The Skin Quilt Project is a documentary that explores colorism in the African-American community. The film addresses this complex issue through the stories of African-American quilters, and the tradition of an artform that celebrates its culture. The quilters speak of the influence of the African-American quilting tradition as a tool for encouraging an appreciation in the African-American cultural heritage.
Colorism has been a long disputed issue within the African-American community, however, filmmaker Lauren Cross speculates that African-American quilters are much more grounded in their African roots. As Quilt historian Carolyn Mazloomi explains, African-American quilters "are joined by the thread of a needle” in which the quilting medium leaves no room for “color issues.”
As many African-American quilters come from families who have passed down quilting techniques to their children and grandchildren, today’s quilters represent African-American men and women who have become concerned with telling the story of their cultural heritage. In The Skin Quilt Project, the quilters tell the story of skin color politics in African-American culture, yet realizing the power of quilting to empower self-confidence in their community.
About the Artist:
Lauren Cross is a writer, activist, and interdisciplinary artist working in mixed media, photography, media arts, and installation art. Her current research interests include the issues of colorism and the “color complex” within the African American community, and her current work addresses ideals of beauty, race, and skin complexion in media imagery. She is also the founder and editor of CVAAD Projects( www.cvaad.com), an online blog and resource for contemporary visual art of the African diaspora. She received her BA in Art, Design, and Media from Richmond, The American International University in London, England, and MFA in Visual Arts from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA. She is currently a doctoral student in Women's Studies at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas.
For more information,
please contact us at:
info@skinquiltproject.com
Quilting and Participant Links:
www.artbysshine.com
www.wendellgeorgebrown.net
http://blackthreads.blogspot.com
www.bluetrianglequiltguild.com
www.africanamericanartquilt.com
http://auburn.edu/academic/other
/geesbend/home.html
www.carolynlmazloomi.com/
http://richerichardsonartquilts.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/darianurbangriot
www.myspace.com/mahoganylbrowne
Call for quilters, crafters, and vendors for the Walk the RAD Craft and Artisan Market in Fort Worth!
Attention quilters and crafters in the DFW area!! WoCA Projects, an new artist-run artspace in the Riverside Arts District of Fort Worth is looking for artists, crafters, and vendors for the Walk The RAD Craft and Artisan Market on Saturday, December 22nd from 10-6 p.m.
Walk the RAD is a “unique urban experience in the Riverside Arts District.” Check out the flyer below!
So if you are interested in displaying your work or reserving a vendor table the fee is $15. Please email info@wocaprojects.com for more details. We hope that you’ll take this opportunity to sell your quilts, handmade items, and products in Fort Worth!
The Skin Quilt Project DVD…the perfect gift for your favorite quilter or quilt enthusiast…check out our BOGO sale (BUY ONE,GET ONE) today!
From now until December 31st, 2012, Mae’s House Productions is doing an BOGO (Buy One, Get One) sale of The Skin Quilt Project through Paypal! Take advantage of this sale today! Great gifts for your family and friends!
Order your DVD through Paypal today!
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K9HWJ3GL4LV4C
Congratulations to The Skin Quilt Project DVD Giveaway Winners!
Congratulations to the winners of the SQP DVD Giveaway!
Lenora Brown
Camilla Davis
Melissa of The Urban Rose (www.theurbanrose.com)
Shenea Banks
Kristin Adler
Thanks to all who participated, we’ll be sending your DVDs this weekend, just in time to give as holiday gifts!
The Skin Quilt Project DVD: BOGO (Buy One, Get One!)
From now until December 29th, 2011, Mae’s House Productions is doing an BOGO (Buy One, Get One) sale of The Skin Quilt Project through Paypal! Take advantage of this sale today! Great gifts for your family and friends!
Order your DVD through Paypal today!
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K9HWJ3GL4LV4C
Promo code: skinquiltbogo2011
The Skin Quilt Project: Uplifting Our Culture, Celebrating Tradition in the DFW!
ArtCentre of Plano
901 18th Street, Plano, Texas 75074
Tu-Sa 10–5; Closed Mon & Sun
February 11–March 5, 2011: The Plano African American Museum and the ArtCentre of Plano have organized the upcoming exhibition,The Skin Quilt Project: Uplifting Our Culture, Celebrating Tradition. This is an exhibition that expounds on issues from, The Skin Quilt Project (www.skinquiltproject.com), a documentary exploring skin color, cultural pride, the African American quilting tradition, and the art of fellowship amongst African-American quilters. Looking at the work of individual fiber artists and quilters the show aims to celebrate the African-American cultural heritage through the medium of quilting. The Skin Quilt Project documentary will be looped throughout the exhibition. Opening reception: February 11, 6–8 p.m.
Order your copy of The Skin Quilt Project!
The Skin Quilt Project DVD is ready for purchase! This ground-breaking documentary features scholars, writers, and quilters from across the country, who discuss issues of skin-color politics in the African-American community. Through the stories of African-American quilters we are able to understand how the fellowship and practice of quilting has enriched peoples lives, and given them a sense of pride in their cultural heritage. The Skin Quilt Project was an official selection for the 2010 International Black Women’s Film Festival in October 2010. Order your copy today!
The Skin Quilt Project is now available on Amazon!
I’m proud to announce that The Skin Quilt Project DVD is now available for purchase on Amazon.com! Don’t hesitate, order your copy today!
The Skin Quilt Project to be featured in exhibition at Rice University!
October 21–November 19: The Skin Quilt Project will be featured in the upcoming exhibition entitled, Hearts, Hands & Heritage: The Patchwork Soul of Women: This quilt exhibition is produced and curated by Skin Quilt Project participant and Rice University Ph.D. student, Aundrea Matthews. A reception and panel discussion consisting of leading scholars and practitioners of the art of quilting represent two of the event’s primary offerings. The exhibit will introduce visitors to a collection of powerful works of art that illuminate both the spiritual and personal experiences of women. The goal of the exhibition is to illustrate a broad range of artistic techniques and inspirations, shed light on the lives and experiences of quiltmakers, and examine the role women have played in education, politics, religion, the arts, business, the family and much more.
Monday - Friday 11am -5pm
Awards Ceremony & Panel Discussion: Friday, November 5, 2010, 6:30 - 9:30pm
SQP Participant Riche Richardson shares her experience in The Skin Quilt Project!
SQP Participant Riche Richardson has written a beautiful blog post about her experiences in participating in The Skin Quilt Project. Feel free to check out her post!
Thanks Riche for your support!
The Skin Quilt Project at Texas Woman’s University
Join us in viewing The Skin Quilt Project on October 20, 2010 at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. Sponsored by the TWU Department of Women’s Studies, the screening will be held in Room 205 of the Classroom Faculty Office Building, from 6-8 p.m., and will conclude with a Q&A by Film Director, Lauren Cross. You won’t want to miss it!
For more information on TWU Department of Women’s Studies visit:www.twu.edu/ws
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