Louise Nesbit

Born in the Brookgreen section of Pawleys Island, Louise Nesbit learned the art of African-American strip quilting as a child from her grandmother, Bobbitt Ohree. Drawing from West African principles of textile design, southeastern African-American quilters synthesized these elements with the techniques of pieced quilting to produce distinctive utilitarian coverings with aesthetic virtuosity.

Over the years Nesbit developed her own lyrical sense of design and color, which garnered her wide recognition as a master quilter. Throughout her life, she remained an active and treasured contributor to her community. As a member of Camp Baskervill’s Adult Senior Day Care, she taught quilting and developed designs for community quilting fund raising events. Nesbit received the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award in 1992.