Who's your favorite Quilting Workshop teacher?

I received an email last week asking for recommendations for an African American quilting workshop teacher. I've only taken two quilting workshops in life. One was taught by Maryland quilter Barbara Brown, who gave instructions on Baltimore Album techniques, and the other from Penny Sisto. Can you help me to put together a list of 10 African American quilters who also teach quilt-making or quilt technique workshops? Who would you have on the list?

Update: Thank you for all the comments. Here's the list of workshop teachers to date.

1. Rachel K. Clark
2. Juanita Yeager
3. Teresa, Cowie Quilts
   
4. Barbara Pietila
   
5. Valerie White in Louisville, KY
   
6. Adriene Cruz in Portland Oregon
7. Carole Samples workshops on Crazy Quilt stitches
8. Anna Fogg in Maryland specializes in folk art needleturn applique
9. Do feel free to leave more suggestions!

Self-Portraiture - Have you tried it?

Gwen Magee had a comprehensive post on Self-Portraiture on her blog, Textile Arts Resources Guide several weeks ago. She links to reasons why artists need to create self-portraits, tools to get started, and decisions for capturing your self on canvass. Don't laugh - here's a self-portrait I did a couple years ago. Just call it Kyra and the Rooster at Big Ben. (I know, stick to quilting!) Enjoy!

Tosh Fomby - Atlanta artist

Tosh Fomby, an Atlanta artist, visited the Black Threads blog several weeks ago and left a comment. (Yes, I love it when folks leave comments!) Anyway, I visited her blog and really enjoyed her creative style. Here is her piece "The Greenroom" Do take a moment to visit her online studio and listen to "Beautiful" by Christina Aquilera and watch a slideshow of Tosh's creations. Indeed - Beautiful!

Victoria Zellous - How to make Mud Cloth Boxes

Sistah reporter Jocelynn Brown of The Detroit News recently interviewed Victoria Zellous, who has a gift business called "Divine Order Creative Gifts." Check out the article and learn Victoria's secret (ha-ha) for making mud cloth-covered boxes! Enjoy!

Linda Apple - Painting a Day - Museum series

I'm always fascinated by ways artists reach an audience on the Internet. There's a Painting in a Day movement, where artist create one work of art per day and then "exhibit" it online, many times with the item for sale. I haven't yet located any African American painters who are showcasing their work in this way. However, I did stumble onto Linda Apple's art journal blog - where she highlights a new painting each day. She has a thoughtful on-going series of young, old, adult, children - all kinds of people visiting a museum. Linda is one of the very few daily artist that I've seen who includes people of color in her work. The image at right is titled "Reviewing the Renaissance" from December 9, 2007. It's about 8" x 8" oil on canvass. It's already been sold. Enjoy!

S. Epatha Merkerson - Quilter, longest-running African-American character on television

Sistah Quilter S. Epatha Merkerson is on Broadway with the limited run of "Come Back Little Sheba" until March 16, 2008. You are read a quick Newsday interview with Epatha - Did you know that she has played Law & Order character Lt. Anita Van Buren for 300 episodes - making her character the longest-running African American character on TV - EVER? Do check out the article as she also talks about her quilting. Enjoy!

Charlotte O'Neal - Quilter, Poet Touring the US

Sistah Quilter from Kansas City and Tanzania - Charlotte Hill O'Neal is in the United States touring to promote the Aaron Matthews film "A Panther in Africa." You may have seen the film on 2004 the PBS POV program. "A Panther in Africa" is the story of Charlotte's husband, Pete O'Neal. From the film's website:

On October 30, 1969, Pete O'Neal, a young Black Panther in Kansas City, Missouri, was arrested for transporting a gun across state lines. One year later, O'Neal fled the charge, and for over 30 years, he has lived in Tanzania, one of the last American exiles from an era when activists considered themselves at war with the U.S. government. Today, this community organizer confronts very different challenges and finds himself living between two worlds - America and Africa, his radical past and his uncertain future.

Charlotte is a dear woman - and incredible artist! She's in the USA touring with the film as well as signing her new 89-page book of poetry, Warrior Woman of Peace. It's available on Lulu.com for just over $10. To meet her in person, look for her in your city listed below. Enjoy!

• March 4 – 7 Hamilton College, New York
• March 7 She Art exhibit – Robert Frazier Gallery, Kansas City
• March 11 – 14 Ashe Cultural Center & other places, New Orleans
• March 15 Coppin Academy, Baltimore, MD
• March 18 Warrior Woman of Peace, book launch Robert Frazier Gallery, KC
• March 20 – 22 Portland, OR
• March 23 – 30 Atlanta, GA
• April 1 – 4 Washington Lexington High School, Seattle
• April 4 – 8 East Side Arts Alliance, Oakland, CA

Lady Mama Salma Kikwete Honors Pres. Bush in Fabric

..........Here's a photograph by Washington photojournalist Jason Reed for Reuters of the February visit to Tanzania by President and Mrs. Bush. They are at the arrival ceremony at Julius Nyerere Airport in Dar Es Salaam - Air Force One is in the background. Notice the fabric on Tanzania's First Lady's dress. Lady Mama Salma Kikwete is walking with Laura Bush. WOW!

President Bush Fabric - Yes, Really!

Did you see news coverage of President Bush's trip to Africa last month? Did you notice the fabric specially made with his image? Or the fabrics woven to symbolize friendship between Tanzania and the United States? The photo here is by Jason Reed of Reuters, Washington DC office. Be sure to check out the photographs and fabric on WorldMeetsUS or on the Washington Post 2- image photo gallery of Bush's trip with several fabric images. Does anyone know where to purchase such fabric?!? I'd love to have for my fabric stash!

Learning to Fly - Canadian Sistah Quilters

On display at the Marigod Art Gallery in Nova Scotia, Canada is the exhibit, "Learning to Fly," curated by David Woods. This show highlights contemporary quilts by Nova Scotia Sistah Quilters Myla Borden, Marlene Dorrington, Debra Jordan, Bolivia Czernon, Alfreda Smith, Kathy Lusk, and Laurel Francis. The exhibit is on display from February 16 - March 16, 2008.

You can read previous Black Threads blog posts about these Sistahs north of the border. Click here to read more!

Heritage Quilters of Fresno, CA

Congratulations to the Heritage Quilters of Fresno, California! This 8-member guild was founded in 2005. Recently they had two quilt shows in the Frenso area and a detailed article written by reporter Margaret Slaby published in the Fresno Bee newspaper. Heritage Quilter members are (photograph by Kurt Hegre) "Irene Rush, left, Centhy Hansford, Sharon Carter, Ann Joseph and Wanda Carter." Go Sistahs!

Ernestine Holmes - Story Quilter

Ernestine Holmes is an award-winning Sistah Quilter specializing in story quilts. She is also a University of Michigan-Flint, majoring in Africana Studies (Go Blue!) She recently spoke about African American quilts and slavery at the Hoyt Library in Saginaw, MI. According to her speaker bio, Ms. Holmes, "has developed and implemented a program that provides opportunities for teachers to explore African History through storytelling, music, quilt art, and related folklore." Enjoy!

Dr. Joan Gaither, quilter and lecturer

Wish I had know earlier about this lecture! Dr. Joan Gaither, a Sistah quilter and Chairperson of Undergraduate Art Education at the Maryland Institute College of Art, recently spoke at the Anne Aundel Genealogical Society - her topic was "Slavery, Racism and Quilts." Of her own quilting, Dr. Gaither writes:

"As an artist, I've discovered that my voice is informed by an interest in mixed media, fibers, and photographic images that allow close scrutiny of surfaces and metaphors for personal meaning. Only as recent as 2000 did I hand stitch my first and fairly large narrative quilt, My Story: A Family Quilt. This embellished, layered, and color-coded 10'X12' text and image statement of my culture, with brilliant Maryland State Flag colors, photo transfers of family members, threads of gold, and multiple levels of attachments offered clues to the careers and identity of aging and young faces in such a way as to project power and seemed to come alive under the exhibition lights."

You can see more photos of Dr. Gaither taken by Photojournalist Andy Carruthers in 2006 by clicking here and here. Enjoy!

PRNewswire promotes the upcoming exhibit Quilting African American Women's History via the Times Square Jumbotron. Honk Your Horn!

Quilting African American Women’s History - Opens Soon!

Countdown! Quilting African American Women’s History: Our Challenges, Creativity, and Champions Exhibit opens on March 8^th at the NationalAfro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio. The 90 quilts in the exhibit will be on display through November 8, 2008. This fabulous show is curated by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. There is a stunning 176-page exhibit catalog ($40) that features quilts by 53 Sistah + 3 Brother quilters! The book isn't yet available for sale ... stay tune. Look forward to the buzz Opening Night!

Pieces & Strings - 21st Annual Quilt Show

Pieces & Strings, the annual Mississippi Cultural Crossroads quilt contest and show, will be held March 28 - March 30. Quilts will hang through April 30. In its 21st year, this unique exhibition celebrates the best quilts being produced in the Mississippi folk tradition. Contest Judges include Roland Freeman, photographer, author of the quilt book A Communion of the Spirits and Mary Lohrenz, curator, Mississippi Governor's Mansion. Patty Crosby, Executor Director of MCC, will retire June 30th. Best wishes!

Quilting Genius 2: The Improvisational Quilts of Susana Hunter

Here's an exhibit note that was recently emailed to me: "The Henry Ford presents Quilting Genius 2: The Improvisational Quilts of Susana Hunter, a new exhibit at Henry Ford Museum on display February 15-April 27, 2008.

"This exhibit features 30 eye-catching improvisational quilts made by Susana Allen Hunter, an African-American quilter from Wilcox County, Alabama, and tells the story of one woman's creativity and resourcefulness as shown through her distinctive quilts. Hunter's quilts- which feature large shapes, bold colors, asymmetrical patterns, and improvisational flair-are an intriguing kaleidoscope of vivid color and design, providing daily-life context to the experience of many African Americans living in the Jim Crow South during the mid-20th century. During her lifetime, Susana made hundreds of quilts by hand, creating beauty from what life offered her. The exhibit will also feature some of Hunter's household items including her quilting frame, sewing scissors and thimbles.

"On March 15, 2007 Henry Ford Museum will also host a special Quilting Genius 2 forum with a panel of experts on Southern culture, improvisational quilts and creative art. ($40 ticket for non-museum members.) ... Speakers will include: Mary Elizabeth Johnson Huff, quilt expert and author of numerous books, is currently directing a statewide project on the documentation of Alabama quilts; Dr. Denise Davis-Maye, an Auburn University professor and a participant in Auburn's "Quilts of Gee's Bend in Context" research project; and Dr. Marsha MacDowell, a nationally-known expert on the cultural context of quilts and a founding member of The Alliance for American Quilts."

Do post a note if you've visited this exhibit! Is there an exhibit catalog? Enjoy!