Quilt museum presents 'Grace Snyder: A Life in Extraordinary Stitches'

Quilts made by Grace Snyder, an icon of American quiltmaking, will be exhibited at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum April 10-June 14. Recognized in the United States as one of the 20th century's most accomplished quiltmakers, Snyder's legacy lives on in the 24 quilts she created for exhibitions and competitions, several of which are included in this exhibition.

In 1999, Quilter's Newsletter Magazine asked 29 quilt experts to select the 100 best American quilts of the 20th century. In the first round of nominations, more than half the participants chose Snyder's "Flower Basket Petit Point," which automatically qualified the quilt for inclusion in the final list. Finished in 1943, Snyder made this remarkable masterpiece in 16 months using approximately 87,000 tiny triangles to reproduce a china design produced by the Salem China Co. of Salem, Ohio.

By displaying her quilts throughout the country, Snyder (1882-1982), who lived in McPherson County, established herself as one of the preeminent quiltmakers in mid-20th century America. Her significant achievements were acknowledged in 1980 when, at age 98, she was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame.

Snyder's legacy as a prize-winning quiltmaker is firmly established. Less well known, however, is her private side, as represented by the many family quilts she made over the years. Janet Price, IQSC collections manager, in fulfillment of her master's degree program in quilt studies, has designed the exhibition to showcase 13 of Snyder's public and private quilts along with pieces of her other handicrafts and memorabilia from Snyder's rich life in the Nebraska Sandhills. The quilts on display are loaned from Snyder's descendents and the Nebraska State History Museum. The National Quilting Association provided funding for the exhibition.

Several programs are scheduled during this exhibition:

* Saturday, April 25 -- Quiltmaking demonstration, "Petit Point Basket Block," 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; teacher's workshop, "Quilting Nebraska's Past," 1-1:30 p.m. (free for Nebraska 4th-6th grade teachers; pre-registration required by calling 402-472-6579).

* Tuesday, May 12 -- Tuesday Talk, "Grace Snyder: A Life in Extraordinary Stitches," noon.

* Friday, June 5 -- First Friday Gallery Chat with exhibition curator Janet Price, 5:30 p.m. (free museum admission).

* Special Online Exhibition, after April 10 -- visit www.quiltstudy.org.

The International Quilt Study Center and Museum, 1523 N. 33rd St., was founded in 1997 and is the home of the largest publicly held quilt collection in the world. The museum opened in its new location in 2008. The privately funded, glass and brick "green" building houses more than 3,000 quilts, as well as state-of-the-art research and storage space, and custom-crafted galleries. The facility enhances the center's ability to pursue its mission to collect, preserve, study, exhibit and promote discovery of quilts and quiltmaking traditions from many cultures, countries and times.

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays and major holidays. Docent-led tours begin at 11 a.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is $5 for adults (over 18); $3 for non-UNL students with ID and children; $10 for families; free for children under 5, museum members, and UNL faculty, staff and students with ID. For more information, call (402) 472-6459 or visit www.quiltstudy.org. The International Quilt Study Center is an academic program of the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design in the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences.