In the Spring of 2026, Thomasville Center for the Arts will launch “My Side of the Story” with multiple public art activations during the Center’s Due South Music, Food, & Art Festival and continue through the 105th Rose Show and Festival. This experience promotes Southern quilting and showcases makers and artists residing throughout the South, while providing them with a platform to display their artistic talents. From April 2 to June 2, 2026, the community can view and experience these public art installations in Downtown Thomasville. This column highlights the storytellers, historians, artists, and quilters involved in this public art experience. Alongside the narrative quilt competition, the project includes a community “Airing of the Quilts,” featuring quilt flags created from the quilts of Thomasville residents and groups. The stories behind these quilts are as powerful as the artwork itself. This week’s feature: The Southern Narrative Quilt Pioneers The Southern narrative quilt pioneers transformed fabric into powerful storytelling media, blending artistry with lived history. In the rural South—especially in communities such as Gee's Bend—quilters developed bold visual languages that drew from African American traditions, memory, and daily life. Through public art, Thomasville Center for the Arts continues its mission to make lives brighter through the arts.
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