MS SR11

The Mississippi Senate extends recognition to the Tutwiler Quilters as recipients of the 2021 Governor's Arts Award for Arts in the Community.

The Tutwiler Quilters program was established over 30 years ago at the Tutwiler Community Education Center by religious sisters to improve health outcomes in an underserved community.

The quilters work from home at their own pace producing hand-quilted items in the Southern African-American tradition, with over 30,000 items sold since 1988 through the center, website, and craft shows nationwide.

The program operates as a cottage industry where quilters are paid upon completion and works undergo rigorous quality control; the group is a member of the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi and currently operates under the direction of Melanie Powell.

The resolution directs that this recognition be presented to the Tutwiler Quilters during the Governor's Arts Awards presentation and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.