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Artists « Bettye Kimbrell
Bettye Kimbrell (Heritage Quilts) Kimbrell learned to quilt from her grandmother who believed your stitches reflected your character. “She was pretty much a perfectionist in everything she did,” Kimbrell says, “No matter how menial the chore, it had to be done with the best effort that she could give it. She really instilled in us that the stitching showed our patience, our diligence, and our desire to achieve our best. It was very important to her that we not just slam something together and do it half-way. It had to be done to the very best of our ability.” As Kimbrell’s quilting skills developed, she began experimenting with new designs and techniques. After she married and moved to Mt. Olive, a friend recommended her to a local department store as someone who could finish quilts for customers and local community members. In the early 1970s, Kimbrell won her first blue ribbon at the State Fair in Birmingham. In 1979, she organized a quilt show to raise money for the Mt. Olive Community Center, a frame schoolhouse that is now used for social functions and as a nutrition site for senior citizens. Out of this effort came the formation of the North Jefferson Quilters’ Guild, which meets twice a week to this day. In 1995, Kimbrell was awarded the Alabama Folk Heritage Award. Folklorist Anne Kimzey says of her work, “Her expert skill reveals itself most powerfully in the intricate needlework and ornate, detailed quilting that has become her trademark. People are amazed by her subtle but complex designs and by the millions of tiny stitches that cover her ‘whole cloth’ or “white on white’ quilts.” Selected Exhibitions and AwardsThe Quilts of Bettye Kimbrell – Birmingham Botanical Gardens – 2008 Alabama Folk Heritage Award 1995 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellowship - 2008 Items in the APT AuctionRelated Linkshttp://www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=2008_03http://www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/interview.php?id=2008_03 http://www.arts.state.al.us/actc/articles/heritage.htm |
