Gift of local art historian Cuesta Benberry
By American staff
The Saint Louis Art Museum recently announced the acquisition of “Pine Burr Quilt,” a colorful textile created in 1995 by artist Lucy Mingo in the rural community of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The quilt was given to the museum by Cuesta Benberry, a St. Louis-area historian who is recognized as a pioneer in the study of African-American quilting.
“The quilt has a myriad of fabrics, and the designs basically are what is known in the quilt community as ‘the pine burr design,’” Benberry told the American.
“The design is savored especially by Southern African Americans, but it is not solely an African-American design. It does date from the 19th century. At that time it was made by both white and black Americans, but it seems to have become African-American design of choice – especially Southern, rural blacks make that quilt to display their expertise.”
Benberry, who lives in North St. Louis, will be among the 2007 “significant alumni honored” by Harris-Stowe State University with a luncheon on April 27 at the Missouri Athletic Club.
Mingo, who made “Pine Burr Quilt,” is part of the Gee’s Bend Quilters Collective. The group, located in a small rural town near Selma, Ala., has passed down quilting techniques for more than six generations. The quilters have a distinctive quilting style based on traditional American and African-American quilts. Their quilts also exhibit a geometric simplicity that recalls Amish quilts and modern art.
“Pine Burr Quilt” was on view at the museum in 2006 as part of the textile
installation “African American Quilts: A Storied Tradition.” Other works in the installation included an original Whig Rose quilt made by slave labor on a
plantation near Richmond, Kentucky around 1860, and an award quilt created
in honor of Benberry by Faith Ringgold, a renowned artist known for her
painted story quilts. In 2004, Benberry received the quilt as part of a lifetime achievement award for her distinguished scholarship from the “Anyone Can Fly Foundation,” an organization established by Ringgold to aid African Americans in the arts.
The donation of “Pine Burr Quilt” is considered to be a substantial donation, but not out of the ordinary. Walker said donors, like Benberry, often help to fill out the museum’s collection and maintain its existing reputation.
“The museum depends on the generosity of many individuals who are committed to maintaining the museum’s world-class status,” said Andrew Walker, assistant director for curatorial affairs and curator of American art.
“This important quilt serves as a testament to the significance of the art of African-American quilting.”
Benberry’s contributions to quilting spans nearly 50 years. Throughout her
distinguished career, she has published numerous books and articles that
document the innovative and influential research she has completed on the
history and practice of quilting. In April 2006, the museum honored Benberry
with a tribute the African-American quilt-making tradition.
“We appreciate Cuesta Benberry’s generous gift to the museum and recognize her outstanding contributions to the advancement of this art form,” said Walker.
Admission to the Saint Louis Art Museum is free to all every day; featured
exhibition admission is free on Fridays. Call 314.721.0072 or visit www.slam.org.
