Quilt Art – Not Just Bed Coverings

Mural on the outer wall at the Texas Quilt Museum

After a recent visit to a local quilt museum, I feel an enhanced awareness of the artistic work of quilters even though I had already known it to be an art form. Quilting experienced developments boosting the skill to a fine art as recently as the 1970’s and 80’s. Today there are active collectors of quilts old and new.  

The place I visited, currently the only quilt museum in the American Southwest, was the Texas Quilt Museum. I am not able to share pictures from the exhibit as photography is not allowed inside, but there is a lovely courtyard with a mural of quilts that I did capture a photo of in the main image here. They house a selection of antique, historical quilts in one area; however, the main halls showcase a themed exhibition much as you would expect to see at an art gallery. From the start of my tour I saw modern works with subject matter not typical to what I had seen in quilts before, such as savanna animals depicted in unusual hues of pink and works with photography and mosaic elements included. The proper lighting and orderly fashion of the general presentation relayed how seriously this art is taken. As my group explored the displayed works it quickly became apparent to us that modern quilters are using a wide array of materials beyond fabric alone.

A thought that came to mind in view of these works is the similarity of paper and canvas with fabric which are all made with woven fiber. Though traditionally fabric is a tool of the tailor or dressmaker, it is not exclusively so. The world-renown Victoria and Albert Museum of art and design fully recognizes the significance of the art of quilting, and have a great deal of information on their site if you should wish to delve deeper into the history, variety, how quilts are made, etc. Quilting exhibits do change as themed showcases are slotted limited time periods, so a new experience is in store with every trip. I encourage you to seek out a quilt exhibition, show or festival in your area and see for yourself the incredible creativity which advances these works from mere bed covers to artistry worthier of hanging on the wall.

"Perspectives - Art, Craft, Design and the Studio Quilt" by Michael F. James - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

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