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About the artist

Marlene Bennett Jones

Marlene Bennett Jones is the daughter of Agatha P. “Cat” Bennett and granddaughter of Delia Bennett, two renowned Gee’s Bend quilters. Marlene remembers that her mother would get up in the morning and start cooking a pot of collard greens and sweet potatoes. She would then go from house-to-house quilting in groups with the other women in “the Bend.” As a child, Marlene was not required to learn to quilt. She took up the artform as an adult after the passing of her mother in 2006 and her father in 2007. She gathered her parents' clothing and made twenty quilts that she shared with family members in their memory.

Quilting is Marlene’s passion, and her work is installed in museums throughout the country.
Image of artist

This project is supported in part by an award from the Association of African American Museums (AAAM) and African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN) Grant Program.