As she explained when presenting it, this quilt, whose design and composition are phenomenal, incorporates fabric that mirrors pieces designed for figures such as New York Senator Lea Webb, whom I had the honor of meeting recently, a leader who presented Leanora with an award this year for her community impact during Women’s History Month. It incorporates some fabric pieces whose pattern recollects the artistry of Jean Michel Basquiat, along with African mudcloth and centers the logo of the Africana Studies and Research Center, which also pays tribute to the department’s founding and leading role in establishing and theorizing the discipline of Africana studies. The accompanying essay that she wrote and included with the piece speaks to her process and method as an artist in developing this beautiful quilt (see screenshots on my Facebook quilting site). Like so many of her other works, this quilt richly showcase her genius and gifts from God in this area.
Our department is one to whom she has genuinely been a friend over the years spanning back to her time as a student, one in which she was mentored by a range of faculty, from its founder Dr. James Turner to the Director and Chair under whom I was hired in 2008, Dr. Salah Hassan, a department to whom she so graciously welcomed me. I have so appreciated her support and encouragement of my work as an artist and scholar over the years. I cannot begin to convey the depth of my thanks for her thoughtfulness and vision in designing this piece and sharing it with me, and am truly thankful for her kindness and support.
We plan to display it among in the chair’s office, along with art works currently featured there, including prints by my art mentor Bill Ford and a work highlighting Sr. Thea Bowman, one of the greatest and most impactful influences in my life, a custom cloth doll featuring Sojourner Truth by Renata Gawronski, Gee's Bend quilt throws, and folk art pieces by Chris Clark, Betty Sue Matthews, and Mary Proctor. Leanora’s community art projects and initiatives, including her outstanding work to help educate youth in STEM, have been widely appreciated, admired and applauded, and garnered recognition from the NBA. She is also working on some exciting initiatives with Cornell students, including a project in collaboration with the Johnson Art Museum on campus, which also draw on her talents as an artist, incorporate workshops and expand opportunities for community dialogue, engagement and service. At Africana, Leanora is among our exciting line-up of speakers from the Ithaca community whom we hope and pray to spotlight in a range of dialogues with our faculty scheduled for Women’s History Month. Please stay tuned.
Many blessing to Leanora Erica Mims for thinking of me in producing this extraordinary quilt, and to her beautiful family, for being a shining light and radiating so much love for them in the Lord, and outward to touch the world in so many beautiful, sweet and special ways, while impacting and making a difference in the lives of so many. Thank you, thank you, thank you, dearest Leanora, from the bottom of my heart, and God bless you and your family; I am ever thankful for all of the ways in which you support and encourage my family and me. I look forward to more dialogues continuing forward, truly treasure our friendship, and again, am deeply thankful for your support! Here are some images of us holding her outstanding quilt, as well as photos of the gorgeous mixed-media fabric book that she crafted for me. More photos, including the catalog for the phenomenal exhibition of quilts in Atlanta in honor of Rep. John Lewis signed by some of the artists, and some keepsakes from the landmark Atlanta Quilt Festival in which she participated, are visible on my Facebook quilting site.✝️🙏☮️❤️🖤💚👏👏👏🙌🙌🙌
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