For the fourth year, a variety of quilts will line the balconies and open areas throughout the Columbia Public Library. From April 7-29 nearly 60 examples of the “Social World of Quilting” will be on display, and the public will be invited to vote for their favorite quilt. The 2018 Quilt Exhibit is funded by the Daniel Boone Regional Library Foundation and curated by quilt artist Mindy Smith.
“The art of quilting offers a rather unique social opportunity for multiple artists to be involved in the creative process of the design and construction of a single piece,” said Mindy Smith. “This exhibit explores the evolution of quilting’s social dynamics through quilts submitted from a variety of local groups working on projects together and some that represent the now very large world of internet quilters and their groups.”
The Columbia Public Library revived this annual event in 2015 in celebration of National Library Week (April 8-14, 2018) and as another way to foster lifelong learning. “We want people to come enjoy the beauty of the quilts, appreciate the fine craftsmanship of each one and come away learning something they wouldn’t have otherwise, “said Angela Scott, librarian and manager of adult and community services at the Columbia Public Library. Each year the annual quilt exhibit highlights a different type of quilting.
This year the library welcomes special guest Jonathan Gregory, Ph.D., with the International Quilt Study Center & Museum located on the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln, Nebraska who will be giving two presentations at the Columbia Public Library on Saturday, April 21. Both events are free and open to the public.
Signed With Sincerity: American Signature Quilts
Saturday, April 21 › 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Columbia Public Library, Friends Room
Thousands of quilts inscribed with even more thousands of names are some of the most prized quilts held in museums and personal collections. Often made by communities of women and men to honor one of their members, these quilts provide historical documentation of long-forgotten communities and give evidence of the depth of affection, sentiment and solidarity among the group. Signature quilts reflect social history and social change in our country and have connections to westward migration in the 1800s, to reform and religious movements in the years following and to global war and social media in the 2000s. This lecture will cover the origins, development and adaptability of the signature quilt throughout nearly 200 years of American life.
Professional and At-Home Care of Historical Textiles
Saturday, April 21 › 2:45-3:45 p.m.
Columbia Public Library, Friends Room
The International Quilt Study Center & Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska houses the largest publicly-owned collection of quilts in the world, dating from the early 1700s to the present and representing more than 50 countries. Following professional practices for textile conservation, the IQSCM cares for more than 5,000 quilts and related objects. In this lecture, you will learn how the museum protects the collections from harm caused by light, pests, extremes of humidity and physical stress. You will also hear how museum conservation practices can be adapted for care and use of vintage and heirloom textiles at home.
All the quilts in the 2018 exhibit come with a personal story, dating as far back as the late 1800s up through present day. The rich histories expressed in the quilt blocks range from a memoriam to WWII active duty service men to a quilt incorporating found quilt blocks stitched by a relative who immigrated from the Ukraine.
People can view the quilts at the Columbia Public Library from April 7-29.