HERstory Quilts: A Celebration of Strong Women

"Quiet Storm" by Nneka K. Gamble

Well before the word "Covid" became part of our daily vocabulary, Patricia Turner approached the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers about hosting an exhibit entitled "Women Take Issue." The Center liked the idea. In fact, they liked it so much that they asked if she could curate exhibits for all three of the Center's gallery spaces.  Never one to turn down a challenge, she agreed. 

Patricia's vision included one gallery focused on art celebrating the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote. (The original exhibit was scheduled for 2020 after all.) When the shows were postponed to February 2022 due to Covid, Turner embraced the nexus with Black History Month. She pivoted to a selection from the HERstory Quilts collection celebrating strong African-American women. What a show! 

When I entered the room, I was surrounded by images of both women with whom I was familiar and women to whom I was being introduced for the first time. There was Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth and Ruby Bridges and Barbara Jordan. And of course no such exhibit would be complete without a depiction of Rosa Parks. I loved artist Nneka Gamble's inclusion of an "EQUAL" sign in place of arrest information in Parks' mug shot.  

"Nina: A Theme with Variations" 
by Sherri Culver

Another portrait featured Nina Simone, the self-described "freedom singer" who originally trained -- at Julliard no less -- to be a classical pianist. The depiction had as much energy in it as Simone herself. 

Simone might be best known for "Mississippi Goddam," a song that became a Civil Rights anthem. The song was an outpouring of anger and grief about the racially motivated murders of Emmett Till and Medgar Evers. She is said to have written it in a single hour. 

Not surprisingly, "Mississippi Goddam" was banned in several Southern states at the time of its release. (I'm sure DeSantis would like to ban it today.) Hundreds of copies of the record that had been sent to radio stations and record stores were broken in half and returned. 

But every coin (and record) has two sides. "Mississippi Goddam" was a rallying cry to those fighting against racism. Simone performed the song in front of a crowd of 10,000 people at the end of the marches from Selma to Montgomery. In 2019 the song was chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." To watch Simone sing her anthem, click here. 

"Nichelle Nichols: The Next Generation"
by Joanne S. Best

I was never a Trekkie (I know, big surprise) so I had no idea who Nichelle Nichols was when I came upon this quilt. A careful look, though, reveals that she's making the Vulcan salute in one of the images. A clue!  

Each wall card for the exhibit included detailed information about why the artist chose to depict her subject. After explaining that Nichols' involvement with "Star Trek" was intended to "add a little color to the bridge," Joanne S. Best wrote (in part): "Many taboo subjects got past the censors by being staged on other worlds, not the least of which was the first televised interracial kiss. Nichols has continued to support girls entering the sciences and has been an asset in recruiting minority and female personnel into NASA...including Sally Ride, Mae Jemison and Charles Bolden."

In addition to the wall cards, viewers were invited to make a call to hear more from the artist about her work. If you have a couple of minutes, call 703-520-6404 ext. 1467 for some insight from Best. There is a lot of intention behind each component of her work, including the X's and O's that commemorate that groundbreaking kiss.  

"Liberte de l'air" by Ricki S. Selva

I'll leave you with a portrait of Bessie Coleman, a groundbreaking stunt pilot. It was a long way from the cotton fields of Texas where Coleman was raised to Le Crotoy, France where she received her flight training. (In the U.S., Coleman's identity as a Black woman gave flight schools two reasons to reject her.) At the age of 29, she obtained her international pilot's license and came back to the United States to show off her stuff. 

Coleman (who became known as "Queen Bess") appeared at air shows performing tricks like loop-the-loops. The mere thought of it makes me nauseous. She also spoke at churches, schools and theaters about attaining her dream (with video that surely impressed her audiences). While Coleman needed the money from these engagements to finance her career, she would only speak at venues that permitted mixed race audiences. 

Coleman's final flight was a test run with her mechanic at the controls. She was 34 years old. A stray wrench became stuck in the engine, and the plane flipped over. Coleman was not wearing a seat belt and fell 3,000 feet to her death. The mechanic crashed the plane and also died. It was a dramatic ending to the life of a woman who truly lived her dream. 

Each quilt in the exhibit was wonderful, and I wanted more. Happily, there's a book! The quilts shown here are just four of the 108 mixed media fiber art works included in "HERstoryQuilts: A Celebration of Strong Women." The book was put together by Susanne Miller Jones, who also curated the exhibit. I am looking forward to receiving my copy.  

Here's to inspiring women everywhere!