Gee’s Bend, The Architecture of the Quilt and African-American Quiltmaking Traditions - Resource Guide for Teachers

2008

Editor's note: The quilts of Gee’s Bend have been massively influential in my own life. Seeing them in person is not to be missed. I love this workshop guide for learning about the quilters, quilt geometry and patterning.

A guide with info about ten quilts created by women in the Gee’s bend community.

Hosted at Internet Archive

GEE’S BEND: THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE QUILT AND AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILTMAKING TRADITIONS A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR TEACHERS

This resource guide was developed by the Division of Education of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to complement the exhibition Gee’s Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt (September 16–December 14, 2008) and to serve as an ongoing resource for teachers. The guide provides information about ten quilts created by African American women who worked throughout the twentieth century. Six of the quilts are on view in the Gee’s Bend exhibition and the remaining four are in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The ten quilts in this guide suggest the range of the many styles, influences, and materials found within African American quiltmaking traditions. The quilts have many stories to tell of artistic innovation, triumph over hardship, and pride in heritage. It is important to note that these quilts are a small sampling of a much larger production, for many quilts have been lost to history. Each quilt is a product of its own particular social, historical, and personal context. For this reason, the text prioritizes the quiltmakers’ own words, biographical information, and descriptions of their working methods.