Collaged Collaborative Quilts

Through a mini-unit on quilts and collage, students learned about the American quilt collective Gees Bend. They examined the collective's works of art throughout the years and learned about the group's history, as well as their significance to contemporary art and civil rights activism. Students learned about how the works of art began as a practical use and were made out of necessity (quilters made blankets for warmth out of scrap clothing), yet the quilts began to gain notoriety for their aesthetic qualities and cultural significance.

Each student made their own "quilt" square through the use of collaged paper, and in the end the squares were assembled into a class quilt. The project emphasized collaboration and community while also teaching students skills in composition, cutting, and gluing.