Making Culture by Hand

Making Culture by Hand travels to places, rural, suburban and urban, where tradition and innovation merge in the work of individuals, like Bettye Kimbrell, who dedicated their lives to making crafts that are are deeply personal, but are nonetheless committed to the enduring values of their families and community.

From Mount Olive, Alabama, quilter Bettye Kimbrell's "extraordinary combination of artistic excellence and organizational skill and vision have made her one of the regions foremost ambassadors of this beloved American folk art form." (Alabama State Council on the Arts)

Bettye Kimbrell received the National Heritage Fellowship, awarded annually by the National Endowment for the Arts to recognize individuals who have mastered different culturally defined art forms. Her story is told in first-person narrative, illustrated by intimate photographs that open her studio doors and allow you a glimpse into her world and craft.