Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South

Of Salt and Spirit is guest curator Dr. Sharbreon Plummer’s love letter to Black quilters of the South, showcasing fifty-one quilts and twelve portraits in the Mississippi Museum of Art’s permanent collection, and research from Roland L. Freeman’s archives now housed at the Museum. The exhibition represents decades of community building, intergenerational relationships, and a care for Black life and history. Exhibition design foregrounds the quilters and underscores the timeless and universal artistry of quilting. Bright colors, natural materials, candid photos of quilters, expressive fonts, and pattern exude a celebratory spirit. Interactive and interpretive components are interwoven throughout the galleries and feature pattern play, touch labels, a community “quilt” made from individual contributions, a wall to honor women, and a space dedicated to local contemporary quilters who demonstrate monthly during the run of the exhibition.