Prints by Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend

Exhibition Dates:  June 16 – August 11 (extended)

[Pictured, clockwise from upper left: Louisiana Bendolph, “American Housetop For The Arnetts,” Mary Lee Bendolph, “Put Together,” Loretta Pettway, “Lazy Gal,” Loretta Bennett, “Blues”]

Sarah Shepard Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of prints from four female quilters of Gee’s Bend: Louisiana Bendolph, Mary Lee Bendolph, Loretta Bennett & Loretta Pettway.

In collaboration with Paulson Fontaine Press, the show features ten etchings made between 2005-2014. For this body of work, the quilters were invited by Paulson Fontaine Press to come to Berkeley from Gee’s Bend, Alabama, to partner with the team in order to conceptualize and realize a print based on their quiltmaking tradition.

Visits were made to local shops in order to purchase fabrics which would be assembled in a composition that would make its way onto the printing press. The way in which the fabrics were embedded into the paper take on a set of values very different than a quilt and the results offer a wonderful compliment to one another.

For some of these quilters it was their first trip to the West Coast.

For more information and images of all ten prints, please visit our website.