Exhibition: Speak Out by the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle

Caribbean Cultural Center408 W.58th St, bet. 9th and 10thNew York NY 100191, A, B, C, D to 59th St, Columbus CircleMonday  - Friday 10-6pmEvery Saturday in June 2008 11am to 5pmSuggested Donation $5

Press Release

Contacts:     
Monthina Williams
Franklin H. Williams Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute/ mwilliams@cccadi.org
212-307-7420 ext. 3006

Laura Rice
Walker International Communications Group/laura.wicg@gmail.com/718-703-2260

For Immediate Release
 
CARIBBEAN CULTURAL CENTER
CELEBRATES THE ARTISTRY OF AND SOCIAL COMMENTARY BY THE
HARLEM GIRLS QUILTING CIRCLE
WITH SPEAK OUT! EXHIBIT AND WORKSHOPS

New York, NY (April 21, 2008) — The Franklin H. Williams Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) proudly presents SPEAK OUT!  Works By the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle through Friday, June 27, 2008 at CCCADI, 408 W. 58th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, in New York City.  CCCADI’s gallery is open to the public Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm. The suggested donation is $5/person.
A series of events has been planned around the exhibit and are as follows:
The Sisterhood of Quilting: A Conversation with Harlem Girls Quilting Circle,
Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 6:30-8:30pm, and African Inspired Quilting Workshops led by Ife Felix, a quilting instructor and member of the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle, on Saturday, June 7, 14, and 21, 2:00-4:00pm. These events are free and open to the public but registration is required.

Armed with the fabrics of their craft, the members of Harlem Girls Quilting Circle (HGQC) offer social commentary through quilts.  The pieces featured in SPEAK OUT! reflect the issues that affect the members’ lives.  Through SPEAK OUT!, as fiber correspondents, HGQC members question and offer dialogue about matters of community, family, human rights, gentrification, politics, culture, solidarity, economics, education, and religion.

“SPEAK OUT! is the continuation of a comprehensive look at social issues as we create a quilting revolution. Our threads of consciousness vibrate and produce positive change for our communities as our ancestral roots warrant,” says HGQC member Michelle Y. Bishop. HGQC’s provocative quilts not only inspire viewers to question society but the images motivate viewers to resolve problems faced by the African Diaspora. 

These socially conscious quilters are known for thinking and quilting outside the proverbial box, generating work that challenges their artistic abilities, and garnering international attention because of their thought provoking work.  This progressive group of women, staples in New York City’s African dance community, are well-traveled professionals, mothers, daughters, sisters, multitasking women who meet monthly to explore the art of quilting, enjoy the camaraderie of sisterhood and escape the busyness of their daily lives.
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HGQC sets the tone for the urban quilter with an aesthetic that is exclusively the group’s own. These women aren’t small town retirees but rather cosmopolitan griots whose works are grounded in African cultural traditions, depict contemporary New York City life, and reflect each member’s own distinct quilting style. 

Founding member Ife Felix says, “We are folk artists who are continuing the tradition of style and craftsmanship of quilting in the African Diaspora with a modern day twist.  We don’t resign our craft to only historical quilt patterns or just gifts for family members; it goes far beyond to teaching the history, engaging new audiences and creating an appreciation of needle and textile art in our community and beyond.  Our freedom of expression has created a journey which represents a celebration of our culture and a tribute to our ancestors.” SPEAK OUT! features the following HGQC members: Lucinda Alexander, Anna Alvarez, Michelle Y. Bishop, Ife Felix, Laura R. Gadson, Gwen Jones-Diallo, Pat Mabry, Myna Majors, Robyn Mahone-Lonesome and Paula Wynter

Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, CCCADI’s president, CEO and founder, says, “This quilting tradition proudly lives on in contemporary African Diaspora women who understand the importance of recording our history, preserving our aesthetic vision and continuing to evolve our trajectory as a community into the 21st Century.”  CCCADI is honored to present SPEAK OUT! Works By the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle and invites the public to join this celebration of artistry, history, cultural heritage, and social commentary.

For more information on CCCADI and its programs, including the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle’s SPEAK OUT! exhibit and workshops contact Monthina Williams at 212-307-7420 ext. 3006 or mwilliams@cccadi@org.