Three major influences led to the surging interest in African-American quilt making: the Civil Rights Movement, the study of African-American history in educational institutions, and the feminist movement. With this new surge of interest, African-American quilt making began to take its rightful place on the pages of American history.
Faith Ringgold
Folk art and oral family histories are now being incorporated into the work of many contemporary African-American artists. Faith Ringgold is one such artist. She was born in Harlem, New York on October 8,1930. Faith's childhood years were sandwiched between the Harlem Renaissance and the threshold of the Great Depression. Faith found that in her art she was able to deliver the story of her personal history to her viewers.
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Faith grew up in the company of her parents and great grandmother. Her great grandmother had been a slave and had to stitch quilts for her master's wife while living in Florida. Her mother, Willi Posey, used her talent to design and creates dresses for the fashion society. Faith's father, Andrew Louis Jones, Sr., entertained his daughter with the stories of family history which he had derived from a lineage of preachers well versed in oral tradition. These influences combined to give Faith a love for artistic expression and to propel her to define her own style of art.
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Faith is an activist for women's rights but her most intense focus has been on being Black in America. The American flag has symbolized her protest in her work since 1964. She also uses the colors and stripes of the American flag in her children stories.
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Faith's art forms utilize a combination of painting, quilts, writing, and mixed media sculptures to tell her story. After studying art at City College in New York Faith began the search for a artistic style that reflected her beliefs. She borrowed designs from the African aesthetics such as the Kuba, and the usage of human figures with oversized heads. These enlarged heads symbolized great wisdom.
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The children's book written and illustrated by Faith uses a combination of fiction and autobiography to tell stories of African-American legions and history. Faith wanted to say more to her audience than her images could convey. This led her to begin to write her story on the borders of her quilt. Faith at last was able to present her stories and artwork to the public.
Lesson #6
Objective
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• To analyze a story quilt using the elements of storytelling
Material
Picture of the quilt,
Tar Beach
by Faith Ringgold
Procedure
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• Divide the class into small groups of 4/5 students
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• Provide each group with a copy of the quilt: #4 The Sunflowers Quilting Bee at Arles
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• Allow the children time to view and discuss the quilt in their groups
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• Have the group complete the following worksheet.
(chart available in print form)
In her children's book,
Tar Beach
, Faith shares scenes from her childhood while growing up in Harlem. When the summer evening were hot, the adults would retreat to the roof of the house to cool off. The children were sometimes allowed to accompany the adults but only if they fulfilled the promise to lay quietly upon a mattress or blanket. The adults entertained themselves by playing cards and the children reaped their entertainment through vivid imaginations of adventures in the stars.
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The following lesson provides the children with the opportunity to learn a bit about the life of an African American family growing up in the inner city.
Lesson Plan #7
Objective
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• To share the life of an African-American child growing up an urban environment
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• To compare the tar beach to an real beach setting using the Venn diagram
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• To tell their story through a quilt
Materials
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• Book:
Tar Beach
by Faith Ringgold
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• Large sheet of chart paper
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• Markers
Procedure
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• Show the children the cover of the book
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• Allow the children make predictions about the story
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• Record those predictions next to the child's name
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• Read the story
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• Using the Venn diagram compare the tar beach of the child in the story to a real beach setting
