Robert Cargo Folk Art Gallery

Nora Ezell (1917 - 2007)

African-American quiltmaker Nora Ezell died in Alabama on September 6, 2007. She had won numerous awards for her quilting talents, including a prestigious fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts in 1992.

The gallery has a small collection of Mrs. Ezell's quilts remaining in our inventory, including a number that were published in Mrs. Ezell's book My Quilts and Me: Diary of an American Quilter. Please inquire for photos and price list.

Ezell grew up admiring her mother’s needlework. That careful observation carried her through decades of quilting.

“She had a remarkable eye," said Robert Cargo, a friend and collector of Ezell’s work who for two decades ran a folk art gallery in downtown Tuscaloosa. “She could see a picture of a quilt and recreate it to perfection."

Although Ezell worked in traditional forms and patterns, she also created unique narrative quilts, with nine or 12 panels advancing a story.

“Sometimes those were embellished with her beautifully embroidered calligraphy," Cargo said....

...Ezell always spoke her mind, friends said.

“She was a really opinionated, feisty woman, which made her so dear," said Georgine Clark, visual arts program manager for the state arts council, and founder of the Kentuck Festival.

Outspokenness made her unpopular with some, Cargo said. “I thought it was an admirable trait, personally."

Excerpt from 9/14/07 Tuscaloosa News article. For the full article by Mark Hughes Cobb, click here.

Please see the following resources for more about Mrs. Ezell and her quilts.

National Endowment for the Arts - Biographical information
Alabama Folk Heritage Award - Includes brief biography and links to audio clips from a Alabama Folkways Radio interview with Mrs. Ezell
My Quilts and Me: Diary of an American Quilter: - A wonderful book written by Mrs. Ezell