My Vacation Inspiration!

What an incredible opportunity I just had on my trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. At the Museum of International Folk Art, I saw a film called "Gee's Bend Quilts and Beyond." I imagine a lot of you are familiar with with this story - but this was my first real exposure to the story. The women of this community who had survived a life of poverty told stories of their lives and how quilting together was an outlet for them to bond in joy, support, song and expression. What came across so powerfully in the film and their interviews was that even though struggle and extreme poverty had been a dominant force in their lives - their community of support and strength got them through. The quilts they made were created exclusively of scraps from old clothing. The ladies delightful humor and gratitude came across as they shared their stories. Over and over they emphasized how important quilting had been to them and how crucial it was to surviving with their spirits intact. After the movie their was a panel discussion about the film. The panel included Jane Fonda (yes, the famous movie actress!), her daughter, Vanessa Vadim and Matt Arnett who filmed and edited the movie. Because the crew was comprised of only the later two, they achieved great intimacy and trust from the ladies and the rest of the community. After the film and the discussion from the panel, we viewed the exhibit of quilts. Jane Fonda was extremely articulate, humorous and interesting. (she brought her dog with her!) All of us that attended thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

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