A Tale of Two Museums by Eileen Doughty

Author: Eileen Doughty

I love the concept of "place" and so my preferred subject matter is the landscape, particularly trees in my suburban neighborhood. Fiber art appeals to me because my hands are always touching my materials. My training as a cartographer has been useful in designing my fiber art, since both require understanding how people view and interpret colors, pattern and symbols. Currently my work focuses on exploring what makes fiber art so unique: texture, freedom of shape of the "canvas", and employing three rather than two dimensions. Reusing and repurposing materials has also become important to me; seeing new possibilities in composition, and giving them continued life and keeping them out of the waste stream. I hope that my art makes a connection with the viewer's experiences in our complex 21st century lives. www.doughtydesigns.com

Living in a suburb of Washington, DC, has always been a little weird. Related to my vocation as a fiber artist, I’m a volunteer docent in one museum near the White House, and another located some blocks north of the National Mall. What happens in DC is local news to me. I’ve made political commentary art quilts since the early 2000s. Unfortunately, I’ll never run out of source material.

Many in the US don’t know the District’s population is larger than some states’, and that the Federal buildings cover just a fraction of the metro area, and the residents do not have any representation in Congress. (The license plates read “Taxation Without Representation.”) It makes the city’s local laws an easy target for some in Congress to mess with. It’s complicated, and has become more so in the current federal administration.

No doubt, though, most people in the US are aware that the president has decided to use the DC National Guard (there’s an oxymoron for you) to patrol and cut down on the crime he claims is overrunning the place. DC residents will tell you that some parts of the city do have criminal activity – as do all cities in the US – but the Guard isn’t patrolling there. They are
doing kabuki theater, including in the scenic tourist areas. They are arresting and disappearing brown-skinned people who are Uber Eats delivery scooter riders. Residents have been filming the arrests, holding street marches and posting wall/window protest signs, they have not been complacent.

National Guard, usually seen in trios, a block from the White House - Eileen Doughty — National Guard, usually seen in trios, a block from the White House – Eileen Doughty

I’ve been a docent over a couple of presidential administrations. At the museum near the White House, the street has been closed for many years to traffic, and out our front door is essentially a Secret Service parking lot. No school tour groups getting off their bus there! The amount of fencing and pedestrian access comes and goes, as the Secret Service deems necessary. Seeing National Guard nearby doesn’t make me feel any safer, just annoyed. It’s a visible reminder of how messed up things are. Speaking as a privileged older white woman, it still really, really wears you down.

Secret Service street parking area, Washington DC, September 2025 – Eileen Doughty

One of my other fiber art activities for the last few years has been to serve on the Board of the Virginia Quilt Museum. This is a regional museum near the beautiful Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Valley, two hours drive west of where I live. It’s on the edge of the small town of Dayton, in the historic Silver Lake Mill. Fun fact: Union General George Armstrong Custer burned the original mill during the Civil War. The current building is well over 100 years old. The lovely Mole Hill at the far end of Silver Lake is one of Virginia’s two extinct volcanoes, so yes, once it was a mountain. All kinds of history going on.

A beautiful day in The Valley, from my car's passenger seat - Eileen Doughty — A beautiful day in The Valley, from my car’s passenger seat – Eileen Doughty

The view from the Virginia Quilt Museum's front porch, over Silver Lake to Mole Hill - Eileen Doughty — The view from the Virginia Quilt Museum’s front porch, over Silver Lake to Mole Hill – Eileen Doughty

The repercussions of cuts to federal arts programs has reached even this rural area. But that didn’t stop the museum from celebrating its 30th anniversary with a birthday party – cake, ice cream, a professional ukulele band, and lots of quilts and fiber art on display. Fun, fabric, friends, music, snacks – this was the perfect reason to Get Out of Dodge (DC) for a weekend.

Two peeks at displays on the first floor - - Eileen Doughty — Two peeks at displays on the first floor – – Eileen Doughty

Virginia Quilt Museum - Eileen Doughty — Virginia Quilt Museum – Eileen Doughty

Quilting has given me a voice, in my political commentary quilts, as it has given others a way to express themselves and record what they are seeing in their lives. Or to make something beautiful when they may have been experiencing difficult times. Historically, those who made quilts and other fiber arts were overlooked, but it did not stop them from their craft. We are
grateful to those who preserved the work for us to enjoy, and for future generations. What a blessing to have these museums available to us, for all they speak to our shared history and hopes for the future. Please support your favorite arts organization in any way you can.

Eileen Doughty (text and photos)