Carolyn L. Mazloomi facts for kids

Carolyn L. Mazloomi (born August 22, 1948) is an American expert in quilts. She is a curator, a quilter, an author, and an art historian. She also used to be an aerospace engineer! Carolyn is very passionate about showing and writing about quilts made by African Americans. Her beautiful quilts often tell detailed stories about African-American history and life today.

Early Life and Discovering Quilts

Carolyn Louise Stewart was born in 1948 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She grew up in a family where many people enjoyed art and painting as a hobby. Carolyn went to Northrop University in Inglewood, California. After graduating, she worked in Los Angeles as an aerospace engineer.

From Engineer to Quilter

In the early 1970s, Carolyn found an Appalachian quilt at a market in Dallas. This discovery sparked her interest and love for quilting. She continued to experiment with quilting while studying for her PhD. In 1984, she earned her PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering.

Later, Mazloomi retired from her job as an aerospace engineer. She also worked as a crash site investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration. Carolyn is married to Rezvan Mazloomi, who is also an engineer. They live together in Ohio.

Starting the Women of Color Quilters Network

In the mid-1980s, Carolyn Mazloomi wanted to grow her small group of African-American quilters in Los Angeles. When she found it difficult, she placed an advertisement in Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. She asked other quilters who felt the same way to write to her.

A Network for Quilters

Her advertisement led to many letters from other quilters. This led to the creation of the Women of Color Quilters Network (WOCQN) in 1986. This is a national organization that now has about 1,700 members. Some of the first members of WOCQN included Carolyn Mazloomi, Claire E. Carter, aRma Carter, Cuesta Benberry, Meloydy Boyd, Michael Cummings, Peggie Hartwell, and Marie Wilson.

Carolyn's Quilting Style

Carolyn Mazloomi creates narrative quilts. This means her quilts tell stories using pictures and designs. Two common themes in her work are music and the African-American experience.

Stories in Fabric

Her interest in music comes from an aunt who owned a juke joint in Louisiana. A juke joint was a place where people could listen to music and dance. Carolyn also creates quilts about the African-American experience during the Civil Rights Movement. This movement was a time when people worked for equal rights for African Americans.

Carolyn Mazloomi is also on the board of directors for the Alliance for American Quilts. This group helps support and promote quilting in America.

Books Written by Carolyn Mazloomi

Carolyn Mazloomi has written several books about quilting. These books help share the history and art of African-American quilts.

• Spirits of the Cloth: Contemporary African American Quilts (1998). ISBN: 978-0609600917
• Threads of Faith: Recent Works from the Women of Color Quilters Network (2004). ISBN: 978-1585167739
• Textural Rhythms: Quilting the Jazz Tradition (2007). ISBN: 978-0979267505
• Quilting African American Women's History Our Challenges, Creativity and Champions (2008). ISBN: 978-0979267512
• The Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Celebrating President Barack Obama (2009). ISBN: 978-0760339350

Awards and Honors

Carolyn Mazloomi has received many important awards for her work.

• In 1999, she won the Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Award for Best Nonfiction book. This was for her book Spirits of the Cloth: Contemporary African American Quilts.
• In 2003, Dr. Mazloomi received the first Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award. This award honors people who have made important contributions to Ohio's traditional arts.
• In 2014, Dr. Mazloomi was given a National Heritage Fellowship. Specifically, she received the Bess Lomax Hawes Award. This award is from the National Endowment for the Arts. It is the highest honor the United States government gives for folk and traditional arts.