Page 16, Pieces of a culture

Features Story by Steve Berger, 02/16/94

Mary Avant spreads assorted scraps of fabric across her kitchen table in
her small house on the north side of Champaign. The table also serves as
Avant's makeshift art studio. Three days later, these same pieces of
material will have blossomed into a quilt.

Avant is a folk artist. Folk art exists side by side in the art world with
fine art, but it is different in many ways than popular and primitive
art.

Art scholar Nina Fletcher Little said folk art is the art of the people.

"It is not meant for the ruling class or the church," she said. "In folk
art, we discover the character and interests of a people and the forces
that mold their lives."

Krannert Art Museum Director Ted Zernich refers to folk art as outsider's
art, adding many folk artists have had no kind of formal art education.
Zernich also said he would like to bring more folk art pieces into the
museum in the future.

The Krannert Art Museum is celebrating Black History Month with an exhibit
of quilts made by African-American artists, entitled "Who'd A-Thought It:
Improvisation In African-American Quilt Making." The quilts will be on
display through Feb. 27.

Krannert Art Museum Education Director Linda Duke obtained the traveling
exhibit, which showcases a collection of local quilts, including one by
Avant.

When the museum expressed interest in displaying her quilts, Avant
laughed. She has no opinion to the quilts' value as a form of art.

Quiltmaking is a common expression of folk art in the United States not
unique to the African-American culture. The Amish, the Shakers and other
groups also have a strong tradition in quilts. However, the
African-American culture produces quilts that are very uniquely its own.

Robert Farris Thompson, professor at Yale University and expert on
African-American quilts, spoke at the University of Illinois on Jan. 30.
Thompson said the organizing principles in African music, dance and
textile making are also prevalent in the same areas of African-American
culture.

Avant was born in Tupelo, Miss.,in 1909. She moved to Champaign in 1954
and has lived here ever since.

She said she has been making quilts since she was a little girl and would
watch her mother make them as well. As a child, Avant quilted without any
knowledge of patterns or designs; instead, she would just improvise her
way to completing the quilt. As she became older, Avant began to quilt to
more traditional patterns, such as "Nine Spot" and "Log Cabin."

Avant has retained her improvisatory nature in her use of color in her
quilts. She obtains much of the quilt material she uses from friends and
neighbors, and the varying colors of her quilts are usually the result of
the materials they bring over.

Avant does not think of herself as an artist, and the term "folk art"
means nothing to her. She quilts because she enjoys it and has eight
children and many more grandchildren who she wants to take care of.

Avant is 84 and walks with a cane, but her mind and hands are still young.
On a quilting day, she awakens at 7:30, eats breakfast and works
continuously from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with only a short break for
lunch.

A concert pianist practices from six to ten hours a day. A dancer
rehearses from four to six hours per day. But Avant, practicing the art of
quilt-making, works at her craft for 12 hours every day. She shows great
dedication to her quilts, and one of her finished products hangs on a wall
in the Krannert Art Museum exhibit.

Maarten van de Guchte, curator of the museum, is a strong supporter of
folk art. In 1991, he brought a folk-art exhibit to the museum. He said
that folk art deserves recognition along with to fine art and added he is
always looking for new, interesting works.

Guchte said a patron of the Krannert Art Museum recently donated a very
unique piece of folk art--a panorama painting of the life of Christ. The
painting--over 600 feet long and 10 feet high--was presented to the museum
in three separate rolls and is currently in storage. The creator of the
painting is unknown.

In recent years, the financial value of folk art works has increased. For
example, the museum patron who donated the large panorama paid only $500
for it at an auction in Indiana, but the same painting was recently
appraised at $150,000.

And Avant said she has seen quilts priced as high as $500.

"I can't see spending that kind of money on something I can make in a
couple of days for only a few dollars," she said.

Avant said she does not quilt for money, or for accolades. Instead, she
quilts to provide her family, friends, and herself with warmth and
comfort.

Many quilters in the Champaign-Urbana area gather at the Douglas Park
Annex, Champaign, a social center for senior citizens. Barbara McGee,
director of senior activities at the center, coordinates the activities at
the center. She also helped Linda Duke collect local quilts for the
exhibit.

McGee said the quilts endure over generations, often becoming cherished
heirlooms.

"The women see the value in quilts and want to pass them on to their
kids," she said. "It's a form of art."

When the museum expressed interest in her quilts, Avant was shocked that
it wanted what she had been doing for over 70 years.

Recently, one of Avant's many grandchildren drove her to the Krannert Art
Museum to see the exhibit.

"They didn't even take my best quilt," Avant said. "They took the one with
the brightest colors."

Avant walked to the quilts, looked at her quilt hanging next to the others
on the museum wall and said, "It ain't so bad. I kinda like it up there."

"Who'd A-Thought It: Improvisation in African-American Quilt Making" will
be on display at the Krannert Art Museum until Feb. 27. The gallery is
open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to
8 p.m. Wednesday; 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday; and closed on Monday.