Unpacking Collections: The Legacy of Cuesta Benberry, An African American Quilt Scholar Symposium

Michigan State University will host "Unpacking Collections: The Legacy of Cuesta Benberry, An African American Quilt Scholar Symposium" from Friday, October 8 to Sunday, October 10 on the East Lansing campus and the East Lansing Marriott. Click here for registration information. Here's a sample of the activities:

• Tour the exhibit featuring Cuesta Benberry's collection.
• See the new film "The Skin Quilt Project" along with a Q&A by filmmaker Lauren Cross
• Behind the scenes tour of the MSU quilt collection, including its African and African American quilts!
  

On Saturday, October 9 the symposium will include presentations and Q&A by:

• Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, "Building a Legacy: The Collection of the Women of Color Quilters Network 1985 - 2009"
• Dr. Patrica Turner, "Inspired to Document: Cuesta Benberry's Legacy in Quilt Scholarship"
• Merikay Waldvogel, "How a Lot of Paper Changed My Career Path: Using Historical Round Robin Quilt Collections in Modern Quilt Research"
• Kyra Hicks, "Five Collections Held Harriet Powers' Quilt Secrets"

The MSU Museum team responsible for the entire program are: Beth Donaldson, Dr. Marsha MacDowell, Lynne Swanson, Amanda Grace Sikarskie, Pearl Yee Wong, and Mary Worrall. Enjoy!

Ina Dews Donates Quilts to Illinois Museum

Ina Dews of Elgin, Illinois has donated three quilts to the Illinois State Museum, which already had nearly 400 quilts in its collection, according to Irene Boyer, the museum's decorative arts registrar. Interestingly, between five and 20 quilts are donated each year to the museum - and until Ina Dews' donation, not a single quilt - not one! - in the state's collection was made by an African-American quilter, according to a 4/29/08 Daily Herald newspaper article! The three quilts are queen-sized ones. Two were made by Ms. Dews' aunts from Texas and one Ms. Dews made when she was a teenager, according to the article. (Photo from the museum's website.)
I think its wonderful that the three quilts donated by Ms. Ina Dews will be preserved for generations future!

I do also wish that other African American quilts will proactively be included in the Illinois State Museum collection. Heck, Illinois is one of the top 10 states with the highest African American population. Is there an opportunity to preserve quilts from the Busy Fingers Sewing Club of Alton, IL? This African American guild started in 1948. Or, how about the Needles and Threads Quilters Guild of Chicago, which was founded in 1992 and continues today? Just a thought.

African American Art Quilts From the Hackley Collection

"African American Art Quilts From the Hackley Collection" is on exhibit at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft on view through March 29 at 715 W. Main St., Louisville, KY 40202. (502) 589-0102. Hackley is noted Kentucky folk-art collector Larry Hackley of Berea, KY. The quilts include the one in the photo made by Sarah Mary Tyler. Enjoy!

Barbara McCraw Donates Quilt to Museum

Sistah Quilter Barbara McCraw donated her quilt "Three Wishes" (shown here) to the Denton County African American Museum in Denton, Texas. The quilt was featured in a September 2007 raffle. The winning bidder, Jay Stone, graciously donated the quilt back to the museum! Join the Denton County residents in celebrating the Grand Opening of the museum this coming February 2008. Enjoy!

Clark Atlanta University - strip quilts in collection

On exhibit until October 26 at Clark Atlanta University is African Continuum in American Arts and Crafts. Did you know that Dr. Mary Twining, a professor of folklore, and the late art collector Ben Apfelbaum donated to the university's permanent collection "an assortment of strip quilts, sweet grass baskets and wood carvings"? If you have a copy of Black Threads: An African American Quilting Sourcebook, make a note in the chapter on African American quilts in museum collections this addition to Clark Atlanta U. In 2003, my survey of museums indicated there were 585 African American-made quilts in 100 permanent museum collections. I wonder, what is that number today? I wonder what new institutions have been added to the list since 2003. Hmmmmm.