Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts, Inc.
Presents Raw Edges III; Textile Art By
Area African American Quilters
EXHIBIT: January 2021 - May 2021
JOIN MS. TERESA R. KEMP
February 21, 2021 (One day only)
AT THE FREEDOM DAY CELEBRATION
"UGRR Secret of the Quilts"
African Sewing Techniques Displays
Time: 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm EST
(30 minute appointments only)
SHEDULE EARLY LIMITED SPACE
To Schedule Your Appointment
Click Here: Freedom Day Celebration
Location: Delta Arts Center
2611 New Walkertown Road
Winston Salem, North Carolina USA 27101
Winston Salem, North Carolina USA 27101
For February 21st, 2021
Freedom Day Celebration
Covid-19 Protocols will be strictly in effect.
* No Masks - No Entry* Temperature Checks* 6ft. Social Distancing Is Required!
Only 10 Guests by Appointment will be Allowed in Gallery at a Time
For More Information
Call: Phone: 336-722-2625
Email: deltaartscenter@deltaartscenter.org or
To Schedule Your Appointment
Click Here: Freedom Day Celebration
The Delta Art Center Would Like To Say:
Greetings, I will be giving a brief overview of my family's the UGRR (Underground Railroad) Quilt Code Legacy. The book, Hidden In Plain View was written about my family's journey from being captured in the town of Oka, (now Awka), enslaved and to their secret Abolitionist freedom work on the American Underground Railroad. Their Abolitionist contributions to world history was the Underground Railroad Secret Quilt Code.
Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad
by Jacqueline L. Tobin, Raymond G. Dobard
by Jacqueline L. Tobin, Raymond G. Dobard
Below: Rev. Peter Farrow the son of Abolitionist Peter & Eliza Farrow passed the quilt Code & the Igbo culture down to his daughter Nora Bell (Farrow) McDaniels and her children that included Ozella (McDaniel) Williams and her sister, Mary Eva (McDaniels) Strother.
Peter taught Teresa's mother and her siblings to recite the King James Bible verses, their numbers to 100, the Igbo history and called them the lil' Ibo gals. He talked to them about being Children of God and his parents involvement on the Underground Railroad. It would be years before we knew what Ibo, now Igbo meant.
When he died in 1946, Ozella filed a U.S. Copyright covering and protecting our legacy of the UGRR Quilt Codes. The late Serena Wilson and Teresa R. Kemp then refiled the copyrights after the death of Ozella McDaniel Williams.
When Teresa's parents died in she knew she would have to journey to her metalsmithing ancestor's home in Awka in Anambra State, Nigeria, Africa to learn the history and culture for herself. She could not longer call her parents to answer questions for her.
In 2015, she was invited and joined the ASA Medical Mission Trip under Dr. Anthony Anakwenze where more than 70 doctors from 26 countries, met in Anambra State Nigeria and performed free surgeries in 8 towns in 8 days! They gave 3 to 6 months of free medication to the town's people. Teresa took 1,000's of pairs of reading glasses that were given away by attending physicians.
Below: Teresa R. Kemp at Igbo Gad, in Nigeria at Ezi the 3 trees mark the graves of the sons of Gad in the bible. That is the roots of the ancient tree behind Ms. Kemp.
She went on to Ghana to follow the path of the journey of the ancestral peoples. She stayed in Mankessim but visited 15 other cities. She immersed herself into experiencing the rich misrepresented culture. She attended festivals, school's graduations, funerals, weddings, markets, durbars and church services.
Here is one of the videos from the former
UGRR Quilt Code Museum in Atlanta, GA
"McCormick Cty. Programs Help At-Risk Youth"
Here is a video from WJBF Channel 6 in Augusta, GA USA, when Samantha visited SC Wild's Heritage Center with Charlotte President of the McCormick County Chamber of Commerce. Click on the picture or the link below.
located in the historic Train Depot in McCormick, SC.
(It is currently closed)
*****
American Quilters have historically felt they own the origins of many of the quilt patterns commonly used today. It is simply a misconception from not being well traveled, a student of world cultures or art history.
most dated quilts in Western Europe! They are definitely older than colonial America.
At the museum our collections include many types of textiles. They include sewing with weaving, grass, shells, seeds, metals, leather, minerals & stones. Below is tree bark map from Zambia Africa, bark was used as fabric in cultures that did not grow cotton.
Some textiles are hundreds and others are thousands of years old.
Below two that were dated over 2,000 years old from Giza Egypt. The Sphinx has its nose and beard on, Goddess Isis is above the golden calf on the altar with the ankh around its neck as 5 men over 100 ft. tall worship.
Sonya Hodges & Teresa Kemp with the last UGRR Quilt Code Quilt
made with her late mother it will be on exhibit at the Delta Arts Center Exhibit.
made with her late mother it will be on exhibit at the Delta Arts Center Exhibit.
 |
| Teresa R.Kemp showing Wall hanging from Ghana Africa with Hebrew characters on it at the Cornbread Festival. How many Hebrew characters can you find on the textile above? Use the Chart below  Below: GA State Quilt Exhibit African Textiles & Sewing Methods  Above: A Jewish man recognized the Hebrew characters in the textile in front of him from Ghana. |
Teresa R. Kemp with a two tone, reverse appliqued,
indigo dyed, cotton textile from what is now Nigeria Africa.
Below: Indigo Plantation in American showing enslaved Africans,
hand carried large bales of harvested Indigo.
Sonya Hodges with a textile made from corn silk!
*****
The Late Dr. Howard & Serena Wilson of Plantation Quilts
I authored (co-authored with my late parents) this book over 25 years with documents, photos & records from 5 generations of my family. Ozella McDaniel-Williams (My great aunt) and Viola, my mother's living sibling and other family artifacts along with records were passed down to me from my parents, the late Dr. Howard & Serena Wilson.
Click the KOF book above to get your copy from online
Amazon.com or visit Barnes and Nobles.com
Below: Wagon Wheel Quilt Pattern on my great grandmother's
Quilt top started my comparison of the UGRR Quilt Code Patterns to the Benin Bronze plaques cast with the Lost Wax Process.
KOF contains over 2,000 photos, 500 book bibliography, 33 countries of archives, libraries and museums. These institutions all having artifacts books and photos on the West Africa peoples who were the originators of the UGRR Quilt Codes.
The patterns and designs are an ancient African language that can be found on walls of houses, tribal gathering houses and cut into the bodies of African people who were stolen away and enslaved,
taken to 82 countries worldwide.
Even the west African children were taken and enslaved!
If you want to see what a slave ship was like click on the link below.
To find out the voyages of slave ships and the people visit the Trans-Atlantic Slavery Database SlaveVoyages.org is a database run by researchers at Emory University which aims to present all documentary material pertaining to the transatlantic slave trade. It is a sister project to African Origins.
 |
West Africa looked very different than the maps you see today. Here are maps from the 1700's. KOF contains over 50 maps of the ancient world. |
I have heard the Logs and Rails Quilt (Log Cabin Variations) pattern
called a "Colonial American Pattern". It is in Kente Cloths, on African shrines & crafted artifacts that are older than the founding of United States of America.
What are now called the UGRR Quilt Codes were on the bodies of the people who were captured for slavery and are still adorning indigenous people today. Scarification was/is done for many reasons.
Teresa R. Kemp with an 1800's cotton Logs and Rails quilt displayed that matches the above African textile and marking on the African girl's face.
Entire quilt design of patterns are on this African woman's stomach.
Below are photos of two variations of the Fan Quilt pattern.
on the quilted wall hanging to the right.
Above and Below are the documents, photos, maps and wills from the Glynn County GA Dover Hall Plantation where Eliza & Peter Farrow UGRR Quilt Code abolitionist were held as slaves.
Historians come to look at the documents to get a better understanding of slavery, civil war, horticulture, southern life, agriculture, metalsmithing, basket / textile weaving and quilting.
All slavery was not the same in America.
Due to Malaria and Yellow Fever, rampant in the southern Summer months their owner would go North or to Europe as many of the affluent plantation owners did annually. Peter and Eliza continued to hired themselves out and saved a portion of the proceeds from their labor to pay their holder (owner) a percentage when he returned.
Below: Ms. Kemp brought to the Covina Library's her collection's
Secret of the UGRR Quilts in Covina California
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Our UGRR Quilt Code exhibitions engaged patrons & school groups
of all religions and age groups.
of all religions and age groups.
The UGRR Quilt Code Escape path stopped with Freedom at the Nathaniel Dett Chapel in Niagara Ontario Canada. It had the Dresden Plate Window.
Historians from Sierra Leone, USA, Zambia, love to gather
to discuss slavery in their countries.
to discuss slavery in their countries.
Ms. Kemp had 43 booths for the Secrets of the UGRR Quilts.
University then each class made an UGRR Sampler Quilt of their own.
Serena Wilson with our UGRR Sampler Quilt come see it at the Freedom Day at the Delta Arts Center February 21st, 2021 in Winston Salem NC. Please make an appointment early we will be using Covid-19 protocols limiting the number of patrons.
Click on the photo above to see her History Maker Profile information.
My mother, Serena Strother Wilson belonged to Quilters For Christ Quilt Guild and they make lap quilts for Cancer & Dialysis patients or other people with illness who need tender loving care. Here are some of their works.
Contact Me:
Teresa R.
Kemp
Visit www.PlantationQuilts.com
"Exhibits that heal & Educate Communities"
+1 (803)
618-2250
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heirs. trkemp@PlantationQuilts.com
