The Skin Quilt Project

About The Skin Quilt Project:

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.

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

June 22

The Skin Quilt Project selected for the International Black Women’s Film Festival 2010!

The Skin Quilt Project has been selected as one of the featured documentaries to premiere at the International Black Women’s Film Festival 2010!

Check out the site for more details:http://www.ibwff2010.com/filmmakers/

June 1

Pre-order a copy of The Skin Quilt Project DVD!

The Home Video edition of The Skin Quilt Project is available for pre-order through Paypal! Pre-order the DVD for the special rate of $20(Regular Price: $24.99) now until July 1, 2010. Educational institutions and libraries interested in the Academic Edition please click here.

DVD will be released this summer on August 20th, 2010! Order your copy of this groundbreaking documentary today!

Click here to Pre-order your DVD!

An article about The Skin Quilt Project was featured in Fiber Arts magazine’s Summer 2010 issue!

Exciting news everyone! FiberArts magazine has featured an article on The Skin Quilt Project in their summer 2010 issue. Look for us in the News & Notes section! For more information on how to suscribe or order a copy click here to go to their website.

March 10

Order your community screening package online!

Interested in programming for your group or organization? Hosting a community screening of The Skin Quilt Project is a great opportunity to bring important information to your friends, family, and group members. If you our looking to raise much needed funds for your organization, the community screening format can be a creative way to raise money for your programming while bringing your community together.

The following community screening models are intended for free admission, for those interested in hosting a paid admission screening, contact info@skinquiltproject.com

First, if your interested in basic community screening w/o fundraising options all you need is:

A. The Skin Quilt Project Community Screener DVD- $59

The community screener is licensed for Community/Group viewing and is available for unlimited screenings by the hosting organization/group. These screeners are not to be used for fundraising purposes, but are to generate community dialogue regarding the issues in the film as well as the objectives of the hosting organization. For schools, colleges, and educational institutions please contact info@skinquiltproject.com for screeners with educational priviledges.

Click here to order.

For individuals, organizations, or groups that are interested in using the community screening as a fundraising tool, there are three options to choose from:

B: Individual package: Host a screening in your home or intimate group setting-$99

For people wishing to hold a screening with 25 people are less.

- Includes 1-community screening-licensed DVD, 10-regular DVDs, 100 postcards.

- You can sell the 10 extra dvds for $20 each.

- We will post your event on our website.

- Receive a free copy of the film upon its exclusive release on DVD.

- You may hold up to 3 screenings.

Click here to order.

C. Small Organization package: Host a screening for your small group-$199

- For people wishing to hold a screening with 75 people or less.

- Includes 1-community screening-licensed DVD, 20-regular DVDs, 100 postcards.

- You can sell the 20 extra dvds for $20 each.

- We will post your event on our website.

- Receive a free copy of the film upon its exclusive release on DVD.

- You may hold up to 3 screenings.

Click here to order.

D. Large Organization package: Host a screening at your church or larger organization- $289

- For people wishing to hold a screening with an audience of 75-150.

- Includes 1-community screening-licensed DVD, 30-regular DVDs, 100 postcards.

- You can sell the 30 extra dvds for $20 each.

- We will post your event on our website.(Optional).

- Receive a free copy of the film when it is released on DVD.

- You may hold up to 3 screenings.

Click here to order.

* For groups larger than 150; to charge paid admission; for schools, libraries, and institutions; and if you are a Non-Profit Organization, please contact info@skinquiltproject.com for details.

* If you would like to purchase additional DVDs to sell at your event please contact info@skinquiltproject.com for details.

March 6

Upcoming screenings for 2010-2011: Save the Date!

Hello Everyone,

Save the Date for the upcoming screening events of The Skin Quilt Project for 2010-2011. Additional dates, times, and locations TBA. Also, if you’re interested in hosting a screening of The Skin Quilt Project please contact us at: info@skinquiltproject.com

March 2010

13- Nubian Heritage Quilt Guild, East Orange, NJ
20- New England Quilt Museum at 1:30 p.m., Lowell, MA

April 2010

10- Nubian Heritage Quilt Guild, East Orange, NJ
28– The Martin Institute at Stonehill College, Easton, MA

October 2010

8-10 Unpacking Collections: The Legacy of Cuesta Benberry, An African-American Quilt Scholar weekend symposium, Michigan State University Museum.

26- The Skin Quilt Project: Uplifting our Culture, Celebrating Tradition: quilt exhibition Towne Art Gallery at Wheelock College, Boston,MA (October 26-November 30)

November 2010
5- Rice University, Houston, Texas
13- Screening w/reception, Wheelock College, Boston

February 2011

2- Newton Free Library, Newton, MA, 7-8:45 p.m. Q & A w/ director

Screening of The Skin Quilt Project in East Orange, NJ!

The Nubian Heritage Quilt Guild will be celebrating their 15th anniversary on Saturday, March 13th, and as a part of their celebration they will be hosting a screening of The Skin Quilt Project in their program!

So if your in the New Jersey area, and you’d like to get additional information about the screening event as well as the other anniversary festivities please contact us at: info@skinquiltproject.com and we’ll forward you to their representative.

February 24

Screening of The Skin Quilt Project in Lowell, MA

Lowell Film Collaborative

Hello everyone!

On March 20, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. there will be a screening of The Skin Quilt Project at the New England Quilt Museum located at: 18 Shattuck Street, Lowell, Massachusetts 01852.The community screening is hosted by the Lowell Film Collaborative.

For more details contact: info@skinquiltproject.com

February 10

Host a screening event for The Skin Quilt Project!

Great news everyone, post-production of The Skin Quilt Project is complete!

We’re truly excited, but there is certainly more work to do. We are putting together our calendar of events, including community and film festival screenings so we’ll be posting the list of locations and dates that will be showing the film in March 2010.

But we would like to extend an invitation to all of our supporters to take part in this process. You too can be a part of spreading the message of the film in your community!

Regardless of whether your hosting your event in a theatre, church, cafe, community center, or even in your own home we’d be happy to partner with you to ensure that you have everything you need to host the event you desire.

If you would like additional information on how you can host a screening in your area, please contact us at: info@skinquiltproject.com

January 28

Vermelle “Bunnie” Rodriguez, director of the Gullah Museum( Pawley’s Island, SC) talks about the Africanisms represented in the Gullah/Geechee Culture. Rodriguez is an avid story quilter and member of the local quilting circle in her community.

January 1

The Skin Quilt Project features fiber artists Wendell George Brown and Michael Cummings in the upcoming documentary, here they discus the misconceptions of gender in African-American quilting and the history of male influences in textile/fiber arts.