Exhibition to showcase Nebraska quilts and quiltmakers

The International Quilt Study Center and Museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will present "Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers" April 8 through Oct. 2 at the museum, 1523 N. 33rd St. This exhibition of 15 quilts celebrates the work of the Nebraska Quilt Project team -- pioneering individuals who preserved an invaluable record of life in the state, told through the history of cherished quilts.

Twenty-five years ago, a dedicated group of 21 volunteers set out to document Nebraska quilts that remained in private hands, fearful that the rich heritage inherent in the family quilts would be lost forever if not documented. The Nebraska quilt project team, in numerous day-long events, collected information on 1,557 quiltmakers who made 3,216 quilts between 1870 and 1989. Led by director Frankie Best, the group recorded family stories, photographed each quilt, and gathered background on the quiltmakers, including gender, occupation, ethnicity, religious background, education, and the occasion that prompted a quilt's creation.

Shortly after the results of the state survey were published in an award-winning volume titled "Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers," Ardis and Robert James began looking for a home for their outstanding collection of nearly 1,000 quilts. The Jameses looked to their home state of Nebraska, recognized as a leader in the movement to document quilt history. Impressed by the quality of the research featured in "Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers" and the level of grassroots support among Nebraskans, they proposed that UNL was an ideal home for their quilts. The Jameses approached Patricia Crews, professor of textiles, clothing and design at UNL, who was the academic advisor to the project team and co-editor the Nebraska book, and asked if the university would be interested in accepting a donation of their collection. In 1997, the center was formed, as the first academic center devoted to the study of quilts across time and space.

The documentation and research begun by the Nebraska Quilt Project team paved the way for the formation of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum, home today to a number of the quilts that were featured in "Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers." The quilts were donated by individuals who were inspired by the survey project volunteers to recognize the importance of preserving their family quilt and its provenance.

Programming associated with the exhibition includes:

* May 1, 1:30-4 p.m. -- Quilt Identification Day, register at (402) 472-6549.

* May 24, Tuesday Talk, noon -- "Patterns of Patterns: What We Saw at the Quilt History Days," Kari Ronning, member of the Nebraska Quilt Project team.

* June 3, First Friday, 5:30 p.m. -- Public talk, "Nebraska Sod House Homemakers," with researchers Kathy Moore and Stephanie Whitson.

* June 12, 2 p.m. -- Public talk "Changing Threads: Anna Pavelka and Willa Cather," by Kari Ronning.

* June 28, Tuesday Talk, noon -- "Quilt Documentation Projects: Capturing the Records of Identity and Community," Christine Humphrey, UNL graduate assistant.

* July 26, Tuesday Talk, noon -- "Dedicated to Documenting Nebraska History," panel discussion with members of the Nebraska Quilt Project team.

* Aug. 7, 2 p.m. -- Public lecture "Grace Snyder: A Life in Extraordinary Stitches," Janet Price, International Quilt Study Center and Museum collections manager.

* Aug. 13, 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m. -- Workshop "American Girls Discover Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers," details at www.QuiltStudy.org.

* Aug. 14, 1:30-4 p.m. -- Quilt Identification Day, register at (402) 472-6549.

* Sept. 18, 2 p.m. -- Public lecture "Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers," Patricia Crews, International Quilt Study Center and Museum director

* Sept. 24, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. -- "Feathers and Foliage: An Applique Workshop," details at www.QuiltStudy.org.

The International Quilt Study Center and Museum exhibits quilts drawn from a collection spanning four centuries and 30 countries. Established in 1997, the center opened a new museum in 2008. The privately funded, environmentally sustainable museum houses more than 3,500 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. 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.

WRITER: Maureen Ose