Gee’s Bend Quilters share their work, history at exhibit

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In collaboration with the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy, four members of the Gee’s Bend Quilters spoke and provided demonstrations at an exhibit Thursday, presented by AIR Artists and the Cotton Street Gallery. Pictured are Gee’s Bend Quilters, from left, Loretta Pettway Bennett, Jennifer Abrams, Stella Pettway and Emma Mooney Pettway. (PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANKENSHIP)

Gee’s Bend quilter Loretta Pettway demonstrates quilting
techniques during as part of Thursday’s exhibit. (PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANKENSHIP)

Andalusia’s Cotton Street Gallery and AIR Artists, Inc. hosted an exhibition of Gee’s Bend Quilts Thursday at the Andalusia L&N Train Depot, with four members of the group on hand to talk about the long and historic legacy of the quilters and provide demonstrations.

Quilters representing Gee’s Bend were Loretta Pettway Bennett, Jennifer Abrams, Stella Pettway and Emma Mooney Pettway. Bennett shared the history of the group and each shared their own family stories.

The event was a collaboration with the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy, an organization that developed from the original Freedom Quilting Bee, which began in 1966 during the Civil Rights Movement. The FQBL was created to ensure the work and history of the Gee’s Bend Quilters is remembered and passed down to new generations.

The original Freedom Quilting Bee originated in the Gee’s Bend area of Alberta in Wilcox County where black residents were being evicted from their homes, losing jobs, and having their homes foreclosed on after they registered to vote. An Episcopal priest, Francis X, traveled the area and collected data that was sent to the FBI with the goal of possible prosecutions under newly-passed civil rights legislation, but nothing ever came of those efforts.

However, Francis did see the quilting work of the women of that area and saw economic opportunity for those creating them.

Beginning in 1969, the quilters obtained contracts to provide quality quilts to department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Bonwit Teller. In 1972, they added Sears and Roebuck. Today, the Gee’s Bend Quilters create products for numerous companies and their work has been featured in galleries around the world. In 2006, the Gee’s Bend designs were featured on USPS postage stamps.

With property that was donated, the quilters today run several businesses as part of bringing tourism to the area. Each year, they host the Airing of the Quilts Festival in Boykin, Alabama. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4.

Along with AIR Artists and the Cotton Street Gallery, the exhibit was sponsored by PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, Alabama Humanities Alliance, Andalusia Rotary Club, Clark Trailer Service, Bishop Properties, and the Covington County Historical Society.