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Museum of Art
CIV at the MOA

Blanket Stories: Ancestor, Baron Woolen Mill, and Hill People

A tower of blankets stacked in a museum gallery
Marie Watt (1967– ), Blanket Stories: Ancestor, Baron Woolen Mill, and Hill People, 2013, wool blankets and cedar base, 144 x 40 x 40 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Curtis Atkisson; and David and Bianca Lisonbee in memory of Rita Palmieri Elkin.
Marie Watt (b. 1967), 'Blanket Stories: Ancestor, Baron Woolen Mill, and Hill People,' 2013, wool blankets, steel pole, cedar base, and handmade book, 144 x 40 x 40 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Curtis Atkisson and David and Bianca Lisonbee, 2013.

MARIE WATT (1967– )

Watt’s mother is Native American from the Seneca Nation and her father was raised on a Wyoming ranch. She calls herself “half Indian, half cowboy.” Her tower recalls totem poles from the American Northwest and the association of Native Americans with blankets. It also reminds us of linen closets and our personal connections with blankets. Several blankets in this tower were donated by members of our local community, with attached tags recording their personal “blanket stories.” Native peoples give blankets for special occasions and rites of passage—a joy and privilege for both the giver and the receiver.

Curricular Resources

The MOA has created suggested discussion prompts and assignments for BYU CIV faculty and students to use. Each assignment is based on themes that correspond with GE learning outcomes.

View Curricular Resources Related to This Work:
Native American Concerns