Guided by the Ancestors a 'Century Cycle' of Fiber Art

Summary

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A "visual griot," Brewer has been a leading and internationally known practitioner of "story quilting," a handicraft that incorporating fabric, culture, history, fibers, images and along with her innate gift and vision to convey stories of spirituality, courage, wisdom, all of which are intrinsically "guided by the ancestors."

The Huntington, W.Va. native received a bachelor's of arts degree from the Columbus College of Art and Design with an emphasis in ceramics and interior design, but her main focus was in a different visual art-photography. The problem was, in the colloquial, that she wasn't "feeling it." Brewer says it was "a need for control in my life" that offered the segue to handicrafts, which began innocently enough.

Educator/consultant Sheila Carter Jones says Brewer offers "the missing link to the ancestor's spirituality" adding to the historic significance of her work. "By bringing the ancestors to life, linking history to the past, her work reflects her sensitivity to the present conditions."

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Guided by the Ancestors a 'Century Cycle' of Fiber Art

Pittsburgh has long been a city of parallels-two Negro League teams, bridge cables, the Squirrel Hill tunnel and the Liberty "tubes"-all are uniquely Pittsburgh. Now another parallel has emerged, of a decidedly artistic bent.

First is the better known, August...

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