14th annual Atlanta Quilt Festival honors John Lewis’ life, legacy

"Remembering John Lewis," a quilt by Vickie Lord (Photo by O.V. Brantley)

Credit: O.V. Brantley

Credit: O.V. Brantley

"Remembering John Lewis," a quilt by Vickie Lord (Photo by O.V. Brantley)

The centerpiece of the 14th annual Atlanta Quilt Festival, on show now through Sept. 2 at the Southwest Arts Center, is “The Good Trouble Quilts — Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Congressman John Lewis.”

“The Good Trouble Quilts” features a new collection of approximately 25 original art quilts. The festival takes place in the Fifth District in Georgia, which was Congressman Lewis’ district until he died in July 2020.

Other exhibits include the annual juried exhibit and “Lives Taken, Lives Remembered,” eight quilts which capture the essence of documented lynchings that took place in Fulton County. In all, more than 100 quilts celebrating the African American heritage will be displayed in the festival. Quilters compete for ribbons and prize money in four categories: Best Traditional Quilt, Best Art Quilt, Best Modern Quilt and Best African American Heritage Quilt.

Lola Jenkins, the featured Master Quilter for this year’s festival, will present a trunk show and lecture at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20.