Join us for a free community event on the intersection of arts and history as Dr. Tony Jean Dickerson speaks about the history of black quilting. This program is thanks to a Indiana Humanities grant.
Arts hold a vital place of importance in our society. Quilts, often seen as “women’s work” and “sheer arts and crafts” by some, actually have a prominent place in telling the struggles and triumphs of many cultures.
Moreover, the African American community has fought to tell its stories and quilts have been used as an important vehicle to tell these stories. From individuals and guilds alike, the artistry of African American quilters can no longer be denied as frontrunners of the quilting scene.
Dr. Tony Jean Dickerson (she/her) was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has earned degrees from Lincoln University, University of Central Missouri, and University of Missouri-Kansas City. In 2019, after a successful thirty-year career in education she earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Kansas. She returned home in 2017 and became the lead faculty for Martin University’s School of Education’s Teacher Preparation Program in June of 2022. Besides teaching, Dr. Dickerson is a nationally recognized quilter and is a member of 8 local and national quilt guilds including the founding president of the Akoma Ntoso Modern Quilt Guild of Central Indiana.
AGE GROUP: | Adults (19-99) |
TAGS: | Virtual | Special Events | Arts and Crafts |
The Merrillville branch library encompasses over 114,000 sq ft of electronic and print resources, and visual and musical collections. The library offers free WIFI, public internet computers, rooms for quiet study or small groups, and public meeting rooms. Our vast collections of Lake County history and genealogy sources make the Merrillville branch a popular destination for research by visitors from all around the country.
Merrillville branch has three fantastic floors of informational and recreational materials. The main floor contains our popular collection of new books, large-print material, magazines and newspapers, teen, anime, and an enormous selection of music and DVDs. Our Genealogy Room has numerous resources including microfilm of local newspapers, obituary indexes, and many other historical resources. Our Book Sale room, open during select hours Monday-Saturday, is full of unique finds.
The Upper Level includes tables for quiet study, a tremendous reference collection, our “Indiana Room” for specialized Hoosier historical research, and our locally known statue “The Reader” by artist Hermann Gurfinkel.
The entire lower level houses our bright and airy Children's Department where children will find fun games, books, music and magazines to fulfill their reading pleasure as well as attend engaging kids’ programs. This is also where our public meeting rooms are located, where our library events and programs are held.
