This I Accomplish

Book excerpt: The powerful quilts of Harriet Powers (1837-1910), a Georgia slave, continue to capture our imagination. Her two-known creations, the Bible Quilt and the Pictorial Quilt, have independently survived since stitched more than a century ago. Thousands of visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston have stood transfixed viewing her quilts. Until today, no one has told the entire, dramatic story of how her quilts, one initially sold for $5, were cherished for decades in private homes before emerging as priceless, national treasures. This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers¿ Bible Quilts and Other Pieces brings to light new, exciting facts ¿ many never before published: proof Powers was a literate, award-winning quilter, who stitched at least five quilts and promoted her own artwork; complete exhibition history for both quilts; profiles of the two nineteenth century women who sought to purchase the Bible Quilt; profiles of the three men who once owned the Pictorial Quilt; unveiling of a young artist who embellished the Pictorial Quilt and more! This I Accomplish is the most comprehensive resource guide on Powers and includes nearly 200 bibliographic annotative references. This I Accomplish is written by Kyra E. Hicks, a quilter whose works have appeared in over forty group exhibitions in places such as the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, NY and the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. She lives in Arlington, Virginia.