Visiting Artist Zak Foster Confronts Family History in "Southern White Amnesia" Exhibition at Central Library

Textile Exhibition Traces Journey from Denial to Accountability Through Civil War Documents and Dream Work

Madison, Wisconsin – The Bubbler at Madison Public Library presents "Southern White Amnesia," a powerful textile exhibition by artist Zak Foster that examines how white American families pass down — or deliberately forget — stories about their role in slavery and its ongoing legacy. The exhibition runs from Thursday, September 11, through Monday, October 27, in the Diane Endres-Ballweg Gallery with the Central Library. We invite the public to join us at Central Library for An Evening of Visual Storytelling, Reflection, and Action on Thursday, September 11, 2025 from 6:00 - 8:30 pm. This event will begin with an exhibition reception for Southern White Amnesia, followed by an author talk, where Foster will share about his latest publication, The World Needs Your Next Quilt in partnership with the Wisconsin Book Festival, the public is welcome to attend one or both parts of the evening. 

Foster is a community-taught artist whose work draws on Southern textile traditions. His work has been featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and on the Met Gala red carpet. Foster is known worldwide for his facilitation of the Quilty Nook, a platform and community that connects and inspires quilters and makers across cultures. His most recent body of work, Southern White Amnesia combines his expertise in textile storytelling with contemporary approaches to historical accountability and ancestral healing.

As Foster began exploring this body of work, he shared with a family member that he had discovered records showing their ancestors had enslaved people. The family member’s immediate response was "no," followed by the insistence that they would "surely know" if this were true. That moment of family denial launched the entire collection. The work within Southern White Amnesia moves from confronting hard evidence in old estate documents and Civil War letters to attempting communication with ancestors through dream work and AI-animated family photographs. Key pieces include hand-sewn dolls representing slave-owning ancestors piled into an antique doll bed, a genealogical quilt tracing how enslaved-generated wealth has flowed through generations to benefit the artist today, and "Snake Handler!"—a church banner delivering a message about inherited injustice that came through a dream.

Using traditional textile techniques and repurposed church banners from his Southern Baptist childhood, Foster explores how white families maintain silence while continuing to benefit from historical wealth. One example is the 209 Civil War letters incorporated into the exhibition from Foster's family, which never once mention slavery despite the writers' Confederate service.

Rather than ending with historical revelation, the work culminates in active repair—both the literal mending of a found quilt and the ongoing spiritual work of ancestral accountability. Foster commits 100% of proceeds from sales to scholarships through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, making the repair work concrete and immediate.

Although Foster’s work is grounded in his own personal narratives, this dynamic body of work was created with the intention of opening up conversations about race, religion, regional identity, and memory. Exhibiting Southern White Amnesia at Madison Public Library aligns with the library’s mission to provide access to ideas, information, and experiences that support lifelong learning. With its public resources and welcoming environment, the library offers a fitting venue for visitors to reflect on personal and shared histories, while considering how the past continues to shape the present. This exhibition encourages meaningful dialogue and invites the community to explore these themes through art, storytelling, and self-discovery.