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Ode to Harriet Powers

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QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-6741

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Women of Color Quilters Network; Quilts and Human Rights; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

15.0104

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

2014:55.34

Essay:

Thank you "ancestral grandmother," for the legacy you left for us: two glorious Bible quilts, one in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the other in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Your artistry inspires us. Your vision allows us to see what your eyes could not behold. Your quilts not only connect quilter to quilter, but also culture to culture. Your messages of faith, hope, and redemption embrace the spirit of humanity, such gracious gifts to bestow on your "ancestral" grandchildren and fellow artists. We are indeed humble.

I show Harriet Powers (1837-1911) at the center of the quilt surrounded by my interpretations of her imagery. I created Ode to Harriet Powers to honor this wonderful quilt artist. During and after my research I felt so connected to her that she became a kindred spirit for me. I could think of no better way to honor this master artist than to create a quilt commemorating her and her work. I made the quilt with the intention of having it on display in as many exhibitions as possible so that Powers' legacy would be revealed to many people. I made the quilt with the knowledge that it might be the closest I would ever get to place a tombstone on her grave, the search for which sparked my initial research.
-- by Peggie Hartwell

Quilt's title:

Ode to Harriet Powers

Who helped you fill out the form?

Aleia Brown

When was the form filled out?

2/28/2017

Quilt top made by:

Hartwell, Peggy

Quilted by:

Hartwell, Peggy

Where the quilt was made, city:

Summerville

Where the quilt was made, state:

South Carolina (SC)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Quilt is presently used as:

Artwork/wall hanging

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

African American

Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group? Name of the group?

Women of Color Quilters Network

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

48"

How long is the quilt?

43"

What color is the quilt?

Black; Brown; Gray; Green; Purple; Red; Teal; Yellow; White

Type of inscription:

Message; Single Inscription

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Ode to Harriet Powers Peggy Hartwell

Location of inscription:

on back

Describe where the inscription was found:

Near the bottom left side of the quilt

Describe the quilt's layout:

Pictorial

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

How are the layers held together?

Machine quilting

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Quilting African American Women's History: Our Challenges, Creativity, and Champions

Person filling out this form is:

Quilt collector

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public- Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's city:

East Lansing

Quilt owner's county:

Ingham

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

How was this quilt acquired?

Received as a gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

From the Collection of Carolyn Mazloomi

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum, all rights reserved

Cite this Quilt

Hartwell, Pegg. Ode to Harriet Powers. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Women of Color Quilters Network; Quilts and Human Rights; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-6741. Accessed: 03/28/24

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