and to date, Morgan has made over 50 – and counting – memorials, including victims of war, police brutality, hate, and school shootings. “There is no greater public health issue affecting children than gun violence,” says Morgan. “Perhaps there is no way to stop these events from happening, but I can – and believe it is important to – keep us aware that they’re going on.”

More Info