Quilting opens doors and leads us down creative pathways. This is very true of Brenetta Ward, a Seattle-based quilter, fabric artist, and oral historian. Her 40-year quilting journey began as a hobby and developed into a passion. Brenetta is proud to be a third-generation quilter whose work is published and included in public, corporate, and private collections. As a child, she spent summers with her Aunt Alma in rural Illinois. On quilting bee days, she was allowed to thread the needles and eventually earned the privilege to hand quilt with the ladies.
Her quilting style is grounded in southern tradition but incorporates cultural textiles, vintage photos, and embellishments. She continues to make string quilts like her grandmother and aunt, using African fabrics instead of domestic cottons. She loves collecting ethnic and vintage fabrics, especially mud cloth from Mali.
Brenetta is inspired by the people she cares about, the stories they hold, and the beauty of the cloth. Her early quilting path focused on making quilts that celebrated people or significant events like graduations, weddings, births, and retirements. And along the way, she collected more fabric.
Since Brenetta lost her mom at a young age, she was curious about her mom’s early life and family history. She began genealogy research, which took her fiber art in a new direction— creating “legacy” quilts that tell a story. Her first legacy piece, The Women Before Me (2000), is a photo quilt honoring the women in her life. She also designed legacy quilts for her children. Her son’s quilt, Perspectives of My Son (1996), was published in Spirits of the Cloth: Contemporary African American Quilts by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi.
Her love of research led Brenetta to a new opportunity: designing quilts for museum exhibits about historical figures. Her first series of “fabric altars” is based on the design of an Egungun, a ceremonial masquerade garment worn by the Yoruba people of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. It was worn to celebrate the relationships between the living and their ancestors. Altar in Red, White, Blue, and Black (2018) and The Book of Susie (2021) are two pieces in this series.
Building on a foundation of storytelling, Brenetta became a community-based oral historian. The exhibit Honored to Tell, held at the Wa Na Wari art center in Seattle, was a tribute to Black resilience, creativity, and self-determination. She created quilted story scrolls that captured highlights from interviews with 14 Black Seattleites.
Her future goals are twofold: she plans to spend time in her studio creating more family legacy quilts, and she is beginning a new series of fabric altars. This collection will honor seven time periods in African American history. “My fabric altars will celebrate the African American men and women whose collective stories add texture and color to our history,” Brenetta said.
Quilting is a part of Brenetta’s heritage and identity. She is grateful to her mentors—her aunt, her quilting sisters, Dr. Mazloomi, and Marita Dingus—powerful women who inspired her along her pathway. “My artistic journey as a quilter reflects my passion and feeds my soul,” Brenetta said.
Diane L. Murtha is an award-winning quilter, fiber artist, author, and international lecturer and instructor. Quilting for over 30 years, she gravitated to art quilts and discovered she loves challenges. Her quilts and articles are included in books, 30 + magazines, and multiple juried exhibits and international shows. Diane published her first book, Artful Insights in Fiber: Quilted Bits of Wit & Wisdom in March 2023. She currently resides in Iowa. Learn more at www.dianeLmurtha.com, or follow her on Instagram @dianelmurtha.
