One of my Australian beta readers sent me links to several articles about Maureen Cooper, a quilt artist caught up in anti-mining protests in the state of Queensland.*
On the surface, Cooper’s quilt is a lovely, well-planned, and inoffensive piece of fiber art, created to raise funds for a small nature preserve.
That certain people have become so huffy they refused to allow it to be displayed, speaks starkly about the tense interplay between long-term conservation efforts and short-term jobs projects. Not just in Australia or the US, but across the world.
The hard, cold, easy answers are never the most palatable to either side, but these are exactly the questions that art may help bridge.
*By most accounts, Queensland is apparently Australia’s closest equivalent to the US Bible Belt. Ouch. Good luck, Bimblebox.