Gee's Bend Quilts and Beyond:
Louisiana Bendolph, Mary Lee Bendolph, Thornton Dial & Lonnie Holley
In the Bartlett Wing Through
May 11, 2008

This exhibition takes an in-depth look at the creative vision of a master quilt-maker, Mary Lee Bendolph, and the intersecting artistic worlds in which she participates. This exhibit examines Bendolph's inspiration and creative process as well as her profound connection to the cultural practices and expressive traditions from which her work arises. Twelve dramatically designed, richly colored, improvisational quilts created by Mary Lee Bendolph and her family members; her mother Aolar Mosely, her daughter, Essie B. Pettway, and her daughter-in-law Louisiana P. Bendolph, are presented alongside complex and evocative found object sculptures by noted African American self-taught artists Thornton Dial and visionary "yard art" artist Lonnie Holley. Intaglio prints by Mary Lee Bendolph and her daughter-in-law Louisiana P. Bendolph, (Photo above: Mary Lee Bendolph in front of the intaglio print "To Honor Mr. Dial") along with documentary films about all of the artists provide further context for their creative exchange. As the deep social and aesthetic networks of these six artists intersect, they give rise to new pathways of artistic influence, resulting in a power mixture of communal and individual creative energies.

The exhibition is presented by Fidelity Investments. The exhibition catalogue is sponsored by Anderson Rogers Foundation. The exhibition is co-organized by the Austin Museum of Art» and Tinwood Alliance of Atlanta. At the Museum of International Folk Art, the exhibition and programs are made possible with generous support from the International Folk Art Foundation, the Museum of New Mexico Foundation» , and the Folk Art Committee.

Textile Resources | NM Fiber Arts Trails|2004 Quilts|Curriculum

Gee's Bend Quilts and Beyond
opens at the Knoxville Museum of Art» July 10, 2008


Public Programs:

Saturday December 1, 2007
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Museum of New Mexico Foundation Gift Shops present selected artists from the New Mexico Fiber Arts Trail» Quilt Show and Sale in the Museum auditorium. See Newspaper Ad »

Sunday December 2, 2007
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Museum of New Mexico Foundation Gift Shops present selected artists from the New Mexico Fiber Arts Trail» Quilt Show and Sale in the Museum auditorium.

Photo, right: Louisiana P. Bendolph
Housetop Variation, 2003. Cotton, 90 x 81 inches, Collection of the the Tinwood Alliance.


Sunday, January 20, 2008
1:00 - 4:00 pm
Martin Luther King Holiday Program.
Gallery Talk with artist Mary Lee Bendolph Gallery Talk, cosponsored by the Textile Arts Alliance, and join artist Lonnie Holley at 2 p.m. for a participatory sculpture project. By Museum admission, New Mexico residents FREE on Sundays!

Monday, January 21, 2008
Museum closed
Visiting Artists will be attending the Martin Luther King Day celebration at the Capitol Rotunda, please visit http://www.santafenm.gov

Inaugural Lecture
Sunday, February 3, 2008
3:00 pm
Dr. Leslie King-Hammond, Dean of Graduate Studies, Maryland Institute College of Art, on the Quilters of Gee's Bend. First in the Contemporary African American Art & Identity Series.

Sunday, March 2, 2008
3:00 pm
Sarah E. Lewis, Visiting Professor, Yale University School of Art, on African American Photography. This lecture is cosponsored by the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum» and is the second in the Contemporary African American Art & Identity Series. By Museum Admission, New Mexico residents with I.D. free on Sundays.

Sunday March 30, 2008
1 to 4 p.m.
Quilting Demonstration
The Chimayo Valley quilters will demonstrate and discuss how to make baby welcoming quilts. The simple block construction highlights diverse quilting techniques including appliqué, embroidery and traditional patterns. All use recycled fabric scraps and include the child's name and date of birth. The quilts are filled with polyester batting, backed with pinwhale corduroy and tied with colorful yarn. Instructions for making baby-welcoming quilts will be available during the demonstration. By Museum admission, New Mexico residents FREE on Sundays!



FREE FIRST WEDNESDAYS ON MUSEUM HILL!
OPEN LATE & FREE
Wednesday May 7, 2008
5:00 to 7:30 p.m.. Gee's Bend Quilts & Beyond gallery talk with Annie Carlano, Curator of North American and European Collections, Museum of International Folk Art begins at 6 p.m. Enjoy a complementary ebverage and concessions in the Atrium by Walter Burke Catering, of the Museum Hill Cafe. Enjoy exhibitions at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture», the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art» and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian». Free first Wednesdays continue on Museum Hill through October!


Contemporary African American
Art and Identity Lecture Series
The Museum of International Folk Art, The Textile Arts Alliance and The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum present a series of lectures. All three lectures are on Sunday afternoon in the Museum Auditorium, and are by Museum admission New Mexico Residents with I.D. Admitted Free every Sunday. Photo, Left:
Lonnie Holley
Support for the Burning Spirit
1987
Paper roll, crutches, coat hangers, burned cloth.
52.5 x 23 x 15.5 inches
Collection of the Tinwood Alliance

Sunday, May 11, 2008
3:00 pm
Randall Morris, Independent Scholar, New York, on African American Vernacular Artists. Final lecture in the Contemporary African Art & Identity Series; FINAL DAY TO SEE THIS EXHIBITION IN SANTA FE! By Museum admission, New Mexico residents FREE on Sundays!