Sandra Noble, “Annie Box Neal”
The exhibition label for “Annie Box Neal” provides this biography. “Annie Box Neal was a beautiful, 6-foot-tall woman of African American and Cherokee heritage who possessed an enterprising spirit that matches today’s independent women. She used all her hosting skills to be a successful hotelier. She generously fed anyone who was hungry, and she expressed her love of children by starting a private school at the hotel.
Her husband, William “Curly” Neal, built her the Mountain View Hotel in Oracle, Arizona, to ease her depression due to the death of her mother. The hotel, which flourished from 1895 into the 1920s, was known as far away as San Francisco for its healthy air, delicious meals, entertainment, and comfortable accommodations. Activities included bicycling, horseback riding, croquet and golf.”
Sandra Noble makes history through her own career. She is a fabric artist and art educator, who resides in Warrensville Heights, Ohio.
Sandra Noble composes her visual art from a variety of fibers, delighting in various colors and textures. She revived her artistic endeavors after taking a quilting class at the Cleveland Museum of Art. She has designed abstract fiber wall hangings and has more recently concentrated on nature scenes and narratives inspired by her own African American heritage. Her quilt “The Little Rock Nine” was included in the traveling exhibition of art quilts “Still We Rise,” and she exhibits her works in many other exhibitions.
Sandra Noble has a B.A. from Michigan State University and a M.A. from Cleveland State University. Her career spanned over thirty-four years in public school art education. She has continued as a consultant and by teaching at Cuyahoga Community College and Case Western Reserve University. She has served her community as program coordinator at Warrensville Heights Civic and Senior Center.
For more information on Sandra Noble and to view other examples of her art, see sandranobleartquilts.com.
FEATURED IMAGE: Sandra Noble, “Annie Box Neal,”2021, ©Sandra E. Noble. Commercial cotton fabric and batting, eyelet, phototransfer, machine appliquéd and quilted. 34 x 39 inches. Collection of The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, purchased with funds provided by Susan Hough, 2023.17