J.D. Wright
Corene McDaniel's bruised thumbs run across a blue-and-white-checkered quilt.
The inside of her thumbs are a dark shade of purple from the work she has put into making quilts for the museum that she runs at the University Mall.
McDaniel is the director of the African-American Museum of Southern Illinois and is heading up the local quilt feature of the Underground Railroad Quilt Exhibit.
The exhibit, sponsored by the African-American Museum of Southern Illinois, is taking place Aug. 24 through Sept. 22 at the University Mall.
But it is not just a regular, everyday quilt feature.
The African-American Museum of Southern Illinois is using this quilt exhibit to show a collection of 20 quilts that tell of slaves using secret messages in the patterns that are in them.
Like road signs, the slaves would follow the Underground Railroad, and the patterns of the quilts would lead them to what they needed to do or where they needed to go.
One of the quilts has a design on it called "Dunkard's Path." The design was used to remind escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad to travel in zigzag patterns, stay off main roads and wade through streams and rivers.
Whenever they traveled this way, the hunting dogs and slave catchers could not follow the tracks of escapees.
The "Dunkard's Path" quilt can be found at the museum, where the red and black colors are draped over a rocking chair.
The "Wagon Wheel" pattern was used to show the life circle. The circle is a symbol of freedom, and it also told slaves one method of escape could be in a wagon with a false bottom or a normal wagon in which they could hide underneath cotton or produce.
The "Bear's Paw" design was used for when the slaves would get to the Appalachian Mountains. The mountains were a common barrier from free states and slave states.
Africans were unfamiliar with bears at that time, so the design of the quilt told them that if they would follow the bear tracks, it would lead them to water or fish.
These are just a few of the designs being presented at the museum.
"It's very educational," said Rose Laster, a volunteer for the museum. "It's important because something like this has never happened in Southern Illinois."
Not only are there quilts that represent the Underground Railroad, but there is also a local quilt feature. Anyone who would like to enter his or her quilt in the feature can do so. There are rules and regulations for the quilts, but the entry forms must be turned in by July 20. Rules and forms can be picked up at the African-American Museum of Southern Illinois.
"Quilting is a lost art that is very interesting," McDaniel said.
The quilts will be hung from the ceiling, out of reach from shoppers throughout the Mall.
"We do this because the oils from people's hands can actually stain the delicate cloth of the quilts," McDaniel said.
There is a prize for the best quilt, and shoppers in the mall can actually vote for their favorite quilt. The votes will be added up, and the winner of the contest will receive $100.
"This makes it interesting in a way that everyone including family and friends all over Southern Illinois can vote for their favorite quilt," McDaniel said.
During the time of the exhibit, the museum is holding children's activities as well as quilting demonstrations.
"It's an interesting way in learning African-American heritage," McDaniel said. "Many people are expected to come."
The museum is located directly across from Spencer's Gifts and is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
Reporter J.D. Wright can be reached at jwright@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
