THE HERALD-SUN I DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
Cliff Bellamy
assistant features editor
4T9-6744;cbellamy(»>heraldsun.com
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2003
Threads,
images,
inspired
by blues
“Quilted from the Heart
with Soul: Works by the
African-American Quilt
Circle” and “On the Road
documenting Living-
Legends: Photographic
Exhibition by Jerry and
Kay Novick"
Hayti Historic Center, through
Sept. 28
At just about this time
every year, Durham
begins a celebration of the
blues, an idea that begins with
music but permeates the work
of black artists of every stripe,
because it comes from the heart.
Organized by the St. Joseph’s
Historic Foundation, this is the
16th Annual Bull Durham Blues
Festival. The
Greenberg
kickoff begins
with an exhibi¬
tion of quilts
from the
African Ameri¬
can Quilting
Circle, a local
quilting society,
and a series of
portrait pho¬
tographs of liv¬
ing blues leg-
eridsby Jerry and'Kay Novick.
The 38 quilts range from sam¬
pler size to double bed size.
They are, however, objets d’art,
not house furnishings. The quil-
ters merge traditional quilting
patterns with piecing and
applique and use specially cho¬
sen new fabrics rather than
recycled scraps from the sewing
box. Much of the material
A frir
i ryf h'jc h<->pn
Marjorie Diggs Freeman's “Lady
McCoy’s quilt has been in her
family for generations. Mary
Hampton and E. Clotelle McCoy
created the quilt in 1951 from
fabric that was at least 20 years
old. As the quilt moved through
the generations, the back was
reinforced with contemporary
fabric, preserving the quilt, and
insuring its continued life in the
family.
Among other themes the
artists pursued are portraits of
Egyptian queens, like Ida
Couch’s “African Queen,” and
generic female figures present¬
ed with imagination and humor.
Among those is Selena Sullivan’s
“Ebony and Ivory,” whose
female figure is made of black
and white material, arms of
black and white kid gloves, and
jeweled buttons that ornament
the background. Marjorie Free¬
man’s “Lady in Red” is one of a
in Red” (No. 23).
Novicks are determined to pho¬
tograph the living legends while
they can. Over the years, they
have built such rapport with the
musicians that they have unbe¬
lievable access and so their pho¬
tographs are not posed but show
the performers doing what they
do best.
There is Koko Thylor in her
white fuzzy hat and jacket, lips
pursed, mike in hand, and She-
mekia Copeland with her eyes
closed and her mouth open.
There are also Tommy Castro, in
a T-shirt and a big smile and the
suave “Little” Milton Campbell,
with his gold necklace and dia¬
mond rings. (Incidentally, these
four are among the many stars
that will be performing during
the Blues Festival.).
The Novicks, it seems, are
especially fond of Buddy Guy
and B.B. King. We see both
