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
Amazing Participants!!
Last weekend began the production process for the Skin Quilt Project, and boy was it amazing. My first stop was in Houston, Texas, my home town, where I was able to interview quilters from the Blue Triangle Quilting Guild that meets at the Blue Triangle Multi-purpose Center. It was a wonderful experience to be introduced to their guild and to learn more about the world of quilting! I also had the chance to interview world-renown artist and quilter Carolyn Crump at her studio. She had some great words of inspiration about the ability for quilting to change lives. Just amazing!
I also had the opportunity to interview ph.d candidate Aundrea Matthews from Rice University, who had a wealth of knowledge that was overflowing. I’m so looking forward to put together some previews for those of you out there watching. Stay tuned to this website as I’ll be making updates every week!
I’m excited to report that we will have some great quilters being interviewed for this project, as well as scholars/researchers of African American culture. I feel very humbled to be able to speak with such awesome people for this project, and there is still so much more to go! Be sure to stay tuned…
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