People: Quilt's of Gee's Bend

The Gee's Bend (also known as the Boykin community) is a small rural community located in Alabama, USA, on a loop of the Alabama River. It is home to a group of African American women who have gained national and international recognition for their unique quilts.

The quilts made by the women of Gee's Bend are known for their distinctive style, characterized by improvisation, asymmetry, and bold use of color and pattern. The tradition of quilting in Gee's Bend dates back to the 19th century, when enslaved people were brought to the area to work on the plantations. The women of Gee's Bend have continued to make quilts throughout the years, and their work gained recognition in the 1990s, after it was exhibited in museums and galleries across the country.

The quilts of Gee's Bend are celebrated not only for their aesthetic qualities but also for their cultural significance. They are seen as a form of storytelling and as a way to preserve the community's history and traditions. The women of Gee's Bend have been the subject of several exhibitions and books, and their work is included in the collections of many major museums, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C., the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.