BROWNSVILLE TN (May 22, 2017):
Teri Klassen, the author of Tennessee Delta Quiltmaking, will be featured during a book signing and exhibition opening at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center Saturday, June 10, 2 p.m., in Brownsville. A collection of local and regional quilts will be on exhibit through July 10. The exhibit will be open to the public and admission is free. Books will be for sale.

In her book, Klassen discusses the significant role quilts played prior to the 1960s when quilts were a necessity. She uncovers the ways in which designs and labor were shared and the ways in which quilt making was part of the small-farm culture that was common to blacks and whites.
“The culture of quilt making reflected living conditions and values of these folk,” says Klassen. “Since that time, quilt making has progressed from necessity to hobby due to the fact that women reinvented it to suit booth social and personal needs.”

The exhibit will feature several of the quilts discussed in the book as well as a few modern examples. Klassen, a folklorist and postdoctoral research associate at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures, Indiana University, interviewed 38 consultants in the Haywood and Lauderdale County area beginning in 2007 to document the quilts and learn about the social and economic make up of the Delta region.

For more information about the event, call the Center at 731-779-9000 or email [email protected]. The West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center is located at 121 Sunny Hill Cove in Brownsville, Tenn.

About the Center: The West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center, in Brownsville, offers a refreshing Southern experience showcasing the history and culture of rural West Tennessee. Inside visitors can learn about the history of cotton, explore the scenic and “wild” Hatchie River and get to know the legendary musicians who call West Tennessee home. Also located on the grounds is the Tina Turner Museum at Flagg Grove School, the childhood school of Tina Turner, and the last home of Blues pioneer Sleepy John Estes. The Delta Heritage Center is also a featured stop along the Americana Music Triangle connecting Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans. To learn more about the Center, visit www.westtnheritage.com or call 731-779-9000.