Warmth, and art. Quilting is a pastime that has been passed down from generations. It has grown across the country, including southern plantations of yesterday to urban cities of today.
Certain names stand out from the Gee’s Bend quilters of Alabama to Harriet Powers. Kyra E. Hicks, author, researcher and quilter talks about the rich and cozy heritage of quilting.
This interview was recorded on August 4, 2016.
Highlights:
Highlights of the interview are included for convenient listening.
- The mechanics, and threads of quilting (0:00)
- A practical art for women and men (3:32)
- Overview of some of the older quilts – and worth (9:11)
- Different themes, artists and their works (11:39)
- Some of Kyra’s favorite creations (16:29)
- Quilting in the overall American cultural context (19:57)
Re/sources:
- Harriet Powers, Museum of Fine Arts Boston https://collections.mfa.org/objects/116166
- The Quilting Tradition, Black Art In America https://www.blackartinamerica.com/index.php/2018/11/09/the-quilting-tradition/
- Fabric of Their Lives, October 2016, Smithsonian Magazine https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/fabric-of-their-lives-132757004/
- Finding the Thread: The tradition of African-American Quilting, December 16, 2019, Scalawag Magzine https://scalawagmagazine.org/2019/12/black-quilters-georgia/