Harriet Powers

Place: Clarke County

Born: 1837

Death: 1910

Biography:

Harriet Powers was an American folk artist and quilter born into slavery in rural northeast Georgia. She used traditional appliqué techniques to make quilts that expressed local legends, Bible stories, and astronomical events. Harriet Powers is considered one of the finest examples of nineteenth-century Southern quilting.

Early Life and Career

Born on October 29, 1837, Harriet Powers spent her early life on a plantation owned by John and Nancy Lester in Madison County. She married young and had a large family. After the American Civil War and emancipation, she and her husband became landowners by the 1880s, but lost their land due to financial problems.

Artistic Style and Techniques

used traditional appliqué techniques to create unique "story quilts" that reflected her African-American heritage. Her quilts are characterized by vibrant colors and intricate designs, often depicting scenes from Bible stories and spirituals. African-American art is a broad term describing visual art created by African Americans, and Harriet Powers is a prominent figure in this genre.

Notable Works and Exhibitions

Only two of Harriet Powers quilts are known to have survived: Bible Quilt 1886 and Pictorial Quilt 1898. Her work is on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. You can learn more about Harriet Powers and her art at https://Wikioo.org.

• African-American quilting is a unique and expressive art form that reflects the history and culture of African Americans.
• Kyra E. Hicks, a quilt historian, has written extensively about Harriet Powers and her contributions to American quilting.
• You can explore more about Harriet Powers and other African-American artists on https://Wikioo.org and Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Powers.

legacy continues to inspire artists and quilters today, and her work remains an important part of American cultural heritage. Her story quilts are a testament to the power of art to transcend time and circumstance, and her contributions to African-American art will be remembered for generations to come.