Quilts celebrate America in Zoar
From now through October, Zoar’s Bimeler Museum will host a “History in Pieces” quilt exhibit featuring quilts from Zoar’s own collection and the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky.
Thirteen quilts on loan from the National Quilt Museum celebrate the characteristics that make America the land of the free and home of the brave. The quilts, made from 1984-2011, feature designs and techniques from patriotic samplers to art quilts. Zoar collection pieces were made in the 19th century and demonstrate period materials and techniques.
In colonial times most quilts were made for utilitarian purposes like bedding and hangings for drafty doors and windows. Quilting as an artistic expression became more widespread in the mid-1800s as affordable fabrics and sewing notions were made commercially available.
“Quilting is a great medium where art meets functionality,” said Tammi Shrum, site director. “This is represented in Zoar’s own collection of quilts, made in the late 1800s by female members of the Society of Separatists. The patterns and needlework were representative of their German-American culture. Visitors to the exhibit will get to see Zoar quilting examples alongside some of the finest American examples of quilting from the last 40 years.”
Pieces on loan from the National Quilt Museum reflect happenings like Midwestern farming, the Louis and Clark expedition, California gold mining, and the settling of the American West. One piece memorializes the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
“The National Quilt Museum, a contemporary art museum for today’s quilters, specifically selected these quilts for their portrayal of bravery, freedom and life in early America,” said Rachael Barr, curator of the museum. “Many of our collection artists use historical themes and images to create their beautiful works of art, using today’s techniques such as hand-dyed and hand-painted fabrics. While these quilts are not antique or vintage, they represent the artistry, skill and creativity of today’s quilters.”
The exhibit is open during regular museum hours, which in April and May are Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Exhibit admission is included in the general admission price of $10 for adults, $5 for children age 5-17, and free for kids age 4 and under. Admission is free at all times for members of Ohio History Connection and the Zoar Community Association.
Visit www.historiczoarvillage.com or call 330-874-3011.
