Cuesta Benberry - The Anyone Can Fly Foundation, Inc.

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CUESTA: Right. Right. Because that was a feather in their cap. Those pieces are justwonderful. So I’m not saying that in some instances the mistress may have taught theslave needle worker how to make various quilts, but in other instances not.You know, another thing I found when I went to Baltimore I found that in the census…this is during slavery time, that in the Baltimore census, as they listed the residents inthe back of the census they listed the free blacks in Baltimore. And so that was really agreat information, because those free blacks … There were schools that they attended.You had to pay. So that meant that those free blacks who sent their children to theseschools, and they were not public schools, they were private schools, but they werethere. And one of the things they taught, … and the Headmaster was usually a man…and all of this can be documented and confirmed, because the records are not only therein Baltimore they’re in the Smithsonian, and I was just so elated when I found this out.Quilt making. Quilt making was a part of the curriculum.So those girls, and they came from all over. They didn’t just come from Baltimore to goto those… They called them Academies, Some from even here. Free Blacks. I got thelist of student for a year and it told where they lived originally and they’d been sent tolive. And they had more than one. It just grows. There’s so much to this. In Baltimore,there was a nunnery of black nuns. I met one of the nuns here in St. Louis and had asmall display of quilts and she was telling me about in 1820 in Baltimore they madequilts. In almost all nunneries they’d teach fine needlework, at least they did back then.Here’s another young woman. Up in New York. She just got her Doctorate. Myra BrownGreen. She was so fascinated with that when I told her. She’s following it up. And she’salready made visits to the mother house there in Baltimore. It’s much reduced, but it’sstill in existence. And they have the records. All of these venues where African-Americans, even as far back as slavery, had access, in various ways to learn to makequilts. It’s so marvelous. I’m so happy that these younger people. Younger scholars aretaking it and go. It’s wonderful.Section II – African American QuiltsFAITH: Can we determine by focusing on the many quilting techniques - traditional,crazy quilt, strip quilt, so-called improvisational and art quilt – what has been our [theAfrican American's] dynamic contribution, our inspired innovation to the history anddevelopment of quilt making?CUESTA: I think the contribution has been so varied because, like you brought thistoday, this is something. And this can be developed.FAITH: That’s why it was important that you opened the door for this history. Becauseyou can’t know until you get the history.CUESTA: Right. Right. And until you can realize the scope of the history. And howmany areas are affected. I think that those improvisational, utilitarian quilts…page 8
FAITH: Is that the same thing? Improvisational and Utilitarian?CUESTA: Utilitarian is made for the bed. They weren’t trying to do fancy work.Improvisational, they put the pieces where they fit. If it didn’t fit, they’d make it fit.They were made in a very casual way, but the image that resulted was very striking.Figure 6: Log Cabin Quilt, ca. 1890. By Hattie Collins, a former slave.Cotton, pieced. 74 x 63 1/2 inches. Purchase. Collection of Old StateHouse Museum 88.17.3.http://www.oldstatehouse.com/piece-of-my-soul/quiltingfamilies/default.asp?fn=Hattie+Collins+%26+Her+Granddaughters&fid=3&id=28&qid=12&qn=Hattie+CollinsFAITH: But they weren’t trying to be striking.CUESTA: No they weren’t trying to.FAITH: Actually, were they trying to be plain?CUESTA: I don’t know. I talked to ____ and she made britches quilts in animprovisational way. She cut up jeans, she cut up pants. All they were trying to do wasto make this thing that was useful but somehow the results were so striking. Sowonderful. And I think that is what has captured people’s attention.Other quilts that African-Americans make are no different from mainstream quilts. Theyhave that look. I think it’s important that you recognize all of them. For instance, theyounger people of today when utilitarian quilts are really not needed in their particularhouseholds, are making quilts that are artistic expressions of themselves. It’s different.All of these various kinds of quilts I think should receive recognition as African-Americanquilt works because if you don’t then you really aren’t telling the truth.FAITH: You’re losing a lot. You’re judging. And by so doing that you’re losing.CUESTA: You’re putting your own definition on what is a people’s work when that isn’treally so.FAITH: Well, you know, that’s good. I like hearing that because that is a problem in theart world. That other people want to decide who and what is going on. When in realityit is the artist who has to make the decision. Because without them making the decisionthere is no work. So the work has to first be produced. And then after it’s produced,then these other people can come along and say, this, this, this, and that. But the firstdecision is that the artist makes the work. And in order for them to make the work,they have to decide what that work is going to look like. So they’re in the power seat allthe way. And if they never decide. Then there’s no work, then there’s nothing for theseother people to come along and talk about.page 9
Page 3 and 4: the time I think when … because Q
Page 5 and 6: CUESTA: Yeah. Right. That was when
Page 7: CUESTA: Well, that too is a problem
Page 11 and 12: FAITH: And I’m sure a whole lot o
Page 13 and 14: CUESTA: No. They were pretty old. M
Page 15 and 16: CUESTA: I heard Phillip Simmons, th
Page 17 and 18: Cuesta: The buds have embroidery.Ba
Page 19 and 20: flat, under glass, so nobody could
Page 21 and 22: Figure 15: Who’s Afraid of Aunt J
Page 23 and 24: x 53 inches. Collection of the Arti
Page 25 and 26: ---. “Sharing the Past… Creatin
Page 27 and 28: http://www.oldstatehouse.com/piece-

Cuesta Benberry - The Anyone Can Fly Foundation, Inc.

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