Quilting, poverty and modern art

As many of you know I've been really into quilting lately. Last night I fell into my ever more common habit of watching only Public TV and watched The Quilters of Gee's Bend.

Gee's Bend is in Wilcox County, Alabama. According to the program, in the 1930's, during the New Deal, it was declared to be the poorest county in the U.S. Take a minute and let that settle in. Poorest in the Entire U.S. during the Depression. At that time there was a man who lent money to all the people in the community, who were primarily African-American. He died and his wife and creditors decided to collect the money, so they went to people's homes and took everything of value down to their chickens. One of the current quilters told how her mother hadn't said anything when they took their 1 bag of potatoes, nor their only hog, nor the first 2 of their three chickens, but when the man went back to get the last chicken she picked up the washing stick (to stir the laundry which one washed in a large cast iron pot over the fire- of course he had already taken the kettle) and told him if he didn't leave them at least one chicken she was gonna kill him. She said he lit out of there real fast.

In the 60's the residents tried to register to vote. The County leaders took away their Ferry so they couldn't get to the voting place. They swam the river, so they were tear gassed at the voting place, which was a church. They went outside and sang.

Time moved slowly in Wilcox County, as it is wont to do down here.

One day, 30 years later, a confirmed batchelor from Mobile saw a picture of a quilt made by one of the women in the community. He recognized it for the abstract modern work of art it is. He drove to Wilcox County, found the woman who made it, and persuaded her to sell it to him. He then took it to his connections in the Art World...(good things happen)... and now there is a traveling exhibition of the quilts and the women have been feted across the U.S. for their amazing works of art.

And they are amazing! The quilts look for all the world as though the great abstract works of the modern art world had been captured in textiles- by women who had no exposure to Great Modern Art. The quilts are their visions, their own abstractions from their lives.

One quilt which particularly struck me was made by a woman after her husband died. She wanted to be able to surround herself with him when she missed him, so she took every piece of clothing he owned and made a quilt from it. It was not a large quilt. There were 4 colors in it. It contained every piece of clothing he had owned. Take another minute and let that sink in.

The cool thing: Now that these women are being recognized as true artists they are making real money- upwards of $2,000 for a quilt. How cool is that?

There is also a book The Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend, but definitely go see the exhibit if its anywhere near you. I'll post if I find out where it is.

Have a great weekend everyone and I'll post more on Monday.