October 2025 to January 2026
Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South
Over the past twenty years, the Mississippi Museum of Art has amassed one of the largest quilt collections in the American South. This exhibition will feature highlights of handmade and machine-stitched quilts by renowned Black southern quiltmakers from the MMA’s collection, including Crossroads Quilters, Gwendolyn Magee, and several gifted by American photographer and quilt collector Roland L. Freeman on his travels.
Curated by Dr. Sharbreon Plummer, this exhibition and the accompanying publication seek to illuminate the processes and practices of Black Southern quilters while celebrating the enduring impact of quilting on communities and generations.
Exhibition Programs
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Program Recordings
Resources
The 901 Black American Portraits Soundtrack
Listen to a soundtrack of Memphis music that exemplifies Black Love, Power, and Joy. The 901 Black American Portraits Soundtrack celebrates the vibrant legacy and future of Black musicians in the city of Memphis. This playlist was curated by Jared “Jay B” Boyd, a Memphis-based multimedia artist, journalist, DJ, and on-air personality.
MCA Exhibition Questionnaire
Help us generate the fullest picture possible of the MCA experience.
Submitting a questionnaire, which includes a request for an image of an artwork, is essential to be considered for part of the exhibition.
Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?
The American art theorist Linda Nochlin (1931-2017) posed this question as the title of a pioneering article in 1971. This essay was considered one of the first major works of Feminist art history, it has become a set text for those who study art internationally, and it is influential in many other fields.