“Some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced”
–The New York Times
Featured Event
Mark your calendar for the 2026 Airing of the Quilts Festival on Saturday, October 3rd in Gee’s Bend, Alabama.
This beloved annual event honors the community’s generations-old quiltmaking tradition with vibrant quilt displays and sales, hands-on workshops, guided tours, live music, and more—celebrating the artistry, history, and enduring spirit of Gee’s Bend.
Now on Display
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Between History and Memory: Dinah Miller’s Legacy in Gee’s Bend
This exhibition explores the life of Dinah Miller, the earliest known quiltmaker of Gee’s Bend and matriarch of generations of quilters. Through family stories, archival research, and works by her descendants, the exhibition highlights her lasting influence on the community’s traditions and the history of American art.
On view at the River Gallery through September 2027. -
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The History of the Freedom Quilting Bee
The current exhibition traces the history of the Freedom Quilting Bee, the Black women-owned cooperative established during the Civil Rights Movement, and the lasting impact of the women who worked together in this historic space.
On view until December 2026 -
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A History of Gee’s Bend from 1816 to the Present
Explore more than two centuries of Gee’s Bend history, from emancipation, landownership, and the Civil Rights Movement to the community’s rise as a celebrated center of American art. Woven throughout the timeline is its enduring quilting tradition, passed from generation to generation and carried forward by Gee’s Bend makers today.
Located in the breezeway of the Gee's Bend Welcome Center. Always open.
Tour Gee’s Bend
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The Gee's Bend Heritage Trail
On the Gee's Bend Heritage Trail, visitors can learn about the quiltmakers whose work was featured on a set of 10 commemorative stamps issued by the US Postal Service in 2006 as part of the American Treasures series. Located near where their makers lived and worked, Heritage Trail markers feature full-size reproductions of the quilts, along with biographical information, stories, and photographs of the women who created them.
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Mary's Dirt Road Tours
Craft your own unforgettable journey! Led by Andre Pettway, son of renowned quilter Mary Leathea Pettway, these tours offer a deeply personal and authentic experience. Famous for its vibrant quilting heritage, this charming community invites you to explore its storied past and creative present.
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Experience the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy
Explore the history of the Freedom Quilting Bee, a Black women-owned cooperative founded in 1966 that built a national quilting business while advancing civil rights, voting rights, and school desegregation. Group and bus tours are available by reservation.
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Enhance your visit with Bloomberg Connects
Discover Gee’s Bend through the free Bloomberg Connects app, with stories, history, and insights that deepen your experience as you explore the community in person or connect from home. Start exploring before you arrive and continue learning long after your visit.
Workshops in Gee’s Bend
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Makers Monday with Andrea Pettway Williams & Claudia Pettway Charley
Create a one-of-a-kind Gee’s Bend garment while exploring how the community’s quilting traditions have moved from heritage to runway through collaborations with Target, Adidas, Marfa Stance, and other contemporary brands.
The first Monday of every month at Sew Gee’s Bend Heritage Builders. -
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Monthly Quilt Workshop @ The Bee
The Legacy offers a monthly workshop to visitors to Gee’s Bend. Local quiltmakers teach attendees how to design and make a quilt top and how to complete a quilt block.
Third Saturday of the month at the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy -
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Create with Emma Pettway Mooney at Willie Quill's Quilt Studio
Sit inside Gee’s Bend’s (aka Boykin) first single-maker quilt studio, study renowned patterns, then cut, piece, and quilt your own square at Willie Quill’s Quilt Studio & Pantry.
Bookable through Airbnb Experiences -
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Gee’s Bend Mini Quilting Workshop
Create a quilted block alongside a Gee’s Bend quilter in this one-hour workshop for ages 8 and up. All materials are included, and flexible scheduling allows for advance bookings or walk-ins when available.
Available anytime Sew Gee’s Bend Heritage Builders is open. -
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Vacation With An Artist: Quilts of Gee's Bend with Loretta & Marlene
Spend several days quilting with master quilters Loretta and Marlene while staying overnight in the Gee’s Bend community. Learn traditional hand-stitching techniques and experience the slower rhythms, stories, and living legacy of this celebrated quilting tradition.
Bookable through Vacation With An Artist
