Flint, MI, September 28, 2023 – The Gloria Coles Flint Public Library will welcome the 34th Annual
African American Quilting Guild Exhibit October 12 – 14. The event will showcase the incredible
talents of quilters from across the country. Featured quilts range from traditional size and shapes to
innovative pictorial quilts. This year’s theme “In Memory of…” honors guild members who have passed
on and left a legacy of friendship, creativity and skill.
The event will also feature a lecture by quilt artist Mary Henley on Saturday October 14 at 2 p.m. She
will share her quilted artwork and speak about her life’s journey as a quilter and quilt entrepreneur.
The year’s event will also include quilts made by participants of the Sewing Business at St. Luke N.E.W.
Life Center program. St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center is a faith-based environment providing life skills,
education and workplace training, empowering women and men to become self-sufficient.
“The knitting and sewing I learned as part of the program helped me deal with my anxiety and fear of
crowds,” said one employment prep student
The exhibition explores how quilts have evolved alongside the nation. As the country has changed, so
too has the purpose and meaning of quilts. Early on, quilts were appreciated for their warmth and
artistry as decorative bedcovers. By the mid-nineteenth century, quilts were displayed in fairs and
other public places, and some makers began to see themselves as textile artists. Today, the medium
encompass a wide range of techniques, materials, and imagery. The works in this exhibition capture
the unique capacity quilts have to tell stories and convey a sense of humanity. The Exhibit will be
facilitated by the Flint African American Quilters Guild.
About Flint Public Library: Flint Public Library has served this community since 1851. Its vision is to be
Flint’s go-to place to learn for life. The Flint Public Library encourages formal and informal learning for all ages, in all mediums, for all of life. Learn more at www.fpl.info
