|
|
|
Leaving A Legacy
Donating Quilts to Museums
Author Andi Reynolds shares more information about quilt museums, historical societies, and other museums with textile collections that you can consider for your quilt donation.
By Andi Reynolds
Quilt Museums in the U.S.
Although we've been quilting in America for centuries, of the approximately 16,000 museums in the U.S., at press time only 12 are dedicated solely to quilts or quilts and textiles and the oldest (San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles), just opened in 1977. Others are underway or being considered in Florida, Georgia, Washington and Wisconsin.
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, CA (www.sjquiltmuseum.org)
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Golden, CO (www.rmqm.org)
Kalona Quilt and Textile Museum, Kalona, IA (www.kalonaiowa.org/village/)
Quilters Hall of Fame, Marion, IN (www.quiltershalloffame.org)
Museum of the American Quilters Society, Paducah, KY (www.quiltmuseum.org)
New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, MA (www.neqmuseum.org)
International Quilt Study Center, Lincoln, NE (www.quiltstudy.org)
Latimer Quilt and Textile Museum, Tillamook, OR (www.oregoncoast.com/latimertextile)
The People's Place Quilt Museum, Intercourse, PA (www.ppquiltmuseum.com)
Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum, Lancaster, PA (www.quiltandtextilemuseum.com)
Virginia Quilt Museum, Harrisonburg, VA (www.vaquiltmuseum.org)
La Conner Quilt Museum, La Conner, WA (www.laconnerquilts.com)
Historical Societies and Other Museums
Many historical societies at local and state levels maintain wonderful textile collections, and many historic buildings are homes to locally connected textiles, which they appreciate receiving. Teddy Pruett, certified quilt appraiser, says, "A museum in the area where the quilt was made is more likely to be interested in that particular piece of material culture."
For more information, see the American Association of Museums' website: www.aam-us.org or search the Internet for "your state" or "your county" historical society or building. Also try searching for museums or historical buildings and societies by topic, such as African American, cowboy or railroad.
If you are an alumnae and prefer supporting an academic institution, bear in mind that many colleges and universities have quilts and textiles held in unusual places such as home economics or fashion design departments, even rare holdings libraries.
Remember also that some art, historic, state, living or other purpose museums hold extensive quilt collections and exhibit them permanently or periodically. The brief list below names but a random few as examples. For others, and for information on private collections, see "American Quilt Collections: American Quilt Masterpieces" by Shelly Zegart (Nihon Vogue, 1996) and "Quilt Collections: A Directory for the United States and Canada" by Linda Oshins (American Folklife Center, 1988).
Also consider:
Wadsworth Atheneum (Hartford, CT);
Shelburne Museum (VT);
the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston);
the Met (NYC);
Daughters of the American Revolution Museum (Washington, DC);
Winterthur (Delaware);
Great Lakes Quilt Center (East Lansing, MI);
Old Sturbridge Village (MA);
Newark Museum (Newark, NJ);
Colonial Williamsburg (VA);
Spencer Museum of Art (Lawrence, KS).
|
