Flint Water

Copied Sylvia Hernandez, Flint Water, 2017, cotton, synthetic and batik fabrics, fabric markers, buttons, and cotton batt, 36 1⁄4 × 35 in. (92.1 × 88.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Fleur S. Bresler, 2023.40.26, © 2017, Sylvia Hernandez

Artwork Details

Title
Flint Water
Artist
Date
2017
Location
Dimensions
36 1⁄4 × 35 in. (92.1 × 88.9 cm)
Copyright
© 2017, Sylvia Hernandez
Credit Line
Gift of Fleur S. Bresler
Mediums
Mediums Description
cotton, synthetic and batik fabrics, fabric markers, buttons, and cotton batt
Classifications
Subjects
  • African American
  • Figure male — child
Object Number
2023.40.26
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2023.40.26

Artwork Description

Sylvia Hernandez
born 1961, New York City
resides Brooklyn, NY 

Flint Water
2017
cotton, synthetic and batik fabrics, fabric markers, buttons, and cotton batting

Sylvia Hernandez often quilts in response to human rights violations in the United States. In 2014, Flint, Michigan, entered a public health crisis when its drinking water was contaminated with lead and Legionella bacteria. Since the latter half of the twentieth century, Flint, a majority-Black city, has faced divestment and deindustrialization, highlighting connections among race, class, and environmental justice issues. 

The text on the bottom of the quilt is in Spanish, accentuating the fact that initial warnings about the water contamination were written solely in English, making life-altering news only accessible to English speakers. Residents were also not permitted water without presenting identification, which prevented the city’s undocumented residents and others from receiving much-needed resources. 

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Fleur S. Bresler, 2023.40.26 


We Gather at the Edge: Contemporary Quilts of Black Women Artists, 2025