Gee's Bend, Alabama

Gee's Bend, Alabama is, in many ways, a living history of the south (at least South Central Alabama). Named for Joseph Gee and his plantation, and with help from the federal government during the great depression, this rural community on the Alabama River has held onto some significant cultural roots, and has grown some new & unique ones. This community is best known for the Quilts of Gee's Bend. In 2006, the United States Post Office issued a series of stamps (below) honoring the history and the quilters of Gee's Bend.




There is another project that will soon be realized and recognized. Artist Tyree McCloud has finished painting a series of 8' x 8' plywood "murals" depicting some of these famous quilt images. I don't think that these quilts will be hung on barns, and rather than quilt blocks, the nature of the Gee's Bend quilts lend themselves to being reproduced in their entirety. I'll keep my eyes open for a picture of the final product.