McDonough native Aisha Lumumba is looking forward to displaying her nationally- recognized passion for art quilting in Henry County this weekend.
“I hope people will enjoy the memories and enjoy the art,” she said. “A lot of times, people don’t get exposed to art that much, and I wanted to be able to share art with the community.”
The quilt above shows Lumumba’s former teacher, Artelia Reese. 
Aisha Lumumba of McDonough is nationally recognized for her art quilting.
Lumumba’s work will be in the spotlight for Coming Home- An Art Quilt Exhibition, April 27 from 2-7 p.m., at the Locust Grove Event Center, 280 Mose Brown Drive in Locust Grove.
The free event will feature more than 100 of her handmade quilts and a souvenir book, as well as stories and a lecture from the artist herself.
Lumumba, 63, was born and raised in McDonough. She attended schools in the Henry County School system, graduating in 1973, and now lives in Atlanta. Lumumba began quilting as a teenager, and now makes her living as a quilter. She said her interest in creating the quilts reflects her memories of people and places she has experienced throughout her life.
“Art quilts are fairly new,” said Lumumba. “I saw a picture of an art quilt that someone else had done and I thought, ‘I could do that.’ I started out with landscapes and then graduated to quilts of people.”
Growing up in a rural area in the South, said Lumumba, is quite different from the city life she now enjoys. She strives, through her art, to recapture such memories.
“A lot of my art quilts are based on my memories of growing up in Henry County,” said Lumumba. “One of the main differences is the closeness in the community — the fast pace versus a more moderate pace.”
Lumumba began making art quilts about 10 years ago. She said her work runs the gamut from well-known individuals, to people who have touched her life personally.
“One of my most popular quilts is one I did of Aretha Franklin,” said Lumumba. “I also did one of a favorite local teacher, Mrs. Artelia Reese. She taught at Henry County High School when I was there. She was just a lovely teacher. She cared, she was frank, she was hard when she needed to be, and you felt like she cared about you.”
Reese passed away in 2017, and Franklin died last year. Lumumba’s quilts honoring both ladies will be among those on display during the exhibition. Another quilt that is particularly close to her heart depicts Ponder’s Seafood, the fish market previously run by her late father, Joe Ponder.
In addition to her quilting success, Lumumba is also a prolific author and storyteller. She has written several books about her profession, as well as a pair of cookbooks. Light refreshments will be served at the exhibition. For more information about the artist, visit obaquilts.com.
