Last Look

First by Louisiana P. Bendolph | Color aquatint and softground etching on paper, 31″ x 27″
Grand Strand Magazine | December – January 2017

Since their first appearance at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 2002, the quilts of Gee’s Bend have been the subject of national critical acclaim and popularity. Made by multiple generations of African-American women from the isolated, rural community of Gee’s Bend (now Boykin), Alabama, these quilts have been compared to the likes of high modernist paintings, as well as improvisational jazz. With their innovative compositions of bold patterns, colors and textures, these masterful quilts continue to occupy the imagination of the American public.

The Franklin G. Burroughs – Simon B. Chapin Art Museum will bring a selection of these national treasures to a South Carolina audience for a second time with Gee’s Bend: From Quilts to Prints. The exhibition wil be on display December 8 through April 23, 2017. Visitors will learn about the history of the Gee’s bend community, be able to trace the artists’ process of translating their ideas from fabric to print and be inspired by the stunning work of four significant American artists: Mary Lee Bendolph (b. 1935), Loretta Pettway (b. 1942), Louisana P. Bendolph (b. 1960) and Loretta Bennett (b. 1960).