In honor of Black History Month, the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland, California is sharing a collection of quilts exploring how their communities are linked. “Neighborhoods Coming Together: Quilts Around Oakland” is on display at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah through April 11. Exhibit chair Marion Coleman speaks with Tracy Ross on Sounds Good.
Coleman says the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland has been in existence for over a decade. The original president was a home economics teacher who wanted to make sure the tradition of quilting continued. She and a small group of women started the guild in 2000.
The guild began planning this project about 3 years ago. Coleman says the goal was to get people in community to make quilts that represented their home. Some guild members started making their quilts and others reached out to senior organizations, school groups, and nonprofits to engage the community in the project. Coleman says the colorful quilts center around a range of topics like the city’s environment, featuring the hills and trees of Oakland as well as Lake Merritt, other focus on the city’s cultural diversity, some emphasize the skyline. Others dive into the history of the city. Coleman says one quilt is a three dimensional portrait of a woman journalist who documented African American life in the early 20th century. Coleman’s own quilt depicts the Oakland Firestorm of 1991.
Coleman says she hopes those who visit the exhibit at the National Quilt Museum will think about how they can express the stories of their communities and cities through quilting and maybe start their own project.
