Student detectives aid in exhibition creation at quilt museum

Inherent vice does not sound like something the nice little quilt next door might have. But a look through the microscopes at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum reveals that and more.

Students in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate-level care and conservation of textiles course provided curatorial assistance to IQSC curators Marin Hanson and Patricia Crews to create a new exhibition, "Quilts under the Microscope," opening April 2. This "whodunit" exposes the many agents, both natural and human-made, that can slowly (or quickly) destroy quilts and other heirloom textiles.

The exhibition presents a group of carefully studied quilts that divulge some of the secrets of their past and help determine the best way to safeguard them for the future. Institutions like the International Quilt Study Center use science and technical analysis to discover the history of objects and to inform activities of preservation, interpretation and display. These artifacts can represent the history of a person, a family, a community or a country. Preserving them is one way to maintain an important link to the past. Visitors will learn how to care for their families' valued quilts and textiles in their own homes, to ensure these heirlooms survive well into the future.

Christine Humphrey is one of the textile history/quilt studies emphasis graduate students who created the exhibition. She explained how she and her colleagues chose the objects for the "Quilts under the Microscope" from more than 3,000 quilts available at the IQSC.

"The ethics of decision-making processes that museums and collections managers face in determining which objects to acquire, maintain, or expose to the public, is fascinating," Humphrey said. "It is a balance of the interest of the public and the needs of the object."

An example that illustrates the complexities of such balance is a red applique album quilt that has 40 13-inch blocks with dozens of signatures dated 1850-51. The readable names represent individuals that can be identified in the 1850 census for Boston. One signature reads "Mrs. Samuel Adams, Boston, Jan. 1, 1851." A quilt such as this is certainly of great value and public interest, Humphrey said. However, the ink used for the signatures has caused considerable fading, some softening in fabric, and instances of burnout or holes.

Students emphasize how often the historical riches found in an object far outweigh its aesthetic appeal. While the integral historic value of a piece is indisputable, its overall appearance may be quite flawed.

A combination of "CSI" and "Antiques Roadshow," "Quilts under the Microscope" gives a close and personal view of the life of a quilt and the things that can be done to safeguard it. The exhibition is on display through Aug. 1. The Nebraska Humanities Council provides partial funding for the exhibition. The museum will offer free admission the evening of April 2, as part of the North Lincoln Gallery Crawl.

For information on hours and admission visit www.QuiltStudy.org or call (402) 472-6549.

The International Quilt Study Center and Museum, 1523 N. 33rd St. [map] is the home of the largest publicly held quilt collection in the world. Established in 1997, the center opened the new museum in 2008. The privately funded, environmentally sustainable museum houses more than 3,000 quilts, state-of-the-art research and storage space, and spacious galleries. The center's mission is to collect, preserve, study, exhibit and promote discovery of quilts and quiltmaking traditions from many cultures, countries and times. It is an academic program of the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design in the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences.

WRITER: Maureen Ose