Laverne Brackens, Texas Quilter is an Award Recipient!

Congratulations to Laverne Bracken of Fairfield, Texas for receiving one of nine 2011 National Endowments for the Arts National Heritage Fellowships for her quilting. You can see more of Mrs. Bracken's quilt at the Quilts and Stories by Sherry Ann blog. You can click here to read about seven other African American quilters who have been Fellowship recipients in the past. Enjoy!

AAQOC Quilts at the Lakeview Library in Oakland, CA

This is the last week that 29 small quilts from the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland are on exhibit at the Lakeview Library, 550 El Embarcadero, in Oakland, California. This is the 8th year the guild has participated in displays at this library. The exhibit is open to the public from Aug 3 - 31, 2011. Enjoy!

“African American Quilters of Los Angeles: A Tradition of Pride” - opens Sept 7, 2011

If you are going to be in the Los Angeles area, “Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity,” an exhibition at the California State University, Dominguez Hills University Art Gallery opens Sept. 7. This exhibit will explore the art of making kente, its symbolism in the cultures of Africa, and its expression of identity in African American communities.

Concurrently, at the University Art Gallery will be the exhibit “African American Quilters of Los Angeles: A Tradition of Pride” curated by African American Quilters of Los Angeles (AAQLA) vice president Estelle Hamilton and the University Art Gallery, and will feature 30 quilts, including those by Ree Adams, Anne Bastiste, Olga Chachere, Linda Country, Linda Gardner, Ernestine Hadley, Estelle Hamilton, Lou Holland Jones, Debra Knox, Sharon Mathews, Judith Nash, Emma Quinn, Elvis Smith, Toni Terrell-Randolph, and Audrey Williams. An anniversary shout-out to AAQLA, which is celebrating 25 glorious, stitching years in 2011! Both exhibits run through October 18, 2011.

Read more: The Downey Patriot - African cloth on exhibit at university. Enjoy!

Chris Clark, Alabama Quilter 1958 - 2011

My prayers are to the family of Chris Clark, a popular Alabama quilter and folk artist, who passed away Tuesday from diabetes. I first became acquainted with Chris' distinctive painted quilts when I was researching Black Threads: An African American Quilting Sourcebook. I was able to speak with him on the phone and hear him share how he first got started quilting. He also let me know one of his quilts was used for a musical CD cover, Laser's Edge American Sampler (1999). I was able to see one of Chris' quilts in person at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum. WOW - what he could do with a nine-patch block and paint! You can see more of his quilts at:

• Chris Clark Art website
• Visionary Art website

According to the Birmingham News, Chris is survived by his wife Deborah Clark; his daughter, Tameika Clark; his mother, Kathleen Clark; and father, Ocie Clark Sr. You can leave a note to his family on Chris' memorial page on Legacy.com. (The photo of Chris here is from the Birmingham News article. Blessings.

Vlisco African Prints - Fashion Catalog July 2011

Just saw the new Vlisco ad campaign on their website. There is video of the runway show! And, if you click here, a copy of the catalog with fashion photos like the two here. Can you see a quilt made from these fabrics!? Enjoy!

Mixed Greens: Saving the Earth One Quilt At A Time - book now available!

Congratulations to Gwen Maxwell-William and the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters guild for publishing "Mixed Greens: Saving the Earth One Quilt At A Time," a catalog featuring environmental and recycle themed quilts. The 64-page, full-color catalog is available from Blurb.

The quilts are on exhibit at the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum in La Conner, Washington from June 29 to October 2, 2011. The exhibit is curated by Deborah Boone – quilter/fiber artist and member of the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters. Enjoy!

Baltimore Book Festival - Join Kyra Hicks and Maria Murnane

If you are going to be in the Baltimore, Maryland area September 23 - 25, do stop by the Baltimore Book Festival! On Saturday, I will join Maria Murnane, the award-winning author of Perfect on Paper, a novel for anyone who has ever run into an ex looking like crap, to give a fun workshop on how to get published. Together we will explain the difference between traditional and self-publishing and provide a clear, step-by-step guide to each. We'll cover the pros and cons of both routes to help you weigh them against your goals as an author! Terry McMillian and Tavis Smiley will be at the Festival, too! Enjoy!