NY Times says Gee's Bend Foundation has $147,000

The New York Times reports in the Sunday, July 29 issue that the Gee's Bend Foundation "was slow to obtain nonprofit status and only this month elected a board." The article, Handmade Alabama Quilts Find Fame and Controversy, by Shaila Dewan, also mentions that "Royalties from reproductions of the quilts go into the foundation, which now contains $147,000." No word on who the board members are. [Thanks to the PropertyProf blog for noting the article.]

Gee's Bend - Franklin case - Judge Orders Parties to ...

On July 26, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bert W. Milling, Jr issued a Preliminary Scheduling Order to the parties in the case of Lucinda Pettway Franklin vs. Tinwood Ventures, et al. The Judge has ordered that the parties meet as soon as is practical, but no later than a certain date in early September 2007 and complete a Report "in plain English" (Judge's words, not mine!).

What's to be in the Report? There's about a dozen elements of the Report, which seem to set out the big picture for the case. Both sides are to give - "in plain English" - a brief statement of their side of the facts, causes or defenses; an estimated date when they would be ready for a trial, the estimated days for a trial; any request for a pretrial conference, a Discovery Plan, and various Disclosure plans, including estimated due dates for expert reports and final lists of witnesses and exhibits. This Report is also to indicate if a Settlement is likely or unlikely in the matter.

Sistah Quilters in Nova Scotia

Sistah Quilters displayed their fabric creations for the first time at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax, Canada. David Woods, the associate creator of African Canadian art at the gallery, introduced the show, ‘Our Ancestors Garden.’ Margot Morrison helped organize the show, according a Nova News article. Other Canadian Sistah quilters featured include: Helen Morrison, Phyllis Richards, Rose Jarvis, and others. Also on exhibit at the AGNS - Mary Lee Bendolph - Gee's Bend Quilts & Beyond. Do check out the photos by Jonathan Riley from the exhibit! (Shown here are Elizabeth Carter and Jocelyn LeBlanc.) Best wishes to the Sistah Canadian Quilters!

Baltimore Smart Women - Carole Lyles Shaw

Take a moment to check out the article about Sistah Quilter Carole Lyles Shaw featured in the July/August issue of Baltimore Smart Women magazine! (Photography by Bryan Burris) Enjoy!

Gee's Bend - Franklin case - Response to Judge's Order

Chief U.S. District Judge Callie V. S. Granade ordered both sides in the Lucinda Pettway Franklin case v. Tinwood Ventures, et al to submit briefs on why her Court has jurisdiction in the case by July 20. This order was in response to Defendants motion to have the Franklin case dismissed.

You may recall from the Ben Raines article, "Lucinda Pettway Franklin filed suit ... against the Arnett family, promoters of the nationally recognized Gee's Bend quilt shows, charging that the Arnetts stole the two oldest quilts known to come from Gee's Bend. The quilts, more than 100 years old, were made by Franklin's great-grandmother, Sally Pettway, from worn-out slave clothes and bits of fine fabric cast off from Pettway's masters while she was still a slave."

The Raines article went on to say: "Franklin said Matt Arnett came to her home in Mobile and asked to borrow the quilts for one month so they could be photographed and included in a book about quilts. She remembered he became very excited when he saw the quilts for the first time. That was two years ago. Since that time, Franklin said, Arnett has told her the quilts were destroyed in a fire, accidentally thrown away, ruined in a flood, lost or on his desk ready to be mailed to her. " (A third quilt was also loaned.)

The disputed quilts were later returned to Franklin's attorneys - after the law suit was filed and after a public news conference where appraisals by Holly Anderson and Julie Silber indicated the quilts were not made during slave times or worth very much money.

So - back to the Judge's order. The request by attorneys for the Defendants to dismiss said - in a nut shell - that 1) the appraisals indicated the quilts were not made during slave times, 2) the quilts were not worth enough for the courts to have jurisdiction, and 3) the quilts are now returned.

In the brief submitted by Mrs. Franklin's attorneys, they argue the suit is about an alleged "conversion," which occurred two years ago when the defendant Matt Arnett refused to return the three quilts to Mrs. Franklin and deprived her of the use and enjoyment of the quilts. Mrs. Franklin, as a result, is entitled to compensatory damages. The damages would be based on Mrs. Franklin and the priceless, valuable family history the quilts represented to her - not any appraised value of the quilts. In addition, the brief argues, Mrs. Franklin has a claim for punitive damages. The brief explains that punitive damages are based on the "wrong to the plaintiff" as well as based on "the necessity to prevent similar wrongs from being committed in the future." The combined damages could be an amount over $75,000, the minimum to fall into the jurisdiction of the Court.

Interestingly, the briefs filed by attorneys for Matt Arnett and the other Arnett defendants, "strongly contest" that Mrs. Franklin is entitled to any damages - but does say that the complaint does meet the jurisdictional requirements of the Court.

No word yet on when Chief U.S. District Judge Callie Granade will decide if the Court does have jurisdiction and what, if any, are the next steps in this suit. As mentioned before, you can read the public documents in the case of Lucinda Pettway Franklin v. Tinwood Ventures et al Civil Action No. 07-438. Visit your local public library to see if it has access to Court records or register with PACER - "Public Access to Court Electronic Records ... an electronic public access service that allows users to obtain case and docket information from Federal Appellate, District and Bankruptcy courts, and the U.S. Party/Case Index via the Internet." There's a fee of about 8 cents per page to access the records.

Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece

The Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece exhibit has been travelling across the US since August 2006. The exhibit 112-page catalog has been published by curator Ami Simms. You can get a copy only at one of the exhibit locations or from Ms. Simm's website for only $20 + postage. Sistah Quilter Tammie Bowser has a quilt in the exhibit. Enjoy!

Black Authors on Amazon Shorts - Part 2

Amazon Shorts are short essays or fictional pieces available exclusively on Amazon.com for only 49 cents! You can download the story, have it emailed to you, or read it immediately online. There's nearly 1,800 Amazon Shorts available - with 60 titles by Black Authors. Earlier I listed over a dozen different titles for your reading. Here's a list of new titles and African American authors on Amazon Shorts:

Crime
The Kingsley Affair by Quintin Peterson. This is a fast-paced, racy 8 page short story with a surprising end! Award winning writer Quintin Peterson has twenty-five years of police service officer and author of two crime novels.

Fiction
Dad’s Love – Part 1 by Sean. This 50 page story is about a young man who yearns to know his absent father as he grows up in his urban apartment, reared by his mother and grandmother.

Through a Mother's Heart by Jacquelin Thomas, an award-winning author of more than 25 novels. In this short story, “Gina Collins's perfect world collapses when she discovers that her daughter has been arrested for drug trafficking.”

Humor
Man vs. Machine: Hilarious Tales of People Interacting with Technology by Hakeem Shittu. This 24-pages short examines “…the topsy-turvy moments that occur when we first encounter new technology and how we learn from these moments.”

Romance
The Secret to Your Man by Atlanta writer Tawanna Savage

Just the Two of Us by Arabesque romance novelist Sean D. Young. This Short explores love growing from deep friendship.

Gay & Lesbian
Bad Damon by Cincinnati lecturer and freelance writer Doug Cooper-Spencer.

History
Memories of a Refugee Child by Ekenyerenogozi Michael Chima, a Nigerian writer who focuses a glaring eye at the “horrors of refugee children in Biafra.”

And, there's my own - the first Amazon Short to include a quilt pattern, The Liberian Flag Story & Love of Liberty Quilt. The true story of the seven Black women who stitched the first Liberian national flag. Enjoy them all!

New! Quilting Sistahs Website

There's a new website showcasing the works of five California Quilting Sistahs! Jan Emanuel of Pasadena, Louvenia Austin of Inglewood, Frances Moore of Los Angeles, Althea Kennedy of Altadena, and Carolyn Pruitt of Carson (one of her quilts is in the photo here) offer their works for display and for sale. Congratulations to http://www.quiltingsistahs.com/!

Wilma Gary, 84, Sistah Quilter passes

The Minneapolis - St. Paul's, MN Star Tribune reports that Wilma Gary, 84, passed away. She was an active and noted Sistah Quilter. From the paper:

"Gary grew up on a rural Kansas farm, where she began quilting at age 8. Her quilts have been exhibited at the Minnesota Historical Society and the University of Minnesota's Goldstein Gallery in St. Paul.

"Gary seldom missed a chance to lecture about African-American quiltmaking before schools and other groups, including the Walker Art Center. Among her prized possessions were quilts made by her ancestors. One quilt is about 140 years old.

""Those women didn't make those quilts for exhibition back then," Gary told the Star Tribune in 1997. "They did it for the joy of making quilts or because somebody needed to stay warm or somebody had a lot of children and needed them, or somebody had a baby, or somebody graduated," she said. "My mother used to give me blocks of fabric and say, 'Now just sit down there and see what you can figure out.' " "

The article by Ben Cohen goes on to report that Mrs. Wilma Gary was head quilter at the Sabathani Senior Center for 20 years. She was also presented by the Minneapolis Textile Center with its 2007 Spun Gold Award. In 1997, the NewStandard featured Mrs. Gary in an article titled: How to make an African-American quilt: Family histories woven with spontaneity, improvisation. The photo here is features Mrs. Gary and Remi Douah.

Blessings to Mrs. Gary for her quilting legacy! Peace to her surviving family: sons Printice, Kenneth, Russell and daughters Janice, Hedy Gary and Alberta Hicks - and Mrs. Gary's host of grand, great grands, and even great-great grands.

Update. You can read more about Mrs. Gary: Douah, remi Kouessi-Tanoh. In her own words: Uncovering a life experience woven into the African American quiltmaking tradition (Wilma Gary). This is a dissertation in support of the author's Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, 2006.

Gee's Bend - Franklin case - July 20 briefs due

U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade wants to hear from both sides of the Lucinda Pettway Franklin's case by July 20, reports Bob Johnson of the Associated Press. According to the article:

"Attorneys for Lucinda Pettway Franklin of Mobile have claimed the quilts are more than 100 years old and are priceless heirlooms. Attorneys for the promoters say the quilts were made in the 1950s and 1960s and have been appraised as being worth between $10 and $450 each."

"Granade ordered attorneys to file briefs, affidavits "or other competent evidence regarding the value" of the quilts by July 20."

Later in the article:

"Franklin's suit, filed last month, accused the Arnetts of stealing two of the oldest quilts to come from Gee's Bend. The Arnetts' attorneys have said Matt Arnett borrowed the two quilts and another newer one during a visit to Franklin's home, with a promise to research their history and try to determine their age. After the lawsuit was filed, the quilts were returned to the Birmingham office of Franklin's attorney, Peter Burke."

"Burke said Friday he doesn't have to prove that the quilts are worth more than $75,000, just that his client should be awarded at least that much money because of the damages done to her by not having the quilts for two years."

""To her the quilts are priceless," Burke said."

"Birmingham attorney Greg Hawley, representing the Arnetts, said he believes the lawsuit should be dismissed because the quilts have been returned to Franklin."

Martha Ann's Quilt Play debuts at P.S. 76

Earlier this year I was invited to P.S. 76 - A. Philip Randolph Elementary School in Harlem - for my very first author's visit for Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria. The school could not have been more welcoming, particularly Principal Charles Deberry, Ms. Marie Vallon, Librarian, and dear Cleo! The students asked engaging questions and were so enthusiastic about Martha Ann's story. Well, image my surprise to learn that one 4th grade class went on to stage their class play based on Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria! Mr. Saneel Boodram, who works with 4th graders at P.S. 76 and is a 1999 filmmaking graduate from the New York Institute of Technology, wrote and directed the play. I asked Mr. Saneel, as he's called, about the play and his interest in using performance in teaching.

1. What made you interested in combing teaching and performing? "Children love to perform. It makes them feel important, special; dedicated to the roles that are given to them. When you teach a student to perform - you are also teaching them to be disciplined, focused and more independent. No one can make that part special but themselves. Combining teaching and performing, to me, levels out the school year for the class. It's not all about just the books, the math and the science. The Arts is a great gift you can introduce to a child. The # 1 factor for combining teaching and performing - RESPONSIBILTY. " Mr. Saneel went on to comment, "It is [the student's] responsibility to learn their lines, their body movements, when to speak, walk, run, cheer, look directly into the eyes of another cast member, cry, etc. It also brings out their personalities more - students who were quite shy came out of their shells and put on a show in front of the audience. They get recognition, love, praises from performing in plays."
2. Can you share with us the key factors in putting on a school play? "The MAIN key factor in putting on a school play is a script. Once you have gotten down all the characters, dialogue, settings, time into one script then everything else is a go. Finding voices to act out the words of the play can be a bit of a pickle. Auditioning 9 and 10 year olds (the age range for 4th grade) for the roles can be tense, for me and the students vying for a part. Rehearsals, costumes, sound effects, lighting, emotions of characters are all key factors for a school play."
3. There were two plays your class performed. The other play showcased famous African Americans, including Malcolm X, The Supremes, and Dorothy Dandridge. How did your 4th graders relate to Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria as one of the year's production? "Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria, part one of Celebrating Diversity, was the only major play production of the school year. I did my play in May - with acting, musical performances, costumes, emotions and a lesson learned. The students related very well to the subject area - about their ancestors. You see, the Martha Ann play taught them that ordinary black folk from far away made a difference for their future. They weren't glamorous, fabulous or popular but it set the path for good things to come for future generations. The second play taught them that through sacrifice and motivation famous people made a difference for the famous African-Americans today. The entire lesson was a connecting circle - Martha Ann sacrificed and followed her dream - just as the famous people did in the second part of the play."

I understand the students who performed in the Martha Ann play were outstanding! The young girl who played Martha Ann learned her lines and emotional cues within a month. The young girl who played Queen Victoria - complete with a royal dress and tiara - even had a British accent! I'm sure the real Martha Ann Ricks would have been PROUD! Thanks Mr. Saneel!

Uhuru Quilters Guild - G Street Fabrics

If you're in the greater Washington, DC area shopping for fabrics, do stop by G Street Fabrics in Rockville, MD to see the Uhuru Quilters Guild display of quilts until August 3rd. And, if you can't see the display, do visit the Guild's website to view the 2007 Raffle Quilt, both site and quilt are gorgeous!

Meet Laura R. Gadson - Portrait Quilter

Let me introduce you to Sistah Quilter Laura R. Gadson, who specializes in portrait quilts. The quilt in the photo here is currently on exhibit at the Stitching Our Stories Exhibit at the Countee Cullen Library in Harlem. I recently emailed Laura about her work.

Laura, how did you get started making portrait quilts? "It all started with a picture of my sister when she was younger. Thisphotograph became my first portrait quilt titled “Lisa and the Color Yellow”. Myfather took many black and white pictures of us as we were growing up and hedeveloped them himself in his darkroom in our basement. His photos were thefirst inspiration for the portrait quilts."

How long does typically take to make one of your portrait quilts?
"The portraits don’t take as long as many may think. I can finish a one-subjectsmall quilt top in a day (a day for me can mean from early morning to late, lateevening). The selection and preparation of the fabrics, deciding how to shade asubject, some intricate cutting and the use of an elaborately pieced boarder orbackground can take time. Currently much of my work is about poster size but Ihave plans to work increasingly larger which will take more time."

What do you enjoy the most about being part of the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle?
"The eating and talking that takes place at our monthly meetings! I also enjoythe “big reveal” portions of our meetings where members get to “whip out” theircurrent masterpieces. They are always inspiring. Harlem Girls Quilting Circle is where I got my quilting start. We have been meeting monthly for about 5 years and there is never a dull moment creatively or personality wise."

Mark your calendars, you can see more of Laura's portrait quilts at the upcoming exhibit, Folks and Family: Quilt Art By Laura R. Gadson - July 27 - September 13, 2007, Russ Berrie Pavilion, Columbia University, 1150 St Nicholas Ave., New York City, New York. Laura does accept commissions. You can see more of her works on Laura's blog, The Gadson Gallery. Laura, continued success!

Storybooks into Quilts

Wanted to share with you three different ways children are being introduced to quilting via Storybook Quilts.

1. 1. Storybook Quilt Lady - Linda Kuhlman of Lansing, Michigan offers a 45 minute storybook reading presentation using her entertaining reading and storytelling skills, adaptable to both adult and child audiences. She makes popular picture books come alive by sharing quilts she has made to accompany the books.


2. The Storybook Quilt Collection - The Main Street Quilt and Thread Guild of Round Rock, Texas. The Storybook Quilt Collection, which specializes in children’s books about quilting and quilts, pairs a lovingly designed small or medium-sized quilt that reflects the books’ story, theme or illustrations. The Main Street Quilt and Thread Guild’s Storybook Quilt Collection quilters make one or more titles available to schools, libraries, and other groups. Featured quilts and titles include: A Quilt of Wishes by Theresa Orem Werner, The Boy and the Quilt by Shirley Kurtz, The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson (photo) and more! Contact Marie Eddins for more information.


3. Storybook Quilt Project - The Misty Mountain Quilt Guild of Hiawassee, GA encourages kindergarten through sixth grade children to develop an awareness and appreciation of quilts by sharing books about quilting and by telling them about the quilting process. Children's books featuring quilts in the story, accompanied by little quilts matching illustrations, are provided by the guild. Margaret Frizzell is the key contact.

Does your guild create Storybook Quilts? Are there kid lit titles you think would make a great quilt? I'd love to hear from you!

Gee's Bend - Motion Filed to Dismiss Franklin case

A motion was filed on Friday, June 29, 2007, by the Arnett attorneys to dismiss Lucinda Pettway Franklin's case. The motion claims the age of the quilts are incorrect, the creator of the quilts is incorrect, the value of the quilts are incorrect, and that the judicial system intervention was not needed to return the quilts to Lucinda Franklin. In addition to the motion, exhibit documents include Julie Silber's June 24th appraisals of two of the quilts ($100 - $450) and Holly Anderson's June 21st appraisal of two of the quilts ($10 - $75).

You can read about the motion to dismiss from the Tinwood blog. You can also learn more about the case by visiting your local library to see if the library has access to public court documents. Or you can register with PACER - "Public Access to Court Electronic Records ... an electronic public access service that allows users to obtain case and docket information from Federal Appellate, District and Bankruptcy courts, and the U.S. Party/Case Index via the Internet." There is a nominal charge for access each page of the court documents. In this instance, look for Lucinda Pettway Franklin v. Tinwood Ventures et al Civil Action No. 07-438.

African Accents ON THE GO!

Congratulations to Lisa Shepard Stewart on the publication of her third book - African Accents - On the Go! Designing Accessories with Cultural Style. Lisa provides twenty basic, easy-to-sew designs for all sewing skill levels. Enjoy!

Gee's Bend Through Lens of a Black Woman

Now I have to plan a trip back to Baltimore! The Baltimore Times recently posted an article by Nakia Herring about photographer Linda Day Clark and her various professional and personal trips to Gee's Bend to photograph the quilter and community. Twenty-five of Clark's photos are on display at the Walters Art Museum until September 2, 2007. I'm looking forward to seeing the images from this Sistah photographer! Enjoy!