Quilts of Gee's Bend

A 1979 quilt by Lucy Mingo of Gee's Bend, Alabama. It includes a nine-patch center block surrounded by pieced strips.

The quilts of Gee's Bend are quilts created by a group of women and their ancestors who live or have lived in the isolated African-American hamlet of Gee's Bend, Alabama along the Alabama River.

The quilting tradition can be dated back to the nineteenth century and endures to this day. The residents of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, are direct descendants of the enslaved people who worked the cotton plantation established in 1816 by Joseph Gee.

The quilts of Gee's Bend are among the most important African-American visual and cultural contributions to the history of art within the United States.[1] The women of Gee’s Bend have gained international attention and acclaim for their artistry, with exhibitions of Gee's Bend quilts held in museums and galleries across the United States and beyond.[2] This recognition has, in turn, brought increased economic opportunities to the community.

  1. ^ Kimmelman, Michael (November 29, 2002). "ART REVIEW; Jazzy Geometry, Cool Quilters". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  2. ^ Dairen, Joshua (December 15, 2023). "From slavery to national fame: The Gee's Bend quilts that changed modern art". al. Retrieved May 29, 2024.