PRESS RELEASE: Wini McQueen “Quilt of Names” Debuts, Honors Names Lost in Transatlantic Slave Trade

MACON, GA October 13, 2025 — Textile and fabric artist, Wini McQueen, will debut her latest exhibit “Quilt of Names” for public viewing at Oak Ridge Cemetery on Friday, October 31 and Saturday, November 1 from 11 - 3 p.m (entrance at Madison Street and Riverside Drive). The 12 x 12’ multimedia, interactive work tells the story of how 10 million people of the African Diaspora lost their names in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The unveiling will honor and recognize the people whose unpaid labor built businesses, transportation systems, and agricultural traditions, including the antebellum cotton empires of the American South.

“There is no charge to celebrate their memories,” McQueen stated. The painted quilt features names, some of her own family and ancestors, who might be forgotten in history without efforts to tell their stories.

The outdoor event will feature the spiritual song performed by Kelley Dixson, the textiles of African people who brought indigo and cotton cultivation knowledge to Deep South American communities, research contributed by Historic Macon Foundation, and the opportunity to seed a garden of Forget-Me-Not flowers on the African American burial grounds inside Rose Hill Cemetery.

Wini McQueen is an American quilter based in Macon, Ga. Her artistic production consists of hand-dyed accessories and narrative quilts. Her techniques include hand dyeing, image transferring, painting, and sewing. She confronts issues of race, class, society, and women through her work. McQueen’s quilts have been featured in the Museum of African American Folk Art, the Taft Museum, the Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, the Williams College Art Museum, Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon, and countless other public spaces.

For more information on Wini McQueen or press access, contact susannah@maconmagazine.com.
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Oak Ridge Cemetery shares an entrance with Riverside Cemetery. Participants may park along the road leading up to the Oak Ridge entrance or inside the cemetery by entering the gates; take the first right, and park on the grass. Please be mindful of not parking on any burial sites. Participants should also be mindful of footwear as there is often uneven terrain at the cemetery.