Gee’s Bend Quilts Star in a Beautiful New Furniture Collection

The Gee’s Bend textile artists, including Loretta Pettway, Delia Bennett, Annie E. Pettway, Magdalene Wilson, and Mary Lee Bendolph, have inspired a new furniture collection. Their renowned kaleidoscopic quilt patterns are being translated into a vibrant home furnishing line by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Cloth & Company, a Chicago-based firm. This collaboration marks a fresh approach to bringing the celebrated artwork of these Alabama artists into people’s homes, following various other reproductions like puzzles, notecards, and scarves. The Gee’s Bend quilts gained international recognition through an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in 2002. The current furniture collection is a direct outgrowth of the "Souls Grown Deep: Artists of the African American South" exhibition, which was hosted by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2019. Christine Kostyrka, the director of retail at the Philadelphia museum, was deeply inspired by the quilts during this exhibition and recognized their potential for furniture reproductions. Kostyrka initiated the collaboration by contacting Meganne Wecker, founder of Cloth & Company. Wecker embraced the concept, leading to engagement with the artists and their estates. The project also involved Dilys Blum, senior curator of costume and textiles at the museum, to ensure the quilters' narratives and the integrity of their handiwork were respected and accurately represented. The goal was to tell the quilters' stories and honor their traditional craft through this new medium. The collection comprises sixteen upholstered furniture and décor items, such as chairs, headboards, pillows, and ottomans. Each piece is adorned with reproductions of five specific quilts from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s permanent collection. The nature of the quilt patterns lends itself particularly well to furniture upholstery, with the reproductions meticulously capturing the visual texture, including wrinkles and patinas, that characterize the original hand-stitched works. This attention to detail makes the furniture appear as if it is upholstered with the actual quilts. These exclusive pieces are retailed solely through the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s retail store. The store provides comprehensive biographies of the featured artists and historical context for each quilt design, enriching the consumer's understanding and appreciation of the art. Each furniture item is made to order by Cloth & Company in Chicago and typically delivered within three weeks of purchase. A significant aspect of this initiative is that every sale generates royalties for the artists, providing a direct benefit to the Gee's Bend community and acknowledging their invaluable artistic contributions. This collaboration not only celebrates the work of these talented women but also offers a unique way for individuals to incorporate these iconic designs and their rich cultural legacy into their living spaces. #GeeBendQuilts #FurnitureCollection #TextileArt #HomeDecor #PhiladelphiaMuseumOfArt #ClothAndCompany #AfricanAmericanArt #CulturalHeritage #HandcraftedDesign #GeeBendQuilts #FurnitureCollection #TextileArt #HomeDecor #PhiladelphiaMuseumOfArt #ClothAndCompany #AfricanAmericanArt #CulturalHeritage #HandcraftedDesign

25 months ago

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