The Jackson Purchase Historical Society (JPHS) will meet on at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the National Quilt Museum (NQM) located at 215 Jefferson Street in Paducah, Kentucky. NQM curator Rachael Baar will speak on Gee’s Bend Quilts: Past, Present, and Future, based on the current museum exhibition, Whiles I Yet Live: Matriarchy and Generational Exchange in Gee’s Bend.
All JPHS meetings are free and open to the public. For this meeting, NQM is offering a $10 discounted group rate for admission to the museum exhibits, including the Gee’s Bend show, following the meeting.
Since the 19th century, quiltmakers from the rural African American hamlet of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, have created unique quilts out of necessity to keep their families warm. Today, the quilts of Gee’s Bend are recognized as significant works of American art and are celebrated for their artistic merit, bold designs, and powerful symbolism. The future of Gee’s Bend quilts appears promising. Efforts are underway to preserve and document the quilting tradition, ensuring its continuity and recognizing the quilters’ contributions to American art and history.
“We are delighted to focus on the history and preservation of the Gee’s Bend quilts and have an opportunity to view the extraordinary exhibits at the National Quilt Museum at our October meeting. We’re fortunate to have the Gee’s Bend collection on exhibit in the Jackson Purchase,” said Bill Mulligan, JPHS President.