Piecework’s 70-piece Scorpio puzzle embodies the astrological sign: it’s dark, alluring and romantic (as it depicts an altar of flowers, candles and fruit). The color palette is more than just an aesthetic choice; it lends the puzzle a higher level of difficulty. Made from recycled paper with randomized ribbon cut pieces, the mini Scorpio is both visually and functionally compelling.
A mathematician from Harvard University named Michael Simkin has (basically) solved the n queens problem, a chess puzzle that’s some 150 years old. The mathematical challenge was created by chess composer Max Bezzel in 1848 and essentially asks “How many queens can you place on a chess board so that none are attacking each other?” Using complex linear algebra, the puzzle has been solved for …
Faith Ringgold’s 1996 work “The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles” depicts eight iconic Black American women (Madam CJ Walker, Sojourner Truth, Ida Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Mary McLeod Bethune and Ella Baker) as well as Vincent van Gogh and a fictional character named Willia Marie Simone (a frequent heroine of Ringgold’s quilt works, and perhaps her alter-ego). This piece honors and …
