A Community of Artists
Art From The Local Community
Metro Nashville Public School Art Students
In partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools, local high school art students were invited to view a Gee’s Bend quilt exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Haley Gallery. During the visit, students met several Gee’s Bend quilters: Loretta Pettway Bennett, Claudia Pettway Charley, Marlene Bennett Jones, Cathy Mooney, Stella Pettway, and Joanne Pettway West. The artists discussed their individual creative processes and worked with students as they constructed their own quilt squares by piecing together repurposed fabrics to make abstract designs. Later, with teacher guidance at school, students assembled their individual squares into a larger community quilt to represent local school communities and the artistic influence of Gee’s Bend quilters.
Smart Art + Craft Supplies
Smart Art + Craft Supplies is a thrift store that sells art-making materials and invests all its profits in programs that benefit Nashville-area adults with intellectual disabilities. In November 2024, individuals served by Smart Art + Craft Supplies visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Haley Gallery to view an exhibit of Gee’s Bend quilts. As they explored, they witnessed a quilting demonstration by members of the Gee’s Bend community and learned more about their history and work. Participants took inspiration from their visit and created their own Gee’s Bend-inspired community quilt, using supplies from the store.
Meet The Artists
JAMES LAWSON HIGH SCHOOL
TEACHER: BRIENA HARMENING AND E. A. COX
STUDENTS: JEREMIAH COLLINS, QUON’TEZIA COMER, JENNIFER FELIZ MENDOZA, MASON GRIFFIN, JINX ROSS, KASHANA JENKINS, SABINA KHALIMHONZODA, LILY LANE, NIA LEWIS, LYNN NICKENS, YESHUA PEREZ, CJ THORTON, JOSUE VALLE VASQUEZ, DAVE BLODGETT, HALIMA ABDULLAHI, A’DREAM JOHNSON, TAYONAH JONES, BROOK KIMBRO, SHARON LOPEZ ZEPEDA, MELANIE LOPEZ ZEPEDA, JACQUELINE LOPEZ, EDMILSON MUNOZ GOMEZ
Artist Statement: Our quilt is a symbol of collaboration and community. Each square was individually designed and hand-stitched by students in Art 3 class. Using recycled and found fabrics, including clothing, dish towels, and a moving blanket, the squares were inspired by lived experiences, each taking color, pattern, and texture into consideration. Navy blue and neon yellow—the school colors of James Lawson High School—were used to frame and highlight each square and bring the designs together. Just as each thread binds the fabric together, so do our individual contributions to our community.
HUME-FOGG HIGH SCHOOL
TEACHER: SHAYNA SNIDER
STUDENTS: BELLA DALY-TAYLOR, MONEY FARMER, Q HARRINGTON, DREW LANE, ARY LEE, FRANKIE LUMAR, JAYLA LYLE, ELINA MAI, AMELIA MOORE, IVIE TRAN
Artist Statement: Committed to a shared goal, Hume-Fogg students enrolled in Visual Art, Civil Rights, and Fiber Arts Club came together to form a group that solved problems collaboratively and contributed integrally to make a community quilt reflecting a collective whole. Inspired by the quilts, history, and the enduring legacy of the Gee’s Bend community, Hume-Fogg’s nine-block quilt interconnects variations of bricklayer, courthouse steps, and housetop designs. Each square includes references and artifacts from an individual’s personal visual and material culture—a childhood school uniform, Grandma’s unfinished quilt pieces, Hume-Fogg pajama pants, and so much more. Embedded are memories, knowledge, hacks, skills, and ingrained sensibilities passed down and along. Connection to unknown fellow creative Nashvillians is also reflected in the quilt, as we thrifted evocative contemporary and vintage supplies donated to local sources for sustainable creativity. Literal and figurative warmth and utility guided our choices.
PEARL-COHN HIGH SCHOOL
TEACHER: HEATHER GILLIAM
STUDENTS: CHRISTIAN BROWN, EPHRAIM FLOVIL, TERRIONNA DISMUKES, JENNIFER GOMEZ CEBA, LAURA HERNANDEZ, DESHAWN HORTON, TAMBLYN LEACH, VALERIE RIVERA, HANAN ABKOW, DA’VONTAE ANDERSON, MEESHYA HARRIS-RUCKER, KHIRA JOHNSON, MIKHAI MOSHAY, EXZAVIOR SANDERS, SA’DONNA STARKS, ZOEQURIA WESTMORELAND, MADHI ATAYEE, KYLA BAKER, SI’MYA DUFF, BENJAMIN KODJO, TREYSEAN ISLAND, CURTIS HOLBERT, AND QUYNTELL JACKSON
Artist Statement: Our quilt was made with love, respect, and a lot of effort! We were inspired by the Gee’s Bend artists. When we began, we did not even know the basics of sewing; however, we picked up the technique quickly. Once we got the hang of it, we dove in with enthusiasm. The quilt represents success in sewing. We are proud of our accomplishment, and we really hope everyone enjoys our final piece.
HUNTERS LANE HIGH SCHOOL
FRAGMENTS OF SELF: A MOSAIC OF INDIVIDUALITY
TEACHER: KENDRA BOMAR
STUDENTS: Ruth Amoaka, Amyris Avritte, Tristen Bailey, Denise Balderas, Precious Costales, JaZiya Crenshaw, Maryuri Esteban Lopez, Maya Harleston, Gloria Kararisa, Xaviana Lake, Daniel Mancia Martinez, Niki Mann, Helene Mwamini, Bethany N’Dri, Alisson Perez, Fabiola Ramirez-Murillo, Rosario Richards, Zuleyma Rodriguez-Melendez, Sariya Rutherford, David Santamaria, James Turcios Ramos, Luis Villegas
Artist Statement: Our class quilt is a celebration of individuality and cultural diversity, brought to life through simple geometric shapes and patterns. Each square, whether symmetrical or asymmetrical, reflects the unique ethnicities, customs, and traditions of our classmates. Our quilt is a unique mosaic that represents our shared bond and unity through creativity and inclusion.
SMART ART + CRAFT SUPPLIES
STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
Artist Statement: This quilt is a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and community. Made by a talented group of adults with intellectual disabilities and their peers, some who work and some who volunteer at Smart Art + Craft Supplies, each square tells a unique story. Through their dedication, skill, and passion, the group pieced together a quilt composed of vibrant colors that reflect their individual voices and shared experiences.
At Smart Art + Craft Supplies, we believe in the power of art to inspire, empower, and connect. This quilt is a testament to the transformative impact of creativity and the importance of inclusive spaces where all individuals can express themselves and thrive.
THE QUILTERS OF GEE’S BEND
Loretta Pettway Bennett, My Way/Colorful Waterfall, 2024 (18” x 17.5”)
Gee’s Bend, Alabama is home to a celebrated community of female quilters whose artistic traditions have been passed down through generations. In fall 2024, the Museum’s Haley Gallery presented Heritage: Southern Vernacular, an exhibit that included new works by Gee’s Bend quilters. Students from Metro Nashville Public Schools and individuals connected with Smart Art + Craft Supplies, an organization that serves adults with intellectual disabilities, were invited to experience the exhibit and create their own quilts. Their work is now on display in the Taylor Swift Education Center.
2024 Student Art Exhibit
Sources of Me, a Museum exhibition showcasing artwork from Metro Nashville Public School students, was inspired by the Thomas Hart Benton masterwork The Sources of Country Music, an iconic mural that now hangs in the Country Music Hall of Fame Rotunda. The Benton painting, commissioned by the Museum in 1973, depicts the musical and cultural roots of country music. Students were asked to engage with it by producing artworks that represent their own explorations of “sources” for various topics to which they feel connected.