Common Threads brought together artists of two of the world’s most vibrant contemporary textile traditions: The Quilters of Gee’s Bend and the Groupe Bogolan Kasobane, bogolan masters from Mali. This visual art performance/demonstration featured artists of the two traditions working simultaneously on their respective art pieces during the course of a week-long residency. Panel discussions and lectures explored each art form and the artists that practice it, the similarities between the art forms, and cultural memory patterns included in both groups’ artistic expressions. The program was developed by Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center with ArtPlay Teaching Artist Sharrif Simmons. New York artist Janet Goldner acted as a cultural and language translator for the project.
