Historical/Cultural

“I like creating art pieces that tell stories about our culture and history.  Some stories are based on facts like the United Martin Family who has traced their family history back to the enslaved African, Trasie, and who holds the actual Bill of Sale when Trasie was sold from one master to another.  Others are based on controversial topics such as the Underground Railroad quilt - which whether true in part or whole or not, it is a story that nonetheless reminds us of the fact that there was an underground railroad that enslaved people used to achieve their freedom ahead of emancipation.  Civil Rights, Black Lives Matter, voting rights, heritage and ancestral pride are other important stories to be told.  Weaving these stories together while incorporating different quilting techniques and fabrics makes these stories come alive for me.”

-Toya R.B. Thomas