Born in McCracken county, Kentucky in 1917, Alma Lesch began working with fiber from an early age, stitching panels for quilts. She learned embroidery from her mother and grandmother, going on to sew some of her own clothing. Lesch is considered an innovator in contemporary craft for her ability to attribute meaning to traditional methods of piecing and quilting, creating complex narrative works with what was a strictly utilitarian medium. She was recognized as a Master Craftsman by the World Craft Council in 1974.

 

Related artists in KMAC's collection:

Minnie Adkins, Karen Deaver, Ebony G. Patterson, Geneva Peace

 

Click to view an archival list of all artists in the collection.

 

Recurring themes:

Domestic Life, Material Culture

 

Reference material:

Allen R. Hite Art Institute. Alma Lesch: A Life in Fabric. Louisville: Hite Art Institute, University of Louisville, 2006. 

Carnegie Center For Art & History. Form, Not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie, 2004-2013. New Albany, Indiana: Carnegie Center For Art & History, 2013.