This month the Department of Art History and the School of Dance will host the exhibition Threads: The Quilts of Ms. Gussie Beatrice Arnold Hill in FSU’s William Johnston Gallery. The exhibit, conceived and developed by School of Dance Associate Professor Anjali Austin and curated by Art History graduate student Mattie Codling, highlights quilts designed and crafted by Austin’s maternal grandmother, Tallahassee native Gussie Beatrice Arnold Hill.
Being of African-American, Seminole, and Spanish lineage, and a fifth generation Tallahasseean, Austin feels the quilts evoke and capture her Florida heritage and a history often left untold. Austin states, “In my heart I believe these quilts to be a unique and important anthology of art. To have a collection of this size and nature from an African-American artist of Ms. Hill’s genre is rare. It is an opportunity to recognize a rich legacy and explore one family’s historical journey.”
The opening will be held on September 9 from 5 – 7 pm, and the exhibition will remain open until October 3. The Gallery will be open to the public on limited occasions (including Parents’ Weekend, Friday October 3rd), and private viewings of the show can be arranged by contacting curator Mattie Codling.