Traditional Artist-in-Residence at Auburn University
The AFA and Auburn University’s Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities are proud to lead the new Traditional Artist-in-Residence program to spotlight, support, and share the work of talented traditional artists in Alabama! Artists spend one week in residence at Auburn Univeristy, teaching their craft at free workshops in Auburn and local surrounding communities.
Francesca Charley, 4th-generation Gee’s Bend quilter, will be in residence at Auburn University on March 10-14, 2025!
Join us for a free quilting workshop at one of the sites below! (registration required)
Meet the artist! For Francesca Charley, 4th generation Gee’s Bend quilter, heritage and craft are intertwined. Her family has been quilting for over a century, beginning with her great grandmother, Malissa Pettway. Francesca learned the art of quilting from her grandmother, Tinnie Pettway, and mother, Claudia Pettway Charley. She enjoys building on her family's legacy in her own creative way and is very excited to share her knowledge with others.
MARCH 10 VALLEY
MARCH 11 DADEVILLE
MARCH 13 AUBURN
MARCH 14 TALLASSEE
Annette Jordan, a pine needle basket weaver from Eutaw, Ala, served as inaugural Traditional Artist-in-Residence in 2024.
Annette Jordan (left) learned the art of pine needle basket weaving from her mother, Mary Hicks (right), over thirty years ago. She is passionate about carrying on this tradition and her mother’s legacy through making, teaching, and creating “a long-lasting art from the natural environment.”
Ms. Jordan was in residence October 14-17, 2024 and taught free workshops in Shorter, Tallassee, Tuskegee, and Auburn that engaged 55 makers.