Mary Lee Bendolph, Gee's Bend Quilts and Beyond exhibit celebrates the women artists of Gee's Bend, a small African American community in rural Alabama where, even today, only a single road leads in and out.
Accordingly, the region's quilts reflect the passing of time slowed to a trickle; local creative traditions have persisted without interruption since the 19th century. The aesthetic visions of "the Benders," as they are known, borrow as heavily from West African textiles as from modern, bold jazz refrains.
Last evening, nearly a dozen of these fearsome needle-and-thread talents arrived in Austin. Spanning generations, they traveled from Alabama by bus (a few of them are afraid to fly). And, though probably exhausted from the journey, they still managed to hug everyone in sight when they made their first official stop at AMoA this morning.
Consider joining in their good-vibe fest. A virtual olympiad of Gee's Bend activity descends upon our city until Nov. 5 at the AMOA.
http://www.amoa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ex_CurrentDowntownExhibition
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