Leola Pettway

Leola (left) and Qunnie (right) Pettway at the Freedom Quilting Bee, 1972

Leola Pettway (1929 - 2010) started piecing quilts when she was 11 years old. Leola  didn't have access to new fabrics, instead utilizing old rags, dresses and pants to make her quilts. She cut blocks with her hands and a knife and had no scissors to work with in the early days. Leola made a whole quilt at the age of 11. Leola’s Aunt, Deborah Young taught her how to quilt in the old ways of the Gee’s Bend tradition.

Leola’s work was included in the first major museum exhibition introducing Gee’s Bend to the art world in 2002, The Quilts of Gee’s Bend, originating at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Additional museum venues for this exhibition include the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Orlando Museum of Art, The Walters Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, the Speed Art Museum, Denver Art Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum and the Philadelphia Art Museum.

Leola’s work was also included in the 2006 traveling museum exhibition, Gee’s Bend, The Architecture of the Quilt, originating at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Additional museum venues for this exhibition include the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Orlando Museum of Art, The Walters Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, the Speed Art Museum, Denver Art Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum and the Philadelphia Art Museum.

Leola Pettway was featured in the following gallery exhibition:

Tessellations, Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York, 2024

 

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