Chrysler Museum Acquisition

My artwork is officially part of a museum's permanent collection! Last year, the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA expressed interest in purchasing one of my artworks for their permanent collection. They approached me last summer, but the piece I wanted them to have was committed to another show through the end of 2024, so we had to wait. And I had to keep this huge secret to myself for months, but now I can shout it from the rooftop! My Anitos Quilt is now part of the Chrysler Museum's permanent collection, along with artworks by some of the greatest artists that have ever lived: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Mary Cassatt, Edgar Degas, Mark Rothko, Maya Lin, Helen Frankenthaler, and so many more. This is all so new that I don't know yet when my quilt will be put on display.

Federico Finn, Rowena. Anitos Quilt. 2024, The Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA.

This really is a dream come true. I remember being a little kid, gazing at the wondrous paintings in a book about my childhood hero, Leonardo da Vinci, and dreaming of one day having my own artwork in museums just like him. And then growing up, I absorbed all kinds of messages telling me that such lofty dreams were not meant for someone like me. Now, to have achieved this major milestone is just so surreal and I'm still processing it.

All art is autobiographical, but Anitos Quilt is a particularly personal and sentimental piece for me, and to have it as part of the Chrysler's permanent collection means so much more than you can know. It's very satisfying to know that this quilt, a weaving together of my Filipino heritage and American upbringing, and created as a sort of heirloom for my own children, will be taken even better care of than I ever could. It's exciting to know that it'll be on view for generations to come, hopefully long, long after I am gone.

I was born and raised just a few miles from the museum, where there is a large Filipino-American population. My parents settled here after my dad joined the US Navy decades ago, and they were instrumental in establishing many of the organizations that support that community to this day. This quilt, like so many quilts, isn't just my story; it belongs to my parents, my grandparents, my ancestors, and my children. This is the story of our community told through the eyes of a very Americanized and outspoken Filipina-American artist and big dreamer. If you're ever in Norfolk, I invite you to visit the Chrysler Museum to see my work!