Mississippi Cultural Crossroads
From QuiltIndex
"David and Patty Crosby of Port Gibson, Mississippi, founded Mississippi Cultural Crossroads, a unique and award-winning center recognized as a national model for community-based arts and quilt-related documentation, interpretation, education, marketing, economic development, and community-building. The couple met in high school in Ohio and moved to rural Mississippi with their three daughters in 1973. With a passion for education and a dedication to equality and social justice, the Crosbys have devoted a lifetime to projects that document history and culture, build experiences for young people, and promote artistic expression for all members of their community.
As director of MCC, Patty brought her talents as a photographer, teacher, arts administrator and community activist to her work managing artist residencies (including local quilters in classrooms and adult workshops), leading oral history projects, advising community groups (such as Crossroads Quilters), teaching summer art, serving on school committees and brownie troops, and photographing people and activities throughout the community. David, a professor of English and Communications at Alcorn State University (now emeritus), has conducted oral history projects, written plays and directed and acted in MCC theatre productions, and described local traditions in publications such as Quilts and Quiltmaking in Claiborne County - all while maintaining an active academic career in English drama and literature . They have each served on county, state, and national boards and panels for arts, education, community development and the humanities."
- source: Alliance for American Quilts, Quilt Treasures Project Amanda.sikarskie 12:58, 28 October 2008 (EDT)
- See Oral Histories for more information on Quilt Treasures and other projects of the Alliance for American Quilts.
Crossroads Quilters
Mississippi Cultural Crossroads is the home of the Crossroads Quilters. "Crossroads Quilters is a group of women, most of them African Americans, who display and sell their one-of-a-kind hand-made quilts through Mississippi Cultural Crossroads in Port Gibson, Mississippi. Together they are celebrating the traditional quilting heritage of their community while creating educational and economic opportunities for its citizens.
Each quilter is a craftsperson in her own right, making the myriad decisions about material, design, color, technique, and spirit that mark each quilt as the unique product of a vision that is both individual and shared. Many quilts are wholly the work of a single craftsperson; others are collaborations among several-blocks designed and sewn by some, stripped together by another, quilted by many, bound and finished by yet another. Each is unique, yet part of a shared culture of utility, beauty, and pride in craft."
