Call For Entries: Maker's Mark: Works Inspired by Harriet Powers

Born into slavery in rural Georgia in 1837, Harriet Powers produced some of the finest examples of 19th Century Southern American quilts. While her skill with appliqué displayed the finest technical skill, it was her unique composition of forms and use of storytelling that set her apart as a true artist.

Powers’ subject matter included stories from the Bible, folklore, and her own life, as well as celestial objects, and elements of her daily life. Her African heritage is also beautifully represented in both the visual rhythms of her composition and the irregular boundaries of the squares in her quilts – to prevent evil from “moving in straight lines.”

Artists’ submissions to this call for entries need not adhere to Powers’ materials or style, nor even quilting. Artists are encouraged to tell stories from their own lives using techniques and mark-making associated with their own personal histories. All media will be considered.