DECATUR – The Alabama Center for the Arts is hosting a Quilting Workshop with members of the Quilters of Gee’s Bend. This workshop is a small part of many activities planned in conjunction with Heritage of Hope, a collaborative effort by Decatur City Schools, Alabama Center for the Arts, Carnegie Visual Art Center, Decatur Historical Society, Decatur Public Library, Decatur Youth Enrichment, Morgan County Archives, and the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The free workshop is planned for Friday, February 19 from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Workshop leaders include Mary Ann Pettway and China Pettway from Gee’s Bend, Alabama.
Enjoy a morning of quilting by learning from the most acclaimed quilters in recent history. Bring scraps of fabric or old clothes (denim, khaki, solids, or children’s clothing), needle and thread, iron and ironing board (if portable), scissors, thimble, and a sewing machine (optional, you may stitch by hand) to participate in this exciting opportunity. The Quilters of Gee’s Bend will instruct participants in the basics of quilting and provide information on the history of their organization.
The Quilters of Gee’s Bend is a group of women who live or have ancestors who live or have lived in the isolated African-American hamlet of Gee’s Bend, Alabama along the Alabama River. The quilters are considered to be unique and one of the most important African-American visual and cultural contributors to the history of art within the United States.
The Alabama Center for the Arts is located in downtown Decatur at 133 2nd Avenue NE. Space is limited for this free event so reservations are necessary. Please call 256-260-4299 or email info@alabamacenterforthearts.org to register.
Media Release/Guy McClure/Athens State University
