A Piece of My Soul: Quilts by Black Arkansans

by Cuesta Benberry

Arkansas is well known for its rich tradition of upland folk arts. Little, however, has been reported from the lowland areas, particulary on African American contributions to the state's cultural heritage. A Piece of My Soul: Quilts by Black Arkansans seeks to rectify that oversight by drawing attention to the extensive, important collection of African American quilts in the Old State House Museum in Little Rock. Over seventy-five individual pieces of patchwork art are presented in this publication in full-color plates, each with a commentary by the exhibit's guest curator, Cuesta Benberry. The book details the importance of quilting to black Arkansans; the quilts' uses, materials and construction; and what each piece says about the artist and her beliefs. We are granted a glimpse into the living conditions and cultural mores of the quilters' lives. Regionalisms, such as the unusual custom of renaming traditional quilt patterns for things seen in the farmyard, such as Rooster Tail or Chicken Feet, and of piecing patchwork funerary cloths to decorate coffins are discussed. This impressive collection of cultural artifacts is placed in the larger context of the African American experience through an introduction by noted scholar Raymond Dobard (art history, Howard University), co-author, with Jacqueline Tobin, of the highly acclaimed book, Hidden in Plain View: The Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad (1999, Doubleday). All those interested in American folk art, the quilting craft, and black history will find this beautiful book fascinating and rewarding.

Genres: Quilting

158 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Gwen Humphries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great research book with information on quilts pieced and quilted by African Americans from the state of Arkansas. The pictures and descriptions of the quilts are amazing.

[Jean Carlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

For years I’ve been interested in the improvisational quilts seen often in the south or rural areas where ‘making do’ with what you had resulted in off-beat and fascinating compositions. Though there were some statements I questioned in the text and the writing at times was a bit cumbersome, the quilts and the stories of their makers made up for it. A key point that Benberry, the guest curator of this exhibit at the Old State Museum House in Little Rock, Arkansas, wanted to make is that “diversity is the hallmark of African American quilt making.” It became a widespread belief that improvisational, asymmetrical, poorly constructed quilts defined the quilts made by African Americans (AA)– especially in the south. Her findings is that there is not one quintessential AA model. The book is arranged with text first and all the full color quilt photos at the back which made for lots of back and forth with a finger in the quilt section to be able to study the quilt being described. I ended up thinking it was good because the quilts were full page and could be viewed without the distraction of the text. I took lots of notes on specific quilts and made notes in the margins with my thoughts. I believe in writing in my books! A favorite citation as the end of the book, “…we know from the records women left and from extant quilts, many in mint condition,that women created more of them than necessity demanded. Quilts became a vehicle through which women could express themselves; utilitarian objects elevated through enterprise, imagination and love to the status of an original art form.” (from Elaine Hedges, “The Nineteenth-Century Diarist and Her Quilts.”
I recommend to anyone interested in American Folk Art, black history and of course, quilts.