“Story Quilts”1st Grade/Social Studies

Underground Railroad

Faith Ringgold

Brought to you by your PTA!

Summit Hill ElementaryArt EDventures

PLEASE NOTE: This presentation is to be used for educational purposes only. Do not reproduce.

Meet Faith Ringgold

1930-Present

“I couldn’t be more pleased to describe myself as both an artist and a teacher.”

Professor, Writer and Artist

• Faith Ringgold is Professor of Art at the University of San Diego in California.

• She also has written and illustrated 11 children's books and has been honored with many awards like:

• Corretta Scott King Award

• Caldecott Honor

• National Endowment for the Arts

Story Quilts• Professor Ringgold is best known for

her special art called “Story Quilts.”

• Story quilts combine the art of painting, quilting and story telling.

• Many of her quilts are very famous like this one called “Quilting Bee.” It can be seen in a very big art museum called the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City!

• Quilting Bees were parties when ladies gathered together to sew a quilt.

“Quilting Bee” by Faith Ringgold

Fine & Folk Art

• Her Story Quilts are unique because they combine fine art with folk art.

• What does that mean? Well, fine art is usually created by someone who has gone to school and studied art. The “fine art” part of her story quilts is her painting.

• Folk art is usually handed down from one generation to another as a craft. It isn’t usually taught in a school of art. She learned how to quilt from her mom so the quilt part of her art is “folk art.” Can you find the “fine art” part of

“Dancing In the Louvre” story quilt?(hit enter)

What Are Her Stories?

“Mothers Quilt”“The Winner- Woman

on the Bridge”

A Family Tradition

• Professor Ringgold was born on October 8th, 1930 in Harlem, New York. (Around the same time that your grandparents were born.)

• She learned all about quilting from her mother who was a fashion designer.

• Amazingly, the folk art tradition of quilting in her family can be traced all the way back to her great, great, great grandmother.

• She was born into slavery on a plantation in South Carolina and made quilts for her white masters.

“Born in a Cotton Field”

by Faith Ringgold

Look closely at that cotton-what do you see?

Secret Messages

• Much of Faith’s art is about African American history. This quilt features Harriet Tubman hiding in a field on a tobacco plantation.

• Harriet Tubman is very famous because she was a slave that escaped to freedom. Later, she became an Underground Railroad “conductor” and risked her life many times help free other slaves.

• Did you know that quilts sewn by African American slaves may have had secret messages in them?

“Wanted, Douglas, Tubman and Truth” by Faith Ringgold

In Plain View• Slave quilts were supposedly

hung outside “safe” houses where they could be seen by slaves that were escaping to freedom via the Underground Railroad. (hit enter)

• Slaves could not read or write. In fact, it was illegal to teach them. So they used their quilts to “tell stories” by using symbols.

• Quilts could be left hanging outside without anyone suspecting a thing. When in fact, they were acting as message boards in plain view of everyone.

Slave Quarters, St. George Island

Quilt Symbols

Quilt symbols told Underground Railroad “conductors” like Harriet Tubman important information:

–Drinking Gourd (hit enter) Told them to look up to the sky for the drinking gourd (Big Dipper.) The brightest star on the handle of the Big Dipper would help guide them North to freedom.

–Flying Geese (hit enter)Told them to follow the way the geese were flying in the spring. This would lead them towards Canada and freedom.

– Sailboat (hit enter) Warned that a body of water had to be crossed soon.

–Monkey Wrench (hit enter)Meant that people inside the house would provide “tools” to lead them to freedom.

• Drinking Gourd

• Monkey Wrench

• Flying Geese

• Sail Boat

Story Quilts in Atlanta

• Amazingly, nearly 60,000 slaves made it to freedom with the aid of heroes like Harriet Tubman and secret directions in quilts. (hit enter)

• Thank goodness, you are “free” to see a Faith Ringgold Story Quilt right here in Atlanta! The High Museum of Art owns one of her most favorite quilts called “Church Picnic.” (hit enter)

• Now it is time for you to make a story quilt of your own!

High Museum of Art

Art EDventures SampleSafe House Square

& Drinking Gourd Square

It’s your turn to make a “safe house” and a “drinking gourd” quilt square. Then a class quilt will be sewn together with all the squares.

Afterwards, a “quilting bee” will combine all the class quilts together to create one giant wall hanging!

Class Quilt All 1st Grade Quilts Together

Project Art EDventuresSafe House Square:

• Create a safe house quilting square by cutting out the pre marked “house outline” on your foam square. (Watch your Art EDventures leader for they will show you how to fold your square in half to cut out a house shape.

• Paste the paper square with the pattern on it to the back of your foam safe house square. Your house should now be filled in.

• Use your markers to decorate your safe house. Add things like doors and windows, etc.

Secret Symbol Square:• On your second foam square you are going to

build a secret message symbol. (It’s just like playing with Tan Grams!)

• Look at the sample “drinking gourd” square given to your group. Then use the small foam pieces to build the same pattern on your square.

• Then glue the small pieces in place on top of your foam square.

Draw The Paw • Sign your name just under your “safe house”

and “Draw the Paw” so others will know it is a PTA Art EDventures creation.

Hole Punching• If you have time, have your Art EDventure Leader

help you punch holes along the edge of your squares where small dots have been pre-marked.

Sewing Your Square• If you have time, you may tie them together with a

piece of yarn. Building the Quilt Pattern

• IMPORTANT STEP: Half the class will have to tie their squares together with the safe house on the left and symbol on the right.

• The other half of the class will do the opposite for the quilt pattern to look like a checker board.

• • The Art EDventures volunteers may lay the quilt

squares out on the floor for the kids to see the pattern develop.

Completing The Class Quilt• Volunteers will have to take all the squares home

to finish tying it all together. • When combined, all the squares will make a very

special classroom quilt.• Please return the completed quilt to your teacher.

1st Grade Combined QuiltLater, all the class quilts will be “sewn” together by Art ED volunteers and hung out for all to see-- or

not?

G.P.S. Ties

• SS1H1 The student will read about and describe the life of historical figures in American history.

a. Identify the contributions made by these figures: Benjamin Franklin (inventor/author/statesman),Thomas Jefferson (Declaration of Independence), Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with Sacagawea (exploration), Harriet Tubman (Underground Railroad), Theodore Roosevelt (National Parks and the environment), George Washington Carver (science).b. Describe how everyday life of these historical figures is similar to and different from everyday life in the present (food, clothing, homes, transportation, communication, recreation).

Supply List

• 6 x 6 inch foam squares. (Two different colors for each child) One for the background of the drinking gourd symbol. Another for the foundation for the “safe house” square.

• 5.5 x 5.5 inch paper squares- with black and white pattern. (One per each child)• 2 x 2 inch foam square for middle of the “drinking gourd” symbol. Same color as the

“safe house” foam piece.• 2 x 2 inch foam square (same color as above) cut into 8 triangles for the points of the

gourd symbol. (Same color as “safe house foam piece)• Glue (several bottles per table.• Hole punches (several per table)• Roll of black yarn (one per 2 classes)• Scissors (one per child)• Markers (several packages per table)• Optional symbols for other quilt pattern options.

• http://www.carolinacountry.com/StoryPages/ourstories/quilt/quilt4.html

Art EDventuresMade possible with your donations to S.H.E.’s PTA

Art EDventuresMade possible with your donations to S.H.E.’s PTA

• Dear Mom, Dad or Caretaker,

• Today in Art EDventures, we learned about Faith Ringgold and how her story quilts combine painting, quilting and story telling.

• We also discovered how quilts were used to send secret messages to slaves escaping via the Underground Railroad.

• Ask me about my “drinking gourd” quilt square. This symbol told “conductors” like Harriet Tubman to look up to the sky for the drinking gourd (Big Dipper). This would lead North to safety.

• Faith Ringgold “Born In A Cotton Field”

• Dear Mom, Dad or Caretaker,

• Today in Art EDventures, we learned about Faith Ringgold and how her story quilts combine painting, quilting and story telling.

• We also discovered how quilts were used to send secret messages to slaves escaping via the Underground Railroad.

• Ask me about my “drinking gourd” quilt square. This symbol told “conductors” like Harriet Tubman to look up to the sky for the drinking gourd (Big Dipper). This would lead North to safety.

• Faith Ringgold “Born In A Cotton Field”