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For nearly 50 years, Cuesta Benberry made contributions to the world as a lecturer, workshop leader, seminar director, film, TV and radio participant, curator, researcher and author. She was first introduced to quilts and quilt patterns by women from her husband’s family in Kentucky. Her interest was sparked; and it grew into a lifelong passion for pattern collecting and quilt history research. Cuesta’s research contributed considerable knowledge to the field of quilt studies.
She married George Benberry in 1951 and almost immediately thereafter began studying and collecting quilt patterns. In 1965 Cuesta’s original quilt block design “Kennedy’s Eternal Flame” won Honorable Mention in Aunt Kate’s Quilting Bee Magazine. In 1970 she became a contributing author to Nimble Needle Treasures magazine, and in 1977 she began contributing articles to Quilters’ Journal. In 1980 she attended the very first meeting of American Quilt Study Group in California. In 1983 she was inducted into the Quilter’s Hall of Fame. Cuesta was a teacher by profession and taught in St. Louis Public Schools until 1985.
A lifelong resident of St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Cuesta curated the “Hear My Quilt” exhibition for the St. Louis Art Museum, and in 1994, the St. Louis Art Museum commissioned Faith Ringgold to make a quilt in honor of Cuesta for its permanent collection. “Jo Baker’s Birthday” was installed in March, 1994.
Mrs. Benberry is the author of four books: Always There: The African American Presence in American Quilts, Love of Quilts: A Treasury of Classic Quilting Stories, Journey of the Spirit: The Art of Gwendolyn A. Magee, and A Piece of My Soul.
Cuesta Benberry passed away on August 23, 2007. She leaves behind her husband, a son and daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and too many quilting friends to count. You may sign her guestbook at http://tinyurl.com/yuqxq3.
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