Visitors to Gee’s Bend will now have a new way to sample the sights and sounds of the area’s world-renowned artists. Willie Quill’s Quilt Studio & Pantry will open July 18, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Boykin as the first artist-run studio in Gee’s Bend. The shop is owned by Gee’s Bend quilter Emma Pettway and her husband, Melvin Pettway Sr. It's named for Melvin's father, Willie Quill Pettway, a farmer, ferry operator, civil rights advocate and community leader. Most of Gee’s Bend's residents are direct descendants of enslaved people who worked the cotton plantation established in 1816 by Joseph Gee. After the Civil War, many stayed on as tenant farmers and sharecroppers. In 1962, Congress built a dam and lock on the Alabama River at Miller’s Ferry, which forced most residents to give up farming and pushed some to cultural traditions like quilt making. The abstract patterns and styles were passed down through generations. “This is a place to truly slow down and experience the artist...