Untitled (red & black)

By: Loretta Pettway Bennett

No Longer Available

Medium

cotton (red and black)

Dimensions

66" x 56"

Cost

Description

Loretta Pettway Bennett is a fifth-generation quilter from Gee’s Bend, Alabama, and one of the youngest to continue handstitching quilts in the renowned Gee’s Bend style. Born December,1960, she is the second of eight children and oldest daughter of Tom O. and Qunnie Elizabeth Pettway Jr. Her ancestry traces back to Dinah Miller, a great-great-great grandmother, who, according to folklore and family history, was one of the first slaves to have arrived in the Bend. Qunnie Pettway was one of the original Gee’s Bend quilters whose fame has spread worldwide through exhibitions of their work, numerous publications, newspaper articles, television coverage, radio interviews, personal appearances, ten US postage stamps and a play. Loretta has over two dozen additional relatives among that initial group of quilters, establishing her as a bona fide member of what could be considered America’s quilting royalty.  In July 1979, Loretta married her high school sweetheart, Lovett Bennett, and four months later they moved to Germany, where he was on his first tour of duty in the United States Army. This was the first of numerous places they would be posted during the next twenty years or so, giving them the welcome opportunity to experience and enjoy the customs and traditions of many various cultures. During this time, they were blessed with three sons. Although there are no daughters to inherit Loretta’s legacy of quilt making, the youngest son has expressed some interest in quilting. At the 2002 exhibition of “The Quilts of Gee’s Bend,” Loretta says her eyes were opened to the fabulous accomplishments of her many relatives. She asked herself, “Could I one day make a quilt that might hang on a wall in a museum?” Her initial thought was, “No way, no way.” Nonetheless, she began to develop her own style. Loretta says, “At first, I would sketch my quilts and color the drawing with similar colors as the clothes or fabric from thrift stores. Sometimes the clothing itself would help me because I could feel the love the person who worn them once felt for that pair of pants, or skirt, dress or shirt.” (In order to conform to a defining characteristic of most Gee’s Bend quilts, that they are made from recycled clothing. Loretta shops the thrift stores when she runs short of family garments to use in her quilts.) “Traveling widely overseas and within the United States really had a big influence on my style, because in each place the people were so proud of their heritage. For instance, in the southwestern U.S., houses and cars were of very bright, bold colors. Overseas, bright colors were mostly seen in the flowers and festival clothing. By combining my travel experiences with my own legacy, I found my individual place in quilt making while expressing a style that still honors the quilters from Gee’s Bend and hopefully warms the heart of other quilt makers,” says Loretta. Loretta say she really came full circle, back to her Gee’s Bend roots, when she made a quilt in honor of her mother Qunnie Pettway, who taught her to sew and quilt, and her cousin Arlonzia Pettway, who was a role model. [] “After that quilt, I went into a zone where I was inspired to use really bold colors and different types of materials together just like the generations of relatives before me, because they used what they had. I added something else that my family especially loves, music and dancing. I was finally there, using different shapes, sizes, colors and textures. Just like my family, imperfect but still a family.” In 2006, Loretta Bennett completed an etching titled “Yellow Jacket” for the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies. It is on display in the following embassies: Darussalem; Berlin, Germany; Canberra, Australia; Djibouti, Somalia; Islamabad, Pakistan; Khartoum, Sudan; Kolkata, India; Libreville, Gabon; Manila, Philippines; Mexico City, Mexico; Monrovia, Liberia; Mumbai, India; Naples, Italy; New Delhi, India; Rome, Italy; San Jose, Costa Rica; Tokyo, Japan; Vienna, Austria; New York, New York (2 sets); and Washington, DC (FAPE office).