Mary Lee Bendolph is one of the central figures of the Gee’s Bend quilters, a group of African-American women who carry on the long tradition of quilt-making in Gee’s Bend, Alabama, and are known for their unique styles. Many of the residents in the community can trace their ancestry back to slaves from the Pettway Plantation. The quilts themselves are noted for their improvisational geometry and are considered to be a foundational example African-American visual art.

 Mary Lee has long been regarded as one of the matriarchs of the group, not only because of her own work but also because she has been teaching a newer generation to continue the legacy. She was featured in a Pulitzer-winning article called “Crossing Over,” in the Los Angeles Times. In 2015, she received the highest honor in the folk and traditional arts in the United States—the National Heritage Fellowship, awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis include her work in their permanent collections. She is represented by the Elizabeth Leach Gallery in Portland, Oregon.

For a complete list of available prints with price information please contact The Bott Collection.