Crafted Stories: Where Art, Ancestry and Personal History Come Together

By Heart and By Hand Brings Central Florida's Cultural Heritage to Life

Last month, I had the honor of attending the media day for the opening of the Orange County Regional History Center’s newest exhibit, “By Heart and By Hand.” The artists themselves were on hand to present and share their crafts with guests and I had the chance to speak with two of them.

According to the History Center, “By Heart and By Hand is a powerful celebration of artistry, heritage, and community, showcasing the work of Black craft artists across Central Florida. Rooted in traditions passed down through generations, the special exhibition explores how contemporary makers draw on ancestral knowledge, family stories, and cultural practices to create works that are both deeply personal and widely resonant.”

Getting to Know the Artists Behind the Exhibition

The first maker I talked to was Orlando-based quilter and mixed media artist, Lisa Moore. While meeting, she revealed the art she was standing next to, featured a picture of herself as a child. Each piece of fabric brought pieces of her life together on the canvas.

Lisa Mills-Alexander also uses quilts as the base of her craft and then adds paint and textured materials. Mills-Alexander moved to Florida from New York, so her artwork tells stories of both locations: playing in fire hydrants in the summers in New York and an ode to her quilting community in Florida. She was standing next to an image of her parents on a train that includes photographs of her whole family and a piece of her mother’s wedding dress sewn onto the canvas.

The exhibit included a hands-on activity based on these quits, too. There was a magnetic image on a wall that featured stitch lines, similar to what you would see on fabric. A basket on the wall holds magnets of people, animals, and objects that you can add to the quilt wall to tell a story. For example, a couple dancing on a stage while a nearby picnic takes place.

Some of the other textiles that I saw were clothing, for both adults and dolls, and teddy bears. Outside of fabric, there were handcrafted African and African-derived musical instruments and wooden sculptures. Every craft includes a plaque explaining more about each of the eight artists and their family’s story.

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While the makers won’t always be at the exhibit, there is a station where you can hear audio interviews from each in their own words. Their work in By Heart and By Hand will be on display through March 2027. It was only about an hour drive from my home in Daytona Beach to Downtown Orlando, so be sure to make time for this historically and artistically rich exhibition.

Have a story idea for Cassie? Reach out to her directly at Cassie@ECCToldMe.com — she’d love to hear from you!