Hystercine(pronounced "Her-teh-seen") Rankin (1929-2010) learned quilting from her grandmother at the age of 12 and started making quilts to keep her family warm. She made traditional quilts like the log cabin, but created her own unique versions of them, utilizing colors and shapes to create distinctive works. Hystercine Rankin was born September 11, 1929, on a farm in the Blue Hill community of Jefferson County, Mississippi.

In 1982, Camille Cosby, wife of entertainer Bill Cosby, bought several of Rankin's quilts. "I never would have thought that when you had to quilt, you would ever get a nickel from them," Rankin said. With the help of Mississippi Cultural Crossroads, an arts organization in Port Gibson, she was soon filling orders for more quilts, providing money for her children's college tuition. All seven graduated from Alcorn State University.

Rankin has been recognized for her achievements by several agencies. The Mississippi Arts Commission awarded her the Susan B. Herron Fellowship in 1991. Her work has been displayed in touring exhibitions mounted by Mississippi Cultural Crossroads, the Mississippi Arts Commission, and others. She served as a demonstrator at the 1996 Festival of American Folklife in Washington D.C. And in 1997, she was a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Technique: Machine pieced, hand quilted, applied binding
Culture: American
Geographic Location: North America, Mississippi
Credit Line: Gift of Lea Russo and Bruce Berman