Alabama Quilting Tradition Showcases Local Community Quilts

Exhibit features work from Gee's Bend, West Alabama Quilters Guild, and University of Alabama students

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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The 'Cotton, Cloth, and Community: Alabama Quilting Tradition' exhibit at the Moore-Wilson Gallery in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is showcasing a variety of quilts created by local quilting communities. The exhibit features works from the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy, the West Alabama Quilters Guild, and University of Alabama students, highlighting the rich quilting traditions and history in the state.

Why it matters

Quilting has long been an important part of Alabama's cultural heritage, with communities like Gee's Bend developing distinct styles and techniques. This exhibit helps preserve and celebrate that history, while also highlighting how quilting continues to bring people together and serve as a form of artistic expression and communication.

The details

The exhibit includes quilts like the 'Blue Jean and Corduroy' quilt by Gee's Bend quilter Caster Pettway, the '8-Point Star' quilt by Fannie Etheridge, and the 'Roll Tide Roll' quilt stitched by members of the West Alabama Quilters Guild. There is also a 'Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Quilt' created by several local artists, and a 'UA Students' Quilt' featuring patches sewn by individual University of Alabama students.

  • The 'Cotton, Cloth, and Community: Alabama Quilting Tradition' exhibit runs from March 2 to May 30, 2026.
  • The Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy was recently formed to preserve the history of the original Freedom Quilting Bee and offer economic opportunities to artists.

The players

Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy

A new organization associated with Gee's Bend, a community of Black women quilters from Wilcox County, Alabama, created to preserve the history of the original Freedom Quilting Bee and offer economic opportunities to artists.

Gee's Bend

A community of Black women quilters from Wilcox County, Alabama known for developing a distinct quilting style and tradition.

Caster Pettway

A quilter from Gee's Bend who created the 'Blue Jean and Corduroy' quilt on display.

Fannie Etheridge

The creator of the '8-Point Star' quilt made in the early 20th century.

West Alabama Quilters Guild

A local quilting group that created the 'Roll Tide Roll' quilt featured in the exhibit.

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What they’re saying

“The women from the Freedom Quilting Bee talked to us about how they liked their quilt to be displayed in a casual way. You can't be waving it around like a banner and being like this is the map, it would be displayed on a fence when it's drying or just there to get the dust out.”

— Hannah Spencer, Senior, Political Science and History, Gorgas House Fellow (thecrimsonwhite.com)

“Map quilts are a series of quilt codes hidden in geometric patterns, such as squares, rectangles, and right triangles, that employ a secret meaning to enslaved individuals seeking freedom. These map quilts were displayed during the Underground Railroad in the American Civil War, conveying meanings, directions, warnings, safehouses or calls to get ready.”

— Hannah Spencer, Senior, Political Science and History, Gorgas House Fellow (thecrimsonwhite.com)

“This community quilt is woven together both by hand and machine. Seventeen patches can be seen on the quilt, each individually sewn by a student here at UA.”

— Allison Snelling, Senior, Anthropology and History (thecrimsonwhite.com)

What’s next

The exhibit will continue to run at the Moore-Wilson Gallery in Tuscaloosa until May 30, 2026, providing opportunities for the local community to view and appreciate the rich quilting traditions on display.

The takeaway

This exhibit showcases the enduring legacy of quilting in Alabama, highlighting how the craft has served as a means of artistic expression, community building, and even covert communication throughout the state's history. It underscores the importance of preserving and celebrating these local traditions.