1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:12,600 Yvonne: Welcome back to She Pivots. I'm Yvonn Wells. 2 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,360 ETS: Welcome back to She Pivots, the podcast where we talk 3 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,000 ETS: with women who dare to pivot out of one career 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:24,720 ETS: and into something new and explore how their personal lives 5 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:34,240 ETS: impacts these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. Today 6 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:38,199 ETS: I had the absolute pleasure of debuting the incredible story 7 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,200 ETS: of Ivonn Wells for the first time ever on a podcast. 8 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,000 ETS: Yvon is a folk artist who creates the most striking 9 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:49,280 ETS: quilts that depict stories from the civil rights movement and 10 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,680 ETS: the Bible. She's been making quilts since she was in 11 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:57,280 ETS: her forties, but now at eighty five, she's finally getting 12 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,000 ETS: her due. Her work has been featured in the Smithsonian, 13 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:05,120 ETS: the International Quilt Museum, and at the White House, but 14 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,920 ETS: this late in life renaissance was never an expected pivot 15 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:12,360 ETS: for her. Yvonne spent her career as a physical education 16 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,399 ETS: teacher in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where she dedicated her life to 17 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,760 ETS: teaching and to her community. She's of the civil rights 18 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,759 ETS: generation and experience the tension and the difficulties of the time. 19 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,360 ETS: You'll hear in her interview. Her first hand experience as 20 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,720 ETS: one of a few black teachers to integrate one of 21 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,399 ETS: the high schools. As a result, her quilts are an 22 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,640 ETS: expression of the tension she experienced during the Civil Rights 23 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,080 ETS: movement and offer relief and peace through her depictions of 24 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,240 ETS: the Bible. Although it took her years to accept the 25 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,600 ETS: title of artists, there is no question of the care 26 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:51,960 ETS: and artistry in every stitch. Yvonne's success post retirement is 27 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:56,040 ETS: proof that every path, no matter how nonlinear, can lead 28 00:01:56,080 --> 00:02:00,240 ETS: to something greater than you ever could have imagined. So 29 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:02,520 ETS: honored that she is here to share her story with 30 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,000 ETS: us today, and so excited for you to get to 31 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:06,600 ETS: know Vonn enjoy. 32 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,720 Yvonne: I am Yvonne Wells, and I make story quilts. 33 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,160 ETS: Okay, so we're gonna go. We're gonna go to LITTLELEVDD. 34 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:23,280 ETS: You are one of nine siblings, correct, which sounds like 35 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:27,639 ETS: a whole lot of fun, a whole lot of chaos. 36 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,880 ETS: And where do you chaos? 37 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:30,600 Yvonne: Mostly? 38 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:34,320 ETS: Where do you fall in the birth order? 39 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:39,560 Yvonne: I'm number eight. It was seven girls and two boys. 40 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,120 Yvonne: Seven of us were born in the thirties, two were not. 41 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:49,920 Yvonne: The oldest was born in twenties and the youngest was 42 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,000 Yvonne: born in forties. But the rest of us were born 43 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,840 Yvonne: in the thirties, So my mama had seven babies and 44 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:57,840 Yvonne: ten years. 45 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:04,040 ETS: Oh my goodness is wild. So did you end up 46 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,160 ETS: being the youngest? Did you end up with a lot 47 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,280 ETS: of responsibility at home or did your siblings mostly take 48 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,280 ETS: care of you? Like, how did it work in your family? 49 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,679 Yvonne: Well, no, I'm the one who did mostly everything. They 50 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,800 Yvonne: did some however, as well. But if there was something 51 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,160 Yvonne: that needed to be fixed or needed to be done, 52 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:29,079 Yvonne: it was always Yvonne. So I was considered a tomboy 53 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,760 Yvonne: and I could do all of this stuff. If something 54 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:37,680 Yvonne: needed to be hammered, moved on, the yard needed mowing, 55 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,840 Yvonne: I'm Yvonne, the tomboy they knew. 56 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,880 ETS: Did you think about being a grown up? Like, did 57 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:47,560 ETS: you ever think about what you wanted to be when 58 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:48,120 ETS: you grew up? 59 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,120 Yvonne: I know I didn't think. I always thought I would 60 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,040 Yvonne: be a grown up, but I didn't know which direction 61 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,320 Yvonne: I would go in. However, it was placed in our 62 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,640 Yvonne: mind and our souls and our bodies that each of 63 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,840 Yvonne: you would go to college. So we all did go 64 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:11,160 Yvonne: to Stillman College, which was in walking distance from our home. 65 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,120 ETS: That's quite remarkable at the time. It's remarkable under any 66 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,840 ETS: circumstances for all nine siblings to go to college, but 67 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:23,640 ETS: certainly in the South at the time. Yes, And did 68 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,080 ETS: everyone live at home? And why was that important to her? 69 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:30,520 Yvonne: Well? She always said, in order to get a better 70 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:35,159 Yvonne: way of life, in order to do well in life, 71 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,919 Yvonne: you're going to have to have education so that you 72 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:43,679 Yvonne: will know what to do to have a prosperous life. 73 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,479 Yvonne: Education was the way out, she would say. So that's 74 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,400 Yvonne: why it was extremely important for us to go to college. 75 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,800 Yvonne: Each of my aunts in office all went to college. 76 00:04:55,920 --> 00:05:00,520 Yvonne: Doctor Hardy was the president of Stillman College moment tarily 77 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:05,839 Yvonne: and my mother's everybody taught school, but everybody went to college. 78 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,760 Yvonne: So that was I didn't see any way out. And 79 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,240 Yvonne: as a matter of fact, I didn't want to see 80 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:16,040 Yvonne: any other way out because it is I who would 81 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,400 Yvonne: always try to carry on what my mother was. Her 82 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:24,000 Yvonne: wishes were. I remember upon her die in bed and 83 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,960 Yvonne: I'm holding her hands. She said, Yvonne, take care of 84 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,760 Yvonne: your brother. Yvonne, do this, Yvonne, do that. 85 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,320 ETS: Yvonne did as her mother wished and attended Stillman College, 86 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,080 ETS: and it wasn't long before she met her husband. 87 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:44,480 Yvonne: Sure we were in school at Stilmam together and I 88 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:49,000 Yvonne: was one year ahead of him in nineteen fifty eight. 89 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:51,159 Yvonne: I think he came in nineteen fifty eight and I 90 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:55,400 Yvonne: graduated in nineteen fifty seven. I was already there when 91 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,640 Yvonne: he came in. And when he came in, I saw him. 92 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,560 Yvonne: I said, well, there's nice looking guy. But I was 93 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:08,400 Yvonne: told that he was already consumed by other women. I said, okay, 94 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,720 Yvonne: I just leave it alone. But as time went on, 95 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,400 Yvonne: that finally changed. 96 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:15,760 ETS: Was it always clear that you were going to go 97 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:17,800 ETS: into teaching and to education. 98 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:23,039 Yvonne: Not always clear. It wasn't always clear because at one 99 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,360 Yvonne: time I thought I wasn't going to go at all. 100 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:30,359 Yvonne: But somehow we were able to manage to get enough resources. 101 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:35,160 Yvonne: And my husband was the caregiver of the financial giver 102 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,680 Yvonne: at that time, so he finished up my years on 103 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,920 Yvonne: my final years of college. Oh, he had to stop 104 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:49,480 Yvonne: college because his finances were unable to continue his educational goal. 105 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,960 Yvonne: He joined the Marines, and that's how we got the 106 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,600 Yvonne: assistant that I needed to continue. 107 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:01,960 ETS: So when you started as a teacher, you worked as 108 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,760 ETS: a teacher during the height of school integration in Alabama. 109 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:06,680 Yvonne: I did. 110 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,840 ETS: You were one of the first teachers to integrate Tuscalousa 111 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,880 ETS: High School. What did you see during those years? 112 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,800 Yvonne: What was your role? Well, when I was informed that 113 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:21,160 Yvonne: I was going to be transferred to Tuscaloosa High School, 114 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:25,200 Yvonne: I went to the principal's office and told him, no, 115 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,960 Yvonne: I can't go there because I'm a little strict on 116 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,880 Yvonne: students as far as doing what I asked you to do. 117 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:36,520 Yvonne: But I love them all and I would buy them 118 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:38,600 Yvonne: anything and hug them and all that kind of thing. 119 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:43,600 Yvonne: But I felt that I was not the right person 120 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:48,880 Yvonne: at the right time to do this job. And he said, well, 121 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:51,840 Yvonne: let me call the superintendent. So he called and said, 122 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,640 Yvonne: she's not going, and they said, yes, you are going. 123 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:58,760 Yvonne: So I went on and when I got there, it 124 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:04,320 Yvonne: was quite different because two different schools, one black, one white, 125 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:09,440 Yvonne: and the integration was nil at that time. But I 126 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:12,800 Yvonne: did go and tried to make an impact on the 127 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:18,800 Yvonne: students as far as being cooperative getting along, but it 128 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:20,360 Yvonne: didn't work all the time. 129 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:25,600 ETS: The tensions of that time were immense. Yvonne described it 130 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:29,520 ETS: as quote the most tense time that I've ever experienced 131 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,040 ETS: between the races. You could almost cut it so much 132 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:37,720 ETS: so that tension turned to violence. During her classes, this. 133 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,800 Yvonne: Is one of the places I saw the most blood 134 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,280 Yvonne: that I had seen in my life come from a 135 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:48,480 Yvonne: live person. It appeared to me that they came to 136 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,880 Yvonne: the gym because that was a big area, you know, 137 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:55,640 Yvonne: lots of space fights with two by fours and whatever 138 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,120 Yvonne: thing they could pick up. And they were fighting, and 139 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,120 Yvonne: I'm trying to break them up from a district and 140 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:03,079 Yvonne: I knew not to get in between them because that 141 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:06,680 Yvonne: was dangerous, but we had to always call police in. 142 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,559 Yvonne: I said, well, my goodness, this is not education. This 143 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:14,320 Yvonne: is something that has got to be done. But I 144 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,200 Yvonne: did see a lot of a lot of that. But 145 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:23,440 Yvonne: pretty soon things started to get a little better. A 146 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,120 Yvonne: lot of the students moved out of the zone and 147 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:32,000 Yvonne: went to another school, and soon it basically became all 148 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:36,920 Yvonne: one color again black. But they did move to another 149 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,200 Yvonne: school where they had thought that they could get a 150 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:43,400 Yvonne: better education or better peace. There's nothing like having peace 151 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,120 Yvonne: when you're there trying to learn and then parents coming 152 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:50,240 Yvonne: up to the school all the time because of some disruption. 153 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:52,120 Yvonne: It's difficult. 154 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,760 ETS: But still a Vanstine true to her nature and became 155 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:05,760 ETS: a beloved teacher to countless students. Eventually they would find 156 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:07,200 ETS: her and thank her. 157 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:11,559 Yvonne: They have found me because I'm not in the community 158 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,120 Yvonne: all the time doing stuff, and they would come up 159 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:19,400 Yvonne: and say, aren't you miss Wells. I said yes. She 160 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,120 Yvonne: said you taught me in school, and you taught me 161 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,679 Yvonne: well That touched my heart. She said, you taught me 162 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:31,040 Yvonne: how to live and how to talk, how to my 163 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:34,400 Yvonne: parents and all of that. And I did. And I'm 164 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,400 Yvonne: so glad to know that I had made some impact. 165 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:39,680 Yvonne: But I hear that quite often, and it makes me 166 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:43,480 Yvonne: feel really good that my teaching was not in vain. 167 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,640 ETS: And despite your long career as a teacher, you pursued 168 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,360 ETS: many interests over the years. You became a certified notary, 169 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:59,400 ETS: a licensed funeral director, a certified emergency medical technician, and 170 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:01,640 ETS: you had to kids. Oh. 171 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,160 Yvonne: I think the more I did, the better I felt, 172 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:09,520 Yvonne: because each of those that you have mentioned always had 173 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:14,319 Yvonne: the intention of helping someone, helping someone who needed help. 174 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:20,160 Yvonne: I a licensed paramedic. I was a license paramedic for years, 175 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:24,199 Yvonne: and I got that because as a physical education teacher, 176 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:28,199 Yvonne: you are not always in the building. You're far away 177 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,320 Yvonne: from your class. Because when I would take them outside 178 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:35,080 Yvonne: to play ball, the field was way way way away 179 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:39,120 Yvonne: from a classroom. So I said, gosh, what would happened 180 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:44,720 Yvonne: if one of my kids got injured? So I said, okay, Van, 181 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:47,440 Yvonne: I'm going to take that. So it took me two 182 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:51,400 Yvonne: years to go to paramedic school and be licensed, but 183 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:56,280 Yvonne: I didn't keep it because other people, I mean, it 184 00:11:56,320 --> 00:12:00,000 Yvonne: came in where that as a paramedic, I wasn't allowed 185 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:02,600 Yvonne: to do some of the things that I'm thinking that 186 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:07,000 Yvonne: my kids needed at the time. So as paramedics now, 187 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:11,160 Yvonne: you cannot do all the things that we could do 188 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:15,480 Yvonne: a long time ago. And that's why I think we 189 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,000 Yvonne: have paramedics now in the city, not because of me, 190 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:25,200 Yvonne: but because of the necessity to act quickly in a 191 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:31,280 Yvonne: scene that is either the last draw or someone is dying, 192 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,800 Yvonne: or someone is injured. But my reason was to help 193 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:39,920 Yvonne: my kids if needed. And fortunately I don't think I 194 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,280 Yvonne: have to use it at all there. I haven't had 195 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,880 Yvonne: to use it at anything as a matter of fact. 196 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:49,720 Yvonne: But you never forget some of those skills that were 197 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:50,320 Yvonne: taught to you. 198 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:57,439 ETS: Yeah, and what about a notary and a licensed funeral director. Yes, 199 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:01,240 ETS: a notary. I still am a notary. When I got 200 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:06,600 ETS: the notary and I did volunteer work at a community's 201 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:13,120 ETS: service organization. It's called temporary emergency service where we give 202 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,760 ETS: stuff to people who need it. And a lot of 203 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:19,600 ETS: times the students people would come in who were trying 204 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,040 ETS: to get their kids in school or trying to get 205 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,800 ETS: water turned on something, but they had to be notarized, 206 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:30,800 ETS: and I was there to assist them. However, I'm just 207 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,760 ETS: doing that, still doing that now here at home. But 208 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,959 ETS: that was the time you got a chance to see 209 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:42,520 ETS: the real community and some of the obstacles that they 210 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:46,880 ETS: go through, and you look around and say how fortunate 211 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,760 ETS: you are. And I was always the one who wanted 212 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:54,120 ETS: to help that person who needed my help if I 213 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:58,880 ETS: could give it to them, Yeah, that's beautiful. And I 214 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:00,760 ETS: just have to ask about the few director. 215 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:08,559 Yvonne: Yes, it was very rewarding because at funerals it's a 216 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:13,680 Yvonne: time you at your most vulnerable time. You don't know 217 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:15,880 Yvonne: how to be sad and you don't know how to 218 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:20,680 Yvonne: be happy. So I was always there to talk to 219 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,120 Yvonne: the family and go get the family, give them whatever 220 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:27,480 Yvonne: they want, take them, go with them to the to 221 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:31,280 Yvonne: the grave site, and just be there as a as 222 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:37,520 Yvonne: a help, but be there for consolation or for somebody's 223 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,040 Yvonne: head to lie down on. I just lost my sister 224 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,360 Yvonne: about three weeks three months ago, and I know the 225 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:48,640 Yvonne: need for a funeral director. However, I didn't only work 226 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,920 Yvonne: with the families. I work in the back as well, 227 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:55,600 Yvonne: with the bodies as well, but didn't do that very 228 00:14:55,680 --> 00:15:00,160 Yvonne: long because I was not a trained mar tissue or 229 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,560 Yvonne: a trained person to work in the back. But that 230 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:04,800 Yvonne: then stopped me from doing what I needed to do 231 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:06,200 Yvonne: with the families. 232 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,560 ETS: I'm sure you were such a comfort to them. 233 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,360 Yvonne: I love it today and I've always loved it. 234 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:18,480 ETS: Yeah, so let's start talking about your quilting. You're a 235 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:22,680 ETS: self taught quilter. How did you first learn to sew? 236 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:27,960 Yvonne: I don't know if I was consider it sewing, but 237 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:30,880 Yvonne: I remember my mother would tell us to patch to 238 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,400 Yvonne: sew your socks up because they had holes in it. 239 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:35,640 Yvonne: I guess it was a manden. So I will put 240 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:40,640 Yvonne: two bitch stitches in it, and I call that sewing. However, 241 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:44,640 Yvonne: when it came down to making a quilt, I just 242 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,000 Yvonne: didn't know what to do. That was not in my 243 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,240 Yvonne: way of thinking. Who would have thought Yvonne would be 244 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:56,320 Yvonne: making quilt making quilts because I'm busy. I'm busy all 245 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:01,920 Yvonne: the time, as far as in this concern. It became 246 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:07,480 Yvonne: my first love. After I made my first quilt, I 247 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:11,480 Yvonne: would quilt all the time. And the reason why I 248 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,880 Yvonne: think it also felt so good it all we was 249 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,720 Yvonne: always because there was always something there in the house 250 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,400 Yvonne: that I could get to make a quilt. And let 251 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,280 Yvonne: me tell you, when I started making quilt, I never 252 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:28,240 Yvonne: thought I would sell. I never wanted to sell a quilt. 253 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:32,000 Yvonne: I was making it because of the love and to 254 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:37,200 Yvonne: see my creation down on the floor completed. It was. 255 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:43,120 Yvonne: It was my boxley. So that's how I started. Because 256 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:47,720 Yvonne: when we added on to our home, when we had fireplaces, 257 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,080 Yvonne: my husband went down in a county that a home 258 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,560 Yvonne: was given to us by my aunt, and he brought 259 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,440 Yvonne: all the lumber back. I think it was an Annabelle 260 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,200 Yvonne: home that was writing down there. But we usually would 261 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:05,400 Yvonne: is in our house right now. But the fireplaces were 262 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:09,480 Yvonne: not They were not putting out enough heat. So I said, shoot, 263 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:12,600 Yvonne: I'm going to make me something to keep my little 264 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,359 Yvonne: legs warm. So I looked around the curtains on the wall. 265 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:20,200 Yvonne: So I just grabbed that and reaching in the closet 266 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:23,000 Yvonne: and pulls on my husband's clothes and my clothes. The 267 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:27,880 Yvonne: children's stuff. It was there, sheets were on the bed, 268 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:31,040 Yvonne: there were all kinds of stuff that I just reached 269 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:34,400 Yvonne: up and got and made quilts. And it was the 270 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:38,359 Yvonne: best feeling that I had had in many years. 271 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,360 ETS: Yvonne let the joy of the craft guide her creating 272 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,480 ETS: quilts in a bit of an unconventional way, a way 273 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,320 ETS: that she calls my way. 274 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:52,720 Yvonne: I had seen quilts that were made by other people 275 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,240 Yvonne: and I thought they were extremely beautiful, and I still do. 276 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:00,600 Yvonne: And I actually tried to make a piece well, and 277 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:04,800 Yvonne: I did, but it was made my way, not like 278 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,919 Yvonne: it was like there were patterns or anything, but it 279 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,800 Yvonne: was made my way and I enjoyed that and I 280 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:15,320 Yvonne: liked it. Look, I wasn't told how to do it. 281 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:18,480 Yvonne: I didn't know if it worked. 282 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:22,200 ETS: That's her beloved dog, you hear in the back. He'll 283 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,760 ETS: make himself known in the background every now and then 284 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:26,080 ETS: throughout the episode. 285 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:31,960 Yvonne: I didn't know if it worked. I just didn't. But 286 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,720 Yvonne: I did continue to say I did it in my 287 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:40,359 Yvonne: way because it was me. Nobody told me anything. When 288 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:42,520 Yvonne: I did it and it got through, I said, oh gosh, 289 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:46,240 Yvonne: this looks good. And I said, okay, well I'll continue. 290 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:49,280 Yvonne: And that's how I get started. You know, I was 291 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:53,920 Yvonne: making them as fast as I could think and as 292 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,159 Yvonne: fast as I could stitched them, which was very fast 293 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,560 Yvonne: at the time. Enjoyed every minute of it. 294 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:06,280 ETS: For years, she just created and created, reveling in the 295 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,920 ETS: pleasure of the moment. But the quilting community wasn't as 296 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,240 ETS: open to her nonconformist designs. 297 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,840 Yvonne: When I first started going to Kentuck the festival, I 298 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,280 Yvonne: would go up, my son would put up this huge, 299 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,520 Yvonne: this huge tent, and there are people will come by 300 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,919 Yvonne: because I had at least eight quilt showing at one time, 301 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:29,760 Yvonne: and they go up and look at it, and it 302 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,400 Yvonne: was so it was to me really heartbreaking. They walk 303 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:35,919 Yvonne: up and say, oh, gosh, this is John. Look at 304 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:40,439 Yvonne: these big stitches. No. I didn't have an answer for 305 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:44,280 Yvonne: that because I didn't know anything else. My stitches are large, 306 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:48,720 Yvonne: but that was who I am. Oh this is nothing 307 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,199 Yvonne: but John. Why would you have all of these colors? 308 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:55,480 Yvonne: They don't match. Oh it matches to me. I tell 309 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,480 Yvonne: them I'm a personal color in more ways than one. 310 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,760 Yvonne: And they would say that all the time you need 311 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:06,280 Yvonne: to go to school is you can't show this to anybody. 312 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,560 Yvonne: But I was bound in the termine, and today here 313 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,240 Yvonne: I am. 314 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:16,760 ETS: And then at what point did you shift from simply 315 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,960 ETS: creating to selling your quilts? 316 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,840 Yvonne: Like I said before, I never thought I would sell them, 317 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,080 Yvonne: but the number of quilts that I was producing led 318 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:30,040 Yvonne: me to believe, now, I don't have enough room in 319 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:34,840 Yvonne: the house to put these. So years passed by and 320 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,320 Yvonne: I met a man who had a gallery downtown and 321 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:44,000 Yvonne: who was interested in quilts, and especially the black person's quilts. 322 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:48,520 Yvonne: I said, oh, well, okay, so he came over. He 323 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:50,399 Yvonne: and his wife came over and looked at what I 324 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:54,159 Yvonne: was seeing, and he just fell in love with what 325 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,199 Yvonne: I was doing and told me to show it to 326 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:00,200 Yvonne: the public and you may get something. I said, no, 327 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,360 Yvonne: I will not do that because I don't want anybody 328 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,640 Yvonne: to see this junk. And that's what it was called 329 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:11,359 Yvonne: for several years, junk, but usually it was I was 330 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:13,679 Yvonne: told to go to school to learn how to quilt, 331 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,359 Yvonne: and I wouldn't show this stuff to anything to anybody. 332 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:21,080 Yvonne: So all those kinds of things, it's made me to 333 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,040 Yvonne: want to make and to work harder at what I 334 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:28,520 Yvonne: was doing. But I never changed my way and my 335 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:30,480 Yvonne: vision of a quilt. 336 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:34,119 ETS: When you say your way and your vision. Are you 337 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:38,960 ETS: talking about how they're very they're pictorial, they depict scenes. 338 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:43,800 ETS: Was having them be visual and pictorial always part of 339 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:45,520 ETS: the vision for you of the quilt, Like, did they 340 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,159 ETS: ever evolve in that sense? 341 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:52,480 Yvonne: Well, there was an evolution early on after I made 342 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:57,120 Yvonne: a quilt called a Mothership. It was from a pattern 343 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,760 Yvonne: and I showed it to Robert Caringo. I've heard the 344 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,120 Yvonne: name before, and he said, he thinks this is a story. 345 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:06,760 Yvonne: I said, well, how do you think it's a story? 346 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:09,120 Yvonne: He said, wellther yoused to call it mother ship has 347 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:11,680 Yvonne: the babies and dad's a mother and she's calling them on. 348 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,680 Yvonne: I said, oh, I didn't know that. So after being 349 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,480 Yvonne: told that, I said, shoot, I think I can make 350 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:22,679 Yvonne: a story because I see so much. I see and 351 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:26,760 Yvonne: I feel so much. And then I created my first 352 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:31,080 Yvonne: story quilt after doing all the patterns, was a crucifixion. 353 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,880 Yvonne: And because I worked on the floor, there was several 354 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:37,600 Yvonne: quilts on the floor at one time. At one time, 355 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:41,160 Yvonne: I was doing five at a time because I would 356 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:45,159 Yvonne: stay up all night because it felt good. It felt good, 357 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,400 Yvonne: and I wanted to I didn't want to stop, even 358 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:50,320 Yvonne: though it's three o'clock in the morning. I don't want 359 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:54,640 Yvonne: to stop because I may miss something, and I don't 360 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,600 Yvonne: want to miss anything. But I made the Crucifixion, and 361 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:02,040 Yvonne: after making that, making that, I said, well, I think 362 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:06,480 Yvonne: I could do them more. And from there I proceeded 363 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:09,399 Yvonne: to where I am now stories. 364 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,399 ETS: Out of them basically, and I think that was probably 365 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:15,439 ETS: the thing that attracted me most about her work is 366 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:18,000 ETS: the storytelling or the narratives that are in each. 367 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 3: Of the quilt. So I'm here at the International Quilt 368 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 3: Museum back in the archives today. There are over ten 369 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 3: thousand quilts, textiles, and quilted objects here in the collection, 370 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 3: and I'm standing in front of my one of my 371 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 3: very favorite quilts. This is a gorgeous quilt made by 372 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 3: Yvonne Wells in nineteen eighty seven, and it's called Going Home. 373 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:43,679 ETS: So when you're creating your quilts and coming up with 374 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:47,720 ETS: the story, which comes first? Do you see the fabrics 375 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,560 ETS: and are you inspired? Does the story become inspired by 376 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:53,639 ETS: the fabric or do you think of the story that 377 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:55,200 ETS: you want to tell and you go out and find 378 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:56,320 ETS: the materials. 379 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,159 Yvonne: I think I do all of that first, however, or 380 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,879 Yvonne: I must see it. I got to see it first 381 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,560 Yvonne: in my mind. Then I have to think about it. 382 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:09,120 Yvonne: Then I have to feel it in my heart if 383 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:11,200 Yvonne: this is the way that I want to go with 384 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,399 Yvonne: the story, or am I to look at something else. 385 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:18,320 Yvonne: Let me say this, I don't jump right into the 386 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:23,240 Yvonne: story making the quilt until I have almost completely finished 387 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:28,199 Yvonne: the quilts itself, because as I make the quilts sometimes 388 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:29,320 Yvonne: the story change. 389 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,000 ETS: If you have a lot of religious themes and civil 390 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:39,800 ETS: rights themes, I do. Are there particular stories you're trying 391 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:44,560 ETS: to tell through the civil rights stories? Are you recreating 392 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,160 ETS: things that you've seen or more things that you envision? 393 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,959 Yvonne: It could be both. I could be all of those. 394 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:56,000 Yvonne: It was my intention and it is still today that 395 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:02,439 Yvonne: I would put down in a quilt history. Because I 396 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,480 Yvonne: was during this of rights era, that's my era, and 397 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,199 Yvonne: so much was going on. I said, gosh, let me 398 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,280 Yvonne: just see if I could put some of this down 399 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:16,960 Yvonne: in my way. But like I said, as a teacher, 400 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:21,520 Yvonne: I always wanted to have something that a child or 401 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:25,000 Yvonne: somebody else can look at it and say, oh, is 402 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,440 Yvonne: this the way it was? Or I'll go worried about it. 403 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:31,840 Yvonne: As I said, the viewer and the artists are two 404 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:39,200 Yvonne: different people. The artist can see anything, but as a viewer, 405 00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:43,240 Yvonne: you may not even get it unless I'm there to 406 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:43,679 Yvonne: tell you. 407 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:48,960 ETS: Evonne's quilts have traveled the world, from the Smithsonian to 408 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:53,680 ETS: France to Japan. There's no question her work has achieved 409 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:57,560 ETS: her dream and intention of educating viewers through her depictions. 410 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,840 ETS: After the break, we dived into a Vaughn's mindset. She 411 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:05,440 ETS: expanded her work as a folk quilt artist, all while 412 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:18,680 ETS: teaching full time and raising her family. Did you think 413 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,959 ETS: about becoming an artist full time while you were still 414 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,119 ETS: working as a teacher, because you stayed doing both for 415 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:26,800 ETS: a long time. 416 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:31,879 Yvonne: I did. I never thought I was an artist. I 417 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,520 Yvonne: never to well to this day they say I'm beginning 418 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:39,800 Yvonne: to to envelop that title. But I never thought I 419 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:43,280 Yvonne: was an artist. I just thought I was somebody who 420 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:47,840 Yvonne: made quilts. But I'm like I said, I begin to 421 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,560 Yvonne: take it in now because this has been so much 422 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:57,080 Yvonne: attention given to my staff, and I'm pleased to deafoot 423 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:02,320 Yvonne: title artist is way way out of my thank you. 424 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:04,440 ETS: You've noted that you had a lot of anxiety at 425 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:07,320 ETS: first around showing your quilts to the world. How did 426 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:08,280 ETS: you overcome that? 427 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,920 Yvonne: Well, I saw some acceptance because at first, like I 428 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:16,840 Yvonne: tell you, it was criticized and it didn't look like 429 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,960 Yvonne: anything any quotures had ever made. I became more embolded 430 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,800 Yvonne: because there were people saying, Oh, this is good, this 431 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:28,479 Yvonne: looks good, it tells a great story. And then I 432 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:32,920 Yvonne: had the determination not to stop. I was bound and determined. 433 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:35,119 Yvonne: I was determined that I was going to keep this 434 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,439 Yvonne: going as long as I could, whether they liked it 435 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:42,399 Yvonne: or not. I did. I did. I got to that point. 436 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:43,200 Yvonne: I did. 437 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:47,080 ETS: I love that. I think some people get discouraged if 438 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:51,200 ETS: the thing they want doesn't show immediate returns for them 439 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:54,080 ETS: or recognition right away. How long do you think it 440 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:58,439 ETS: was between when you started quilting and gaining recognition that 441 00:27:58,480 --> 00:27:59,800 ETS: you felt was meaningful. 442 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:05,600 Yvonne: When I first got my first award at Kentuck, I 443 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:10,000 Yvonne: was knocked off my feet because my stuff looked funny. 444 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:13,960 Yvonne: I was hanging them on barbed wire, tree limbs, chairs 445 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,480 Yvonne: and everything. But at the end of the day, I 446 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:20,280 Yvonne: wanted best to show. And after that I said, well, 447 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:23,480 Yvonne: wait a minute, there is something going on that they 448 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:28,160 Yvonne: saw that I wasn't seeing. And from that point on, 449 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:31,400 Yvonne: I think I begun to see that I did have 450 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,760 Yvonne: something a little bit different, and it was feeling good. 451 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,400 Yvonne: To me. So that's how it just kept moving and 452 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,080 Yvonne: moving and moving it. I'm not a person who sits 453 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:42,880 Yvonne: phil and moving. 454 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:47,480 ETS: She did. Even when she retired from teaching, Avon barely 455 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:48,240 ETS: slowed down. 456 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:53,920 Yvonne: Now it's supposed to say I didn't see any change 457 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:57,800 Yvonne: in what I was doing when I was teaching, as 458 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:01,680 Yvonne: when I retired. That was no change other than I 459 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:05,400 Yvonne: was home all the time after retiring most of the time. 460 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:09,360 Yvonne: But I did stuff like mold of yards and cut 461 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,680 Yvonne: the flowers into trees and all that kind of stuff, 462 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:17,000 Yvonne: and fix the houses of things. I was doing something 463 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:21,400 Yvonne: all the time, but still creating at the same time 464 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:24,720 Yvonne: that I was when I was teaching. I never thought 465 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,760 Yvonne: I would come home and sit and rock, even though 466 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,960 Yvonne: I was quilt to know. Not only do I quilt, 467 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:36,240 Yvonne: I'm a community person. I'm involved in just about everything. 468 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,360 Yvonne: There are people out there in the world who needs me, 469 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,600 Yvonne: I think, and I want to be able to assist 470 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:46,480 Yvonne: them the best way I can. If it's not financial, 471 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:48,480 Yvonne: I want them to show I want to show them 472 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:52,280 Yvonne: that this is the way it can be done. So no, 473 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:53,320 Yvonne: I'm not a rocker. 474 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:57,840 ETS: You know this moment is amazing. You are an artist 475 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,600 ETS: or having a real renaissance in the art work. Why 476 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:02,280 ETS: do you think it's all happening right now? 477 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,040 Yvonne: I don't know why it's all happening at one time, 478 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:09,440 Yvonne: which is almost I thought I wasn't going to make 479 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,680 Yvonne: it through. But things are tapering you off some But 480 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:14,880 Yvonne: I have other things going on, but not as big 481 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:19,560 Yvonne: unless somebody says they want me to do a bigger show. 482 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:24,880 Yvonne: Things are beginning to taper down as far as big stuff. 483 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:28,280 Yvonne: But why I'm out of here? Why am i here? 484 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:34,040 Yvonne: I don't know. But apparently others think it's good, and 485 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,960 Yvonne: the people in the right places think it's worth that. 486 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:40,600 Yvonne: So I'm glad to know that other people can speak 487 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:44,320 Yvonne: about another artist in the tone that they are speaking 488 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:44,800 Yvonne: about me. 489 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,720 ETS: Your quilts have handed up in some remarkable places. Can 490 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:51,120 ETS: you tell us where they bended up? 491 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,760 Yvonne: Well, I can't tell you every place because I forget 492 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:59,000 Yvonne: where they have been. I was chosen to go to 493 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:03,920 Yvonne: France as one of the thirteen Alabama artists to show 494 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,280 Yvonne: our work. My work it's been there. I've been to 495 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:11,600 Yvonne: Italy right now. In Paris, I have an exhibition going 496 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:15,200 Yvonne: on in the Hyatt Museum, and I have one piece 497 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:20,840 Yvonne: in the Quilt Museum of African American culture. You know, 498 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,239 Yvonne: at the time, someone call and say, I saw your 499 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,640 Yvonne: work this place, I saw you work that place. I'm 500 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:29,960 Yvonne: glad that that is been shown in different areas of 501 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:33,200 Yvonne: the world so that they can see what I was 502 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,520 Yvonne: trying to do or I am trying to. 503 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:40,560 ETS: Do still doing it. You even created an ornament for 504 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:41,240 ETS: the White House. 505 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:45,640 Yvonne: I cheer that. Oh, you talking about big stuff to me. 506 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:49,960 Yvonne: I was able to call up there and talk to 507 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,920 Yvonne: somebody in the Blue Room or the White House. You 508 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:55,760 Yvonne: don't know how that beat that was. That was in 509 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:59,240 Yvonne: nineteen ninety three, I believe, and they were looking for 510 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:03,600 Yvonne: and are artist in every state to make an ornament 511 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,520 Yvonne: for the Christmas tree in the Blue Room. I was 512 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:10,360 Yvonne: recommended by Robert Carclow to do this, and I said, no, 513 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:14,600 Yvonne: you kidding me. So I was accepted and I did 514 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:18,960 Yvonne: what I do. I made a panel with the Alabama 515 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,600 Yvonne: flag on it, with Alabama shape and all of its 516 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,440 Yvonne: resources that we have in Alabama. And I also made 517 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:31,080 Yvonne: an ornament that says hope because Bill Clinton would always 518 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:34,200 Yvonne: talk about hope. So I made a white ornament with 519 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:36,720 Yvonne: the word hope on and they put it on a tree. 520 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:39,640 Yvonne: They were inviting the folk artists to show their work, 521 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:42,000 Yvonne: and I was one of them. 522 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:47,040 ETS: Yvonne's success after success post retirement is a testament that 523 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:50,360 ETS: life is never linear or as you may expect. And 524 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:53,680 ETS: she's not done yet. I vonn has more in store 525 00:32:53,760 --> 00:33:05,320 ETS: for us when we return. Stay tuned and tell us 526 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:07,480 ETS: about the inspiration for writing your book. 527 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:12,360 Yvonne: Oh boy, oh boy. It has been talked about for 528 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,600 Yvonne: many years. I don't know if you know Stacey Morgan, 529 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,560 Yvonne: doctor Morgan, but he's a professor at the University of 530 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:23,240 Yvonne: Alabama here and we have been friends for many years. 531 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:26,400 Yvonne: I would go to his class at the university and 532 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:30,400 Yvonne: talk to his class about my work because he was 533 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:34,600 Yvonne: one of those people who were very much supportive. So 534 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:37,200 Yvonne: he wanted me to talk to his class, and I 535 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:39,400 Yvonne: was thinking. I said, well, now, if that comes a time, 536 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:43,320 Yvonne: this needs to be put down so that people can 537 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,760 Yvonne: see what I have been doing for these many years. 538 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:51,160 Yvonne: And it's also thinks something that my kids or my 539 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:55,200 Yvonne: family could be proud of. I after my own and 540 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:59,560 Yvonne: said this was my mama. So that was that was 541 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:02,719 Yvonne: part of the inspiration. But I did not realize how 542 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,920 Yvonne: much work we had to go into writing a book. 543 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:12,040 Yvonne: But the reason that it was. It was long, however, 544 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:17,240 Yvonne: but each day that Stacy would come it got better 545 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:21,520 Yvonne: and better and better. It felt so good. Not only 546 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:26,920 Yvonne: were we talking and measuring and pulling out stuff, but 547 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:30,480 Yvonne: he made me feel like this is it. We should 548 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:35,480 Yvonne: do this. So we did. After a little over five years, 549 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:40,160 Yvonne: it finally came out. And I'm thrilled you alluded to 550 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:44,279 Yvonne: your legacy. What do you want your legacy to be? Well, 551 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:47,919 Yvonne: sometimes it changes. If it could be a long, long, 552 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:51,000 Yvonne: long legacy, I could say a lot of things I 553 00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:58,480 Yvonne: wanted to be said that she never turned around because 554 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:04,640 Yvonne: of the negative comments that were made about her work. 555 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:10,959 Yvonne: She never listened and stopped because people were to say 556 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:14,400 Yvonne: this is nothing. I want them to say. No matter 557 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:20,839 Yvonne: whatever she started with, she completed it and excel at it. 558 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:24,839 Yvonne: As far as Quilton misconcern, I wanted you to be 559 00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:29,720 Yvonne: a teaching too, for anyone who's trying to teach about 560 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:34,279 Yvonne: history or teach about any kind of lesson from the stories. 561 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:38,080 Yvonne: I wanted to be a teaching too. Plus I wanted 562 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:40,879 Yvonne: to be a life on the hill so those who 563 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:43,400 Yvonne: can see it would learn from it. 564 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:48,560 ETS: I like to think about what different phases look like 565 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:52,480 ETS: and what success means like how we define success for 566 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:56,799 ETS: ourselves through our different phases of our lives. How do 567 00:35:56,880 --> 00:35:59,400 ETS: you think you define success for yourself right now? 568 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:04,439 Yvonne: The fact that from the when I first started, there 569 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:08,960 Yvonne: was a bud I moved on. The butt began to 570 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:13,760 Yvonne: open up. As time went on, it got large and larger, 571 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:19,800 Yvonne: and right now I'm at the apex of this folk 572 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:24,400 Yvonne: art quilt. So I think that's how it got to 573 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:27,640 Yvonne: be this point. And what is success? This is to 574 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:31,919 Yvonne: me a success And the fact that my children are 575 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:38,239 Yvonne: seeing the fruits of my labor means very, very lock 576 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:42,480 Yvonne: to me. So I think this is it. However, I 577 00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:45,720 Yvonne: don't plan to stop. But it may not be as many, 578 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:47,160 Yvonne: but I don't plan to stop. 579 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:51,840 ETS: So I asked this question of all of my guests, 580 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:55,880 ETS: what is one thing that at the time maybe you 581 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:58,920 ETS: considered to be kind of a low, but now you 582 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:01,840 ETS: see it as something that really set you up for 583 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:03,439 ETS: the success that you are now. 584 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:07,879 Yvonne: My husband was a military person and when he came 585 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:12,920 Yvonne: back from Vietnam, he had all kinds of issues, major issues, 586 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,560 Yvonne: and that was that was very low. We had to 587 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:19,239 Yvonne: learn how to adjust to live in with him. The 588 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:23,920 Yvonne: kids didn't understand the military airs that he would do. 589 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:26,399 Yvonne: He was he was tougher than I was, you know, 590 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:29,239 Yvonne: and that was that was at a time that was 591 00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:36,960 Yvonne: very low. But I proceeded without allowing him to allow 592 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:42,120 Yvonne: the situation to hold me back. I kind of involved 593 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:46,359 Yvonne: him in my work by asking what you think, do 594 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:49,000 Yvonne: you like this? It wouldn't have mattered if we had 595 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:51,280 Yvonne: said no, because I was going to make it anyway. 596 00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:54,360 Yvonne: But it was at the time that he was he 597 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:57,520 Yvonne: had just got in and he was a very, very 598 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:01,120 Yvonne: sick man. But that was low. But I did not 599 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:06,920 Yvonne: allow my work to interfere with what I was what 600 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:11,359 Yvonne: he was doing as a sick man. I wanted to 601 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:15,440 Yvonne: have something that the kids could see Mama doing and 602 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:20,239 Yvonne: was enjoying it. And that was no stoppage because every 603 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:24,160 Yvonne: year I would shown and that showed to me that 604 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:27,799 Yvonne: whatever was going on here at the house, did it 605 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,560 Yvonne: stop me from doing what I wanted to do outside. 606 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:34,680 Yvonne: That was the lowest part, because there seemed to have 607 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:39,080 Yvonne: been from the veteran's point of view that he couldn't 608 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:43,960 Yvonne: get better. And that was kind of hard, but we 609 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:46,399 Yvonne: managed and we got through it. 610 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:48,560 ETS: Do you think you'll pivot again? 611 00:38:49,719 --> 00:38:53,040 Yvonne: Yes, I don't know. What it is yet, But I 612 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:58,000 Yvonne: think I will. I really do, because I have had 613 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:02,799 Yvonne: things going through my mind. But it is it is 614 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:07,760 Yvonne: through fabric that I'm still seeing things that is different 615 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:09,000 Yvonne: from what I'm doing now. 616 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:11,880 ETS: Oh okay, So I hope. 617 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:14,960 Yvonne: I can get something done by this year. Oh that 618 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:19,319 Yvonne: I'll let you know that I'm headed in a new direction. Well, 619 00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:20,640 Yvonne: keep us posted. We like it. 620 00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:26,880 ETS: Do you think it gave you a new source of inspiration? 621 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:32,799 Yvonne: I think so. The inspiration really comes when I have 622 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:38,040 Yvonne: completed a piece of work and I look down at 623 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:42,160 Yvonne: it because it's on the floor. I'd sometimes standing on 624 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:45,319 Yvonne: the table and look down on it and say, boy, 625 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:49,240 Yvonne: this looks good. Oh boy, it says what I wanted 626 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:54,000 Yvonne: to say. Oh boy, I have created a piece of art. 627 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:57,399 ETS: I loved it so great. It's so wonderful to talk 628 00:39:57,440 --> 00:39:58,560 ETS: to you, of honor, it is amazing. 629 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:03,000 Yvonne: Well, thank you. I just wanted to make sure I 630 00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:05,520 Yvonne: said something about the people who helped me along. 631 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:06,200 ETS: Oh please. 632 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:09,960 Yvonne: And that's more than Stacy Morgan and Robert Cargo. I'm 633 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:13,719 Yvonne: represented by fort Yanzi Ort now in New York. So 634 00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:17,040 Yvonne: those are the people I want to say thank you to. 635 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:19,720 Yvonne: And plus there are others whose name I can't call. 636 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:23,160 Yvonne: Wants to say thank you to them as well, and 637 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:24,440 Yvonne: thanks to you guys. 638 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:28,640 ETS: Absolutely, thank you so much. Evonn Oh, it has. 639 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:29,480 Yvonne: Been my pleasure. 640 00:40:37,960 --> 00:40:41,040 ETS: Yvonne still lives in the same place she has spent 641 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:45,480 ETS: her whole life, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where she is surrounded by 642 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:49,880 ETS: her beloved family and community. She currently has an exhibition 643 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:53,640 ETS: at Fort gansa Ort Gallery in New York City. You 644 00:40:53,719 --> 00:40:57,200 ETS: can purchase her book, The Story of Quilting wherever you 645 00:40:57,280 --> 00:41:00,920 ETS: buy books. For more on a Vaughn, follow us on 646 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:04,760 ETS: Instagram at she pivots the Podcast. We do our best 647 00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:06,960 ETS: to keep you up to date on all our guests. 648 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:11,920 ETS: Talk to you next time. Thanks for listening to this 649 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:15,279 ETS: episode of she Pivots. I hope you enjoyed it and 650 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:17,719 ETS: if you did, leave us a rating and tell your 651 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:21,520 ETS: friends about us. To learn more about our guests, follow 652 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:25,280 ETS: us on Instagram at she pivots the Podcast, or sign 653 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:28,120 ETS: up for our newsletter where you can get exclusive behind 654 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:31,920 ETS: the scenes content on our website at she pivots thepodcast 655 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:39,120 ETS: dot com. Special thanks to the she pivots team. Executive 656 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:44,680 ETS: producer Emily Edavelosik, Associate producer and social media connoisseur Hannah Cousins, 657 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:50,040 ETS: Research director Christine Dickinson, Events and Logistics coordinator Madeline Snovak, 658 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:54,400 ETS: and audio editor and mixer Nina pollock I And yours 659 00:41:54,640 --> 00:42:02,840 ETS: she pivots