Once you have made a booking, you will receive a notification by email with information about your event. If you have general queries about attending Talks at IMMA please see our Frequently Asked Questions page below.
Join Georgie Thompson (IMMA Exhibitions) for an in-gallery conversation and walk-through of the current exhibition, Kith & Kin, The Quilts of Gee’s Bend presented at IMMA.
This talk introduces the rich context that gave rise to the distinct tradition of making quilts in Gee’s Bend area, and its community of over five generations of Black American quiltmakers located on the banks of the Alabama River. Artistically, the work of the Gee’s Bend quiltmakers is renowned for its improvisational style, bold colours, and abstract designs, often compared to modernist art movements such abstract expressionism.
The quilts are a testament to resilience, community, and a legacy woven through generations. Passed down primarily from mother to daughter, this intergenerational tradition flourished within a tight-knit community grappling with the enduring legacy of slavery, oppression and the fight for civil rights.
In the galleries we will take a closer look at some of the iconic quilts featured in the exhibition, and explore the unexpected patterns, the reuse of fabrics and collaborative modes of making embraced by a community of quilt makers, who foreground the prominence of fabric and textiles in contemporary art.