Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold isn't just an artist; she's a Harlem-born force of nature who painted, stitched, and wrote her own story into the art world. Growing up during the Harlem Renaissance, she was surrounded by creative giants, and it clearly rubbed off. Her signature "story quilts" are legendary, blending painting, quilting, and storytelling to tackle everything from racism to feminism. Rumor has it that an early art dealer told her to stick to landscapes, so she painted the bloody realities of the Civil Rights movement instead. It's also whispered that her mother, a fashion designer, once critiqued a gallery owner's outfit so impeccably that he immediately offered Ringgold a show out of sheer sartorial respect (this is, of course, of dubious veracity). She authored several award-winning children's books, including the beloved "Tar Beach." Ringgold's motto might as well have been, "If you don't get a seat at the table, bring your own folding chair"—or in her case, a magnificently crafted quilt.