Mary Lee Bendolph (1935-) · Counternarratives Digital Archive

Name: Mary Lee Bendolph (1935-)
Date of Birth: 1935
State Assigned Gender: Female
Hometown or Region: Gee's Bend, Alabama
Freedom Status: Free
Occupation: Quilter
Biography: Mary Lee Bendolph resident of the Gee’s Bend quilting community.; Mary Lee Bendolph is a quilter from the small town of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. As a descendant of the slaves that once worked the land of Gee’s Bend, Bendolph was raised in an isolated, deeply impoverished community. Through use of color, pattern, material, and shape in her quilts, Bendolph shares her experiences. Sharing her stories has brought awareness to the struggles of her community, uplifted her family economically, and worked as an outlet for political expression.
Quilting is a long-standing tradition among the women of Gee’s Bend. Mary Lee Bendolph was inspired by the work of the other quilts of the women around her, including her mother. The women use old fabric scraps of various colors to create patterns; Bendolph is known for her creative use of geometric patterns she made from strips and blocks of cotton and denim. Artists praise her ability to make basic geometric shapes appear so complex and intricate in her patterns.
Commissioned photographers during the Great Depression published photos of Gee’s Bend and brought national attention to the quilts made by the women. In 2006, Bendolph’s work was included in the American Treasures Series, a series of stamps that celebrated artisan work around the United States. Mary Lee Bendolph also was the 2015 recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts award. Her quilts are displayed in many permanent collections around the country today. Bendolph was also involved in efforts to reinstate the ferry that connected Gee’s Bend to the mainland and to increase the political participation of her community. A 1999 Los Angeles Times article about her political efforts won a Pulitzer Prize.; Click here to review Primary Sources related to Mary Lee Bendolph.
Student Researcher: Romy Ahn