The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art opens its latest exhibition, Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South, a powerful exploration of quilt-making traditions in the American South, on Oct. 1. Presented by First Choice Global Sales & Merchandising Group, Cathy Ross, and the Black Art Collective, the exhibit highlights the artistry and storytelling of Southern Black quilters across generations. Featuring 17 quilts and three mixed-media portraits, the show is both intimate and expansive, blending history, culture and craft.
“This is an exhibition about quilt-making, history and storytelling,” said Kristin Pedrozo, Art Bridges Curatorial Fellow at the Brooks. “It’s also about celebrating traditions that are deeply rooted in family, community and the South.”
The exhibition marks the second stop on its tour, following its debut at the Mississippi Museum of Art, where it was originally curated by quilts scholar, Sharbreon Plummer, and Lydia Jasper, former assistant curator for the Mississippi museum’s permanent collection.
At its core is the legacy of Roland Freeman, a documentarian, photographer and visual storyteller who dedicated 30 years to chronicling the lives of Black quilters. Freeman’s deep engagement with the quilting community, which included sleeping beneath quilts to feel connected to their makers, resulted in a collection that reflects not just creativity but culture.
Many of the works on display are drawn from Freeman’s personal collection. One of his books, “A Communion of the Spirits,” remains a landmark in documenting African American quilt traditions, and the Brooks exhibition continues that legacy.
Stitching together stories
Each quilt in Of Salt and Spirit tells an intricate story of life, love and resilience. Susan Rogers, representing the Tutwiler Quilters of Tutwiler, Mississippi, spoke about the generational importance of the craft. “My mother and my grandmother quilted,” Rogers said. She grew up watching them quilt and started quilting herself at the age 16.
Pedrozo shared, “There’s a mother-daughter connection in so many of these works.”
One quilt, fiery in orange tones, represents five generations of quilt-making. Its layered fabrics echo the thread of storytelling throughout time.
The exhibit also includes work by Memphis artist Mary “Mayfair” Matthews, whose daughter, Rose Marr, offered personal reflections during the preview.
“She made this quilt 33 years ago,” said Marr. “My mom always said she wanted to be a big-time artist.”
When Marr, also an artist, retired from teaching art in California and moved back to Memphis, one of her goals was to make sure the world knew her mother was an amazing artist.
“If my mom had grown up in another time and space, like New York during the Harlem Renaissance, she would already be a household name,” said Marr.
Matthews, who passed away in 2011, was known for her folk art, consisting of paintings, soft sculptures and other whimsical creations. Her quilts reflect both her rural Mississippi upbringing and her life in Memphis raising four children.
“It’s as if some of her art walked onto the quilt,” Marr said.
Freeman himself played a key role in elevating Matthews’ art, curating her first exhibition at the National Civil Rights Museum and inviting her and Marr to the 1994 National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta.
“Once he saw her art, he fell in love with her work,” Marr recalled.
Quilting is community
Beyond the displayed quilts, Of Salt and Spirit offers visitors a chance to participate. In the “Community Quilt” section, guests are invited to create their own quilt squares, which will be joined together into a collaborative piece by the exhibition’s end. “By the close of this show, we will have knitted our own community quilt,” said Pedrozo.
Visitors can also upload images of their personal quilts to become part of the broader project, further bridging the line between artist and audience.
While rooted in history, the exhibition also embraces modern expression. Works such as Gwendolyn Ann Magee’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” expand beyond the frame, with cotton flowing out of the quilt and onto the gallery floor. Freeman’s striking “Voodoo Quilt,” designed but entrusted to Annie Dennis for execution, incorporates themes of Africa: power, love, money and strength.
The exhibition also introduces quilted photographic portraits, an innovative blend of textile and imagery that has never been seen. Together, the quilts span historical patterns and avant-garde experimentation, offering visitors both familiarity and surprise. Two of Freeman’s works feature Civil Rights leaders Rosa Parks and Maya Angelou quilting.
Patricia Daigle, Brooks’ chief curator, explained why this exhibition resonates deeply with Memphis. “We are always trying to find exhibits that feel welcoming, that everyone can relate to,” she said. “Quilts are approachable and familiar. They’re a nice entry point for people who might initially feel intimidated by an art museum.”
This communal inclusivity is in part why the Brooks chose to bring back a quilting exhibition after more than a decade. “It was time for another,” Daigle noted. “These works resonate with our community, and we hope audiences leave appreciating the artistry.”
Daigle also shared that Freeman’s work as a scholar and documentarian was important and ensured that these women were known and lauded as much as their white counterparts.
Of Salt and Spirit will remain on view now through January 4. In addition to the gallery display, the museum will host exhibit-related programming, including workshops and an artist talk with Susan Rogers later in the fall. From Memphis, the exhibition will travel to Greensboro, North Carolina, continuing its Southern tour.
“This is more than an exhibition,” Pedrozo concluded. “It is a celebration of heritage, resilience and creativity. Quilts hold our stories, and we are proud to share this part of American history.”
Learn more at https://www.brooksmuseum.org/
