On view at the Umbrella Arts Center - Concord MA : B. Cuming a Freeman, By Sharon Chandler Correnty

I read the book Black Walden written by Elise Lemire and I knew immediately that I wanted to create a story quilt for the Concord Community.

I started this quilt last summer and since then, the story of Brister has gotten under my skin and had a tremendous impact. Brister was taken away from his brith parents at age two. When he was nine years old, he was the wedding gift to Dr. John Cuming and his bride in Concord MA around the year 1744.
Eventually Brister enlisted and it was because of his mlitary service he was able to secure his freedom. After the war he purchased land near Walden Pond.

This quilt is designed to offer promts and to being a dialogue. I needed to honor the story of Brister and yet allow room for questions. I collected antique cloth and did my best to present a bit of authenticy to this art quilt. Learning about Brister and then location of his homestead at Walden Woods was a great surprise. I had NO idea that Slaves lisved in the town of Concord. The story became an obsession, and I became obsessed with the challenge of using cloth to tell the story.

The word “SLAVERY” is an ugly word, I embroidered it with BLACK embroidery floss on Black Wool. You have to focus to discover the hidden word - a metaphor of sorts of our local history!

The lace is a fragment from an anqieuwedding dress to represent the GIFT. The small home is done using plant dyes, and the panel underneath represents the home site in Walden Woods.

When I took the picture of this quilt at the rock, I was filled with many emotions. It was powerful and meaningful.