Peggie Hartwell facts for kids

Peggie Lois Hartwell (born in 1939) is an amazing American quilter and teacher. She learned quilting from her family, making her a fourth-generation quilter! She lives in Summerville, South Carolina. There, she leads the Summerville Chapter of the Women of Color Quilters Network. This group teaches school kids how to make special "story-quilts." These quilts tell stories through their designs.

Peggie Hartwell's Early Life

Peggie Hartwell grew up on a farm in Springfield, South Carolina. She was born in 1939. Her family was very large and lived together. The women in her family were expert quiltmakers. The men were great at telling stories out loud, a very old tradition.

In the 1940s and 1950s, many African-American farmers from the South moved to big cities in the North. Peggie's family was one of them. She finished her schooling in New York City.

Dancing and Performing

Peggie Hartwell studied dance with a famous teacher named Syvilla Fort in New York City. After her training, she spent almost eight years performing. She danced different styles like Jazz and Modern dance. She traveled and performed all over Europe and the Middle East!

After her dancing career, she worked at a company called Tanenbaum Harber Co. in New York City.

Her Quilt Art

While working, Peggie also became a talented quilt artist. Her quilts often tell stories about her own life. She uses ideas from the folk traditions and customs she learned as a child.

You can see some of her beautiful quilts at the Museum of Arts and Design.

In 1996, Peggie received a special grant from the National Quilting Association. This helped her create a series of ten quilts. These quilts showed her childhood and farm experiences in South Carolina.

Education and Teaching

Peggie Hartwell has a college degree in Theater from Queens College in New York. She also has a special certificate to teach art to students with disabilities. She is known as a "Master Artist" in several programs. This means she is recognized as a top artist who can teach others. She teaches art in classrooms across South Carolina.

Where Her Art Has Been Shown

Peggie Hartwell's quilts have been shown in many places.

Solo Shows

• "A Quilter's Spirit," YMI Culture Arts Center, Asheville, NC, 2000.
• "Vanished Images," New York Founding Hospital, New York, NY, 2000.

Group Shows

• "Threads of Faith," Beach Institute for African American Art & Culture, Savannah, GA, 2006.
• "Threads of Faith," Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati, OH, 2005.
• "Threads of Faith," Gallery of the American Bible Society, New York, NY, 2004.
• "Sixth Annual Quilting Weekend," Frost Valley YMCA, Claryville, NY, 2002.
• "Stories in Art," Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 2001.

Quilts on Film and TV

Peggie Hartwell has been featured in several films and TV shows.

Quilted Conscience

Quilted Conscience is a heartwarming film. It tells the story of 16 girls from Sudan who moved to Grand Island, USA. The film shows how they found a new life through art. It premiered on NET1/HD on June 14.

Filmmaker John Sorensen recorded the girls' journey. They took part in an art project with a local quilters group. Peggie Hartwell, a famous African-American quilt-maker, guided them.

Peggie Hartwell also appeared in The Cloth Sings to Me (1995) and The Spirit of the Individual (1997). These films are about textile artists in New York.

She was also interviewed by LeVar Burton on the TV show Reading Rainbow. She talked about her quilt-making and her family's cultural traditions.

Groups She Belongs To

Ms. Hartwell is a member of several important quilting groups. These include the National Chapter of the Women of Color Quilters Network (WCQN). She is also part of the American Quilt Society (AQS) and the National Quilting Association (NQA).